The Extreme Staycation

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Ah Edinburgh . This is the time of year when traditionally many thousands of people migrate north for the month of August. I've performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe three times and been as a visitor several more times. Each experience was quite different - all fun, all stressful at some point and all good learning curves. My first time was with a cast of 8, we had a great flat, I drank quite a lot and made friends who I am still in touch with to this day. Second time was with my solo show, " Awake " - nice flat, even further out from the centre than the first time, had an amazing number of supportive friends and family who came up to see the show and enjoy the festival, didn't drink a drop. Third time was with a revolving cast of about 20, slept like sardines for a month, had a hit show, drank a lot of coffee. Edinburgh - I raise a glass to you and to all the people who were intending to be there thi...

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Another one bites the dust - Cameron Mackintosh has announced that Phantom of the Opera, which has run uninterrupted in the West End for 34 years will not return in 2021. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/phantom-of-the-opera-west-end-tour-closed-cancelled-ticket-refund-cameron-mackintosh-a9643116.html One in two people in the UK go to the theatre every year.  And more people see live theatre every year than go to a football match and yet football seems to have been fast tracked to starting again.  I'm not having a go at football (especially as Arsenal are in the FA cup final) but when are the government going to make a decision about theatres?  Without dates, plans can't be made.  The deadline for decisions about pantomimes, which often provide regional theatres' with the majority of their funding for the year, is fast approaching. Oh yes it it.

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown My tweet about watching Hamilton and re-creating the west end at home went a bit viral yesterday which was quite exciting!  It was re-tweeted by @HamiltonMusical to their 1million followers and it was quite fun watching the little "like" hearts clock up. In case you want to see the tweet, it's below!  (this is likely the highlight of my week...) Miranda Colmans @mirandacolmans Level 1: Recreating the west end/broadway at home Curtain up 7:30 Time for @HamiltonMusical on @disneyplus Ice-cream at the interval I LOVED IT SO MUCH ALL OVER AGAIN! Oh @Lin_Manuel you super talented man And I miss theatre #Hamilton #HamiltonFilm

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Today we watched Hamilton on Disney Plus. This was pretty much the reason I subscribed in the first place and as it's quite long, I thought it best to schedule it in. And we made a night of it. Curtain up at 7:30pm, (vegan) ice-cream at the interval and we genuinely clapped in all the appropriate places. I loved the show when I saw it in the West End - I was one of the first big group bookings I think, there were 19 of us!  I've listened many times to the soundtrack and it was a real thrill to see it again.  It felt live and I got goose bumps with the opening chords. It is hands down one of the smartest musicals I've ever had the pleasure of watching and I'm going to be re-watching and listening again very soon.

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I wrote a short play which I submitted to a competition last year and it was selected by the lovely people at Get Over It Productions to be performed at their new writing event in January 2020. I was really chuffed that it was chosen.  I think I got the email from them on the same day I received a rejection from another competition so it was a welcome boost to my confidence as a writer. It was quite a surreal experience as I had no input into casting or direction - I handed it over and then turned up at the theatre to see it for the first time along with everyone else and I was really happy with their choices. The play has been recorded during lockdown and released as a podcast.  This is such a lovely gift - I am now able to invite to world to listen and can share my little play with an infinite number of friends and family who would never have made it to the theatre to see it. So big THANK YOU to Get Over It Produ...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown The image below is a list of statistics from The Stage newspaper, the figures are from the Arts Index covering years from 2007-2018.  It is pretty depressing reading and doesn't give me a lot of hope for the current government to turn their ideas around and properly fund the arts. The UK is a world leader in the arts.  Our theatres, concert halls, galleries etc are what attract millions of tourist here every year, adding nearly 10% to the UK's GDP. I've said it before, I'll say it again.  What have we all been doing, more than ever, during lockdown?  We have turned to the arts for solace, for entertainment - TV, film, radio, books, concerts, theatre, opera and ballet broadcasts.  Without investment, we won't have these incredible works, this breadth of talent. We need to stop seeing art and entertainment as a frivolity and something that can survive on it's own.  We need to recognise their ...