Catching my breath

It has been a busy week, with no time to post. I am settling into this routine of regular daily exercise if i can help it, which for me has to be done in a class situation, especially if it is Pilates, and also going back and forth to London quite often - every time I move away from London I realise I cannot live without it, it's the reason why I made it my home. My love affair with London spans at least a couple of decades now and despite all its shortcomings I love the metropolis to bits. Admittedly, I go back for work reasons: yesterday I had a shoot for M&S beauty products which I could not miss. But I like going home on a Sunday (and my regular yoga class on sunday afternoon!). I seem to be the only one among the cast who moves back and forth, I was talking the other day to the company manager and he told me he never goes back home while on tour, not even on the days when there are no performances. I guess it's also to do with the fact that since my role is rather small I dont have to keep on rehearsing, so I have more spare time than the others, more freedom to move around, so long as I am there for my call time.
I am getting used to the strange rituals of theatre people. Yesterday it was press night and suddenly there were good luck cards, chocolates and various small gifts. I did not know 'press night'  was such a big deal and felt really bad about not reciprocating. I naively thought that the opening night was the 'one', yet it went through as if it was a rehearsal. But yesterday was special. One of the cards I was given, by the leading lady, was amazing.  It was a Norman Parkinson's postcard

Photographer: Norman Parkinson, The Italian Collection, three little black dresses, 1961

Norman Parkinson archive, ArtPress Publishing Ltd

So beautiful and elegant! Later, at the party, I managed to thank everyone and I was then told that the next big night is the final one of the tour, so now I have been forewarned. 

Apart from the M&S shoot which I am really proud of - M&S has chosen models of different ages, different skin colours and generally, different types, to advertise its new range of beauty products, I have had the opportunity of doing an art nude shoot in Salisbury and I really love the images, thank you Stuart!

I am writing in a hurry today, mostly to reassure my followers that I am still around and no, I have not given up blogging. It's just a little difficult to cram everything in 24 hours.