Week 11-12-13

So the rest of week 11 passed  - a few more shows to complete that 6 day stretch

Emmetts Garden - poor lunch and rain but nice little garden

Petworth - standard house and grounds

West Wycombe - can't remember

Hatchlands Park - great friendly canteen staff

Then a day off to prepare for week 12-13 which was to run a full 13 days without a day off.

Yes that's right - 13 days without a day off. 13. This was the marathon that would see us to Northern Scotland and back.

East Riddlesden Hall - Yorkshire - cool garden - dinky and laid out for kids...stage was in a field adjacent and below

Rufford Old Hall - Alright garden, next to a river in a field...excellent pasta lunch.

RHS Harlow Carr -Debs, AMAZING garden, loved it - set the stage against a big hill- no lunch so we had a great picnic bought from supermarket

Arley Hall and Gardens - perfect acoustic in a walled garden - my digs host from my last job came and watched

Glamis and Cawdor castle. Both served top notch food which really puts us on a high, as you know. And the sites were interesting, we got a bespoke all access tour around the haunted Glamis and both had fantastic gardens to explore. Glamis was a rainy one and Cawdor was in a dense cloud of midges, but both audiences really got behind the show.

Bamburgh Castle

Awesome castle with a lovely host who gave us a wonderful homecooked pasta bake...as the stewards of the property they live on site. Was incredible to perform and look out onto the horizon of the sunsetting sea.

Durham

Right in the town...nice to have a little walk around the city before the show.

More wine Mariah!

Ludlow

On a village green by the river. Got to have tea with the family of one of the boy's cousins. Lovely to touch into a home setting.

Dearnford Lake

Sort of in the middle of nowhere by a lake. Quite cold...enjoyed good wifi in the cafe. Good lunch.

Suffolk Punch Trust

A farm specialising in horse breeding. Smallest audience to date...somewhere less than 50

Cliveden

Breamore House

Tomfoolery

Mixed feelings to be on the home stretch. Whilst we're looking forward to moving on, I'm sure when it's over we'll miss each other and this crazy lifestyle. What do they call it? Stockholm syndrome?

We've just got to continue being sensititive to each other and ourselves as tempers and bodies are wearing thin. To get all the way up here to Scotland we've put in so many driving hours. Caution and care to get through this in one piece.

Performance-wise I'm not sure what I can say. The show continues to be a great success with audiences. I'm really pleased to still be chipping away at my scenes - trying to find new and stronger moments of comedy whilst staying true to the story. And having the courage to be bold and brave in my shifts and choices. Such a blessing to have a part which is big enough to still be rewarding after all of these shows.

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