As of yesterday I am back working in a theatre making a show! It is the first time since March, and might well be the last time until next spring. Add into the mix that we might get shut down by the government any minute, and it really is a case of making the most of every minute.
Yes, Covid is making everything a little (a lot) more difficult. There is a whole new layer of things to think about in the rehearsal room - space, masks, sanitiser. It is also a little bit (a big bit) of a shock to the system to suddenly be working eight two-session days on the trot after 7 months of working to my own schedule. If that wasn’t tiring enough, it is a massive mental workout to memorise and then correctly recite a whole role, having essentially only exercised my memory muscle with shopping lists during lockdown.
But.
God, it’s good to be back.
(There is a whole load more I want to write about the psychology of preparing for a performance that might never happen. And I will get around to writing it - although maybe not until this is over. If anyone reading this is struggling with that, I feel your pain and hope you can keep the faith!)