EXCITED! (tired) EXCITED!

I am shattered. It is still just about light outside and there is a pile of washing up to be done, taunting me from the kitchen making cruel, mocking noises. I am attempting to drown it out with AfroReggae, and I must admit, it is pretty much working.

Cycling home from Contact today I chatted with Lowri, who was also doing the wobbling-into-traffic style of bike-riding that is required when having a conversation with another cyclist. I stopped briefly to say goodbye at the gates to her flat, where a small, round, ginger-haired girl gave us a hard stare, possibly for interrupting her important game of kicking balls and shouting.

We finished the tech run at about quarter past eight, and waited for notes from Rachel, Lee and Lawrence (director, lighting and sound, respectively). "You've just got to have fun with it now" said Lee. "Embrace the jokes." The other two nodded.

There was a collective sigh from beneath costumes. We all felt exhausted, like enjoying stuff was asking a little bit too much, actually, and we might all be better off lying face down in a darkened room for a couple of hours while a whale or two sang gently to us. Back in the dressing room we peered at each other through our individual fogs and all decided that going home was an excellent idea.

It's a hard job, all this dicking about on stage*. Woe is me, I thought balefully as I skidded into a spotlight on stockinged feet. POOR US.

Yes, we're all tired. But in the most brilliant, excellent of ways.

There was a moment today when I was crouched down, waiting to leap up from behind a box (SPOILER), and I just thought: this is so much fun. THIS IS SO MUCH FUN. THIS IS CAPSLOCK-INDUCING FUN.

Last Friday afternoon we needed a break. An uplifting, light-hearted, Friday-ish break. We needed something to force us to stop thinking. Drugs and alcohol seeming like a less-than-practical choice, we instead went for the only real option available to us at that time. Someone brought out the laptop.

Halfway through "One Moment In Time (with lyrics)", Rachel found some pens to use as microphones, and the karaoke really took off. Time After Time, Black Velvet, Proud Mary, I Love Rock And Roll and En Vogue's classic Don't Let Go later, and we were all sweaty and exhilarated. Later on I was told we could be heard in the car park. (The information was not imparted with much enthusiasm.) It was totally worth it.

The show is going to be really good. There are bits that are so funny that I think we should maybe provide Tena Lady for the audience, and the other day Roxy, the producer, wept copiously at one particularly heart-wrenching part that she must have heard at least five times. And it's fun. Today we were all weary and blinking, but come Saturday night the adrenaline will be coursing through us and sparks will fly, I don't doubt it.

I love being tired like this. Buzzing and weird, excited and aching. Proud of what we've made, like we could do anything. Bring on Saturday.

(What, haven't got your ticket yet? Don't panic, here you go.)

*Dear Arts Council, we are obviously not just dicking about, but actually doing meaningful and important work. Love from Eggs Collective x.