Covering Arrangements
The tour continues! At the show proper we have already have all our understudies ready and prepared to go on, with dress rehearsals completed for every role. One of our 1st covers has already completed a whole week covering illness, and its testament to her and the rest of the understudies and swings that the performances remain at their absolute top level.
Talking of super covers, Assistant MD Luke Holman made his conducting debut in February - a triumphant first few performances and a fabulous opportunity for me to finally see this show from out front. I certainly have my work cut out when it comes to noting the music side of this show as everyone on stage and in the pit are maintaining their brilliant accuracy! I’m not convinced that I am going to tire of playing this show.
As for the venues, Northampton’s Derngate welcomed us back with open arms. I’m always struck with how friendly everyone is in this city - proper service with a smile wherever I went, and this was maintained by the local staff at the theatre. It was great to see some truly fabulous cafes, restaurants and pubs springing up since my last visit in 2016. There’s even a brand new local coffee roastery across from the theatre which makes a mean espresso!
Eastbourne was struck with the first of the February storms while we were there, so not a great time to be on the coast! It was also sad to see the damage from the big hotel fire which has closed the promenade by the pier. The Congress Theatre has had a nice redesign, though, and again I was delighted to find that a couple of fabulous coffee shops (both run by Urban Ground) had appeared.
Woking was a delight - my favourite orchestra pit of the tour so far, with lots of space and good acoustics for a pop show. We of course had to visit Pizza Express! And we finished the month in Bristol - it’s only been 9 months since I was last here with Matilda, so the week was spent visiting some of my favourite haunts: Small Street Espresson, Cargo, Bare Grills, Three Brothers, plus the legendary King St and its associated bars. This was also the week Greta Thunberg visited, plus the Bristol Light Festival was on, so it was all happening!
March is dominated by some of the big venues as we play the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre, The Empire Theatre of Sunderland before seeing out the month back in the capital at Wimbledon Theatre. We then all get our first well-deserved week off!