Monday 30th May 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Aki got up and made me a mug of tea. Got up and made porridge for breakfast, and warmed up some pea and ham soup to take with me for lunch. Aki had a zoom call with the potential purchaser of her mum's empty flat in Inage. I headed northward in the car...inspections of Borough Council stock in Stevenage. Stopped at South Mimms service station and picked up some lunch items at Waitrose and a coffee at Pret. A couple of fellows dressed much as in the photo on the left asked me where I was headed, hoping for a lift. I assumed they were Morris Men heading to a folk festival, but they turned out to Journeymen, a European order of carpenters, who traditionally journeyed around Europe after completing their apprenticeships...they were headed for the Isle of Man, and the TT!! I had my lunch parked beside the common in Saffron Walden, having used the facilities at the town's Waitrose store, then headed to my final port of call in Stanstead Mountfitchet. Got home around 1815. Aki had cooked up a mapo and rice for dinner, followed by Bon Maman salted caramel creme. I was too tired to stay upright on the sofa so went for a lie down in bed before Aki ran a bath...

Sunday 29th May 2022

Woke around 0930. Aki had had a fitful night's sleep, as she hadn't been able to find her wallet, with her bank cards and driving licence in! No sign of it come the morning light, which was a bit worrying. Jim and Kath were already up, and we made them coffee and a bowl of fruit salad and yoghurt for breakfast, before we walked to Finsbury Park station to get the tube to Kings Cross. Treated them to a very expensive brunch in Searcey's at St Pancras station...the prices looked reasonable, but didn't include the 20% VAT, or the 12.5% service charge that appeared on the bill!!! A sign of the times...won't be going there again! Walked them over to Kings Cross station, where they were to climb aboard the 1430 back to Newcastle. They had enjoyed their brief sojourn...pity it couldn't have been longer, but they both had work commitments to return to come Monday morning. Got home about 1500. Still no sighting of Aki's bank cards! She had to cancel them in the end. Flaked out on the sofa for a bit, and then warmed up Aki's fish pie and steamed some cabbage for dinner. Nowt on telly. Rented Brannagh's "Belfast" memoir...OK, but the narrative arc was somewhat trite. Enjoyed the Van Morrison sound track, though, and Gerard Horan and Mark Hadfield appeared in it, who I had shared the stage with in Leeds many moons ago. Early bath, and bed...

Saturday 28th May 2022

Woke around 0500...took a while to nod back off again. Got up around 1000. Porridge for breakfast. Aki made some pea and ham soup, as I planned to take a portion in with me to have between shows. Had an early light lunch, then drove to Stoke Newington for the final two shows. About 50 turned up for the matinee, and seemed to enjoy themselves...bit quiet in places, but were very enthusiastic at the curtain call. Pete had come over from Farnham (he played Sebastian to my Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Malta 40 years ago), and Jane Ely came with her partner, Ian. Jane had done SM work at the Tower when I was there some 40 years ago, so it was great to get her and Pete together after all this time. Me old flatmate Chris came too....it was his first Shakespeare experience! He appeared to have just about survived it. I couldn't hang around long to chat, as I needed to go back to the dressing room to steam my vocal cords prior to the final show. Our biggest audience yet...about 70 in tonight...including, unbeknownst to me, Kath and Jim, who had travelled done secretly on the train from Newcastle. I came out into the bar after the show to find them sitting in the bar! Lovely surprise. We had a quick drink in the bar, but I had to get back upstairs to muck in with the get out, so Aki drove them back to ours and sorted their bedding arrangements out, before driving back to the theatre to pick me up, by which time we had finished clearing the set away, and were tucking into the homemade sushi she'd brought earlier. Had to stay in the bar for a little while for some presentations and thank you's to various members of the creative team who had helped put the show together, so didn't get home until 0200. Could hear Jim snoring from the spare bedroom...

Friday 27th May 2022

Woke at 0800...Aki already up and about, and brought me a mug of tea. She cycled off to the Health Centre for a meet with the physio regarding her rowing elbow problem. Did a bit of work at the computer after a bowl of chocolate porridge for breakfast. Aki back briefly, before cycling off to the Japanese Embassy to send more paperwork out to the estate agency dealing with the sale of her mum's flat. I sauntered up to The Green Room on Holloway Road for my morning coffee. Sat outside round the back to get a bit of sun. Got back home and warmed up a portion of fish pie for my early dinner treat...with steamed vegetables on the side. Voice in reasonably good shape, touch wood. The finishing post is in sight! Drove over to Stoke Newington for 1745 and walked into the 'village' to buy some diet Coke (fake beer) and something to eat after the show. Another good house...about 50 in tonight, including a few Tower stalwarts. Simona, one of the AD's, was in...everybody had a good time. Ruth's Malvolia got an exit round at one point. Drove home for camomile tea, bath, and bed...

Thursday 26th May 2022

Woke at around 0730. Got up and made myself a mug of tea...Aki still snoring. Got to work at the computer. Aki got up and brought me a bowl of porridge for breakfast. Worked through until we had a late lunch at 1500. Aki cooked up the pork roast I'd bought the other day in M&S, accompanied by orzo and a side salad, and an apple sauce. Bit of a headache developed before I set off for the theatre at 1730. I think it's from staring at a computer screen all day! Managed to summon up some energy from somewhere...about 35 odd in the house tonight, and they were very quiet, but seemed to have enjoyed themselves come curtain down! Struggled with my voice a bit in the opening scenes, but sucked on a vocalzone which seemed to do the trick, and got through the second half without too much difficulty. Snuck straight out after the show...don't think I knew any of the audience members, so high-tailed it home for a mug of camomile tea, bath and bed...

Wednesday 25th May 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Dozed until Aki brought me a mug of tea. She cycled off to Rowing Club. I got up and made a packed lunch, and had some porridge. Feeling very very weary. Got to soldier on until Saturday! Ventured out south of the river for inspections. Took me to South Norwood, Penge, Bermondsey, ending up in Rotherhithe. Had a late lunch from a Greek street food vendor on Surrey Quays Retail Park. Drove back north of the river via the old Rotherhithe Tunnel. Got home by 1615. Revised my lines before setting off for the theatre. About 40 in tonight. They were good...seemingly enjoying themselves...indeed, several of them rose to their feet at the curtain call to hail our performance! Learnt that Bella Hornby, who plays Viola, is the author Nick Hornby's niece! Drove home for a cup of camomile tea, bath and bed...

Tuesday 24th May 2022

Fitful night's sleep...woken by the sound of rain on the bedroom roof at about 0430, and took an hour or so to get back to sleep. Woke at 0845 and made tea which we drank in bed. Got up and made porridge for breakfast, then sat at the computer until lunchtime, working. Aki nipped out to do a bit of food shopping before lunch. Worked through my lines ahead of tonight's show. Had to pop out to the stationer as I ran out of paper printing off 300 inspection sheets for the Swansea job next month. Stationer said prices had gone up 40%, and he was having problems sourcing supply. Aki made a fish pie for early dinner, and I drove off to the theatre at 1730. Didn't feel very switched on this evening...probably due to having had two night's off...some neighbours were in, which made me feel a bit self conscious on the bigger speeches, and I dropped the ball a couple of times. I had put too much baby oil on my head in the interval (to give the impression of sweating in the sunshine), but some of it got into my left eye, which gave me a squint for most of the second half. Neighbours nowhere to be seen afterward, but Bob Karper, an old actor mate, and Marianne, the mad French choreographer, were in and we had a brief catch up in the bar. I gave Marianne a lift home to Tufnell Park. She'd enjoyed it, though found the Shakespearean language a little tricky, naturally. Bath and bed...