Ok this whole thing is going too fast! All of a sudden we feel a nip in the air, a few more leaves stuck to the rainy pavements and all the kids are slouching back from school in new ill-fitting uniforms. Why does time go faster when you're having fun? There's got to be a scientific equation stating as much. Professor Brian Cox should do a series about it. Yes, I know we still have two months left but the last five have flown by like very fast flying things and to add to that, with one day off a week, you start to see your remaining time here in terms of Sundays left for adventures. So we are down to single figures there. Eek! Fact: there are simply too many things to do here, even for 'normal' folk with proper jobs. Add to that a very happy bunch of folk who get along- a rare thing indeed as I may have said before- and there is already a sense of mild unrest bubbling under, as we all count the days and wonder if we will fit everything in. There are still the challenges of finding time to do the writing projects of Chris & George, major fell conquering- I feel things wouldn't be right without at least two of the highest peaks surmounted before we leave, Ruskin's Brantwood, trips to castles, steam trains and Saltaire Festival. Then there's still Scotland just over the border and all the treats that contains. Darn. A dream trip to Glasgow may have to wait for another time... Time to prioritise, as soon we will be running another show on the Saturday, making Sunday even more precious as a day of 'rest'.
I know, it's hard to believe, but we burn a lot of energy doing even a relatively un-energetic play. Nervous energy too, preparing to go on, as well as the actual clowning or fighting required! I suppose we should spend our Sundays tucked up on the sofa with cups of herbal tea but who in their right mind would do such a thing in a place like this? I love performing in the theatre, but my other side lives out doors in the world of garden design and to relax I've always loved a walk over hills & fields, ever since university in Sheffield, where the Peaks were a short David Blunkett bus ride away; in other words, it cost 15p to ride the seven or eight miles out to breath-taking countryside. How things- and people- change!
Our shows continue to roll on, with everyone keeping on top of the approach; no-one is complacent about yet another performance of show x or y and all think about keeping it fresh and new each time. Some actors by this stage in a contract can be a real drag to be around, grumbling about an audience that doesn't laugh as much as yesterday's, whining about being bored after 'so many' shows. It's a real mood killer all that moaning. Anyone who has had to hold down an office or shop job they didn't like to pay their bills will appreciate how hard it is to hear an actor complaining about their job in that way. I'm not saying we should never complain. If justified, complaining is a skill we all need to perfect to avoid poor service etc. But if you're moaning about having to do another show or three hundred people not being as loudly amused as the other three hundred last night, you're wasting valuable hot air! These jobs other people would sell their granny on eBay for, they're so rare. So counting your blessings is not only good for keeping the moaning at bay, but it ups the enjoyment factor all round! What a top year 2012 has turned out to be. And it's by no means over yet.
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