The Day Before The Day

I am sitting, tea precariously close to my furiously typing fingers, hair wet and butterflies clamouring in my stomach.

In an hour a van is coming to pick up my set and drive it to Contact, where we will start the day of technical rehearsals for the "industry sharing" of my solo show, Bright Lights. (I've put "industry sharing" in inverted commas because it sounds pretentious and I am operating under the delusion that the punctuation removes me from that slightly.) (I know it doesn't really.) It is perhaps worth pointing out that it is meant to be a theatre industry sharing, not just any industry. I'm not going to be performing to an audience full of steel workers, although I am sure they would LOVE IT (marketing).

I am very nervous. I have been pawing at my script, begging the words to go into my addled brain so that they can come out again at the correct moment.

Yesterday we filmed the trailer (marketing), which involved me photocopying my face. The resulting photocopy looked like one of those adverts about skin damage where they show previously healthy-looking faces and then turn on UV lights and everyone suddenly looks like a disconcerted Orc. I do not recommend it for self-esteem reasons, but heartily recommend it for general fun-based ones.

This week I have been rehearsing all day everyday. My director, Montserrat, has been putting me through my paces, beating me into submission when I am not working hard enough*. Producer Rachel has been diligently trying not to look at me too askance when I don't know simple answers to simple questions like "what's the hashtag for the show?" (marketing). Then the three of us have done little trips to Asda for high-carb, low-vitamin lunches to see us through the afternoon and into the evening. After rehearsals sometimes I have been allowed wine.

*This is not true, she has not raised a hand to me thus far. Tech rehearsals can be very stressful, though, so I will keep you posted.

This is Rachel and Montse with some well-deserved Pimms:

And me pretending to drink wine through a straw! Ha, ha, ha. I am so whimsical. Come to my show! (marketing)

Well, I had better go and eat some breakfast. Perhaps Nutella out of the jar and eight gallons of coffee. I am nervous.

Here I am about to go to a rehearsal! Looking coy like it's my first day of big school, not like a thirty-one year old professional woman about to go to work. Never mind. I felt more like the former, anyway.

Good luck to you all for my show! Now, can you all come and learn my words for me.

(Here I am with some Technology, which also features.)