Nickers off Ready When I Come Home/Privacy and Comfort on Tour

Does my bum show in this?

There is something distinctly functional about Norwich, where we find ourselves this week, and it has prompted me to write again, after too long an absence...it may also be that we are into the final six weeks of the tour and so your old life begins to resurface gradually, tentatively, and you begin to feel more yourself again, more of your old energy re-emerging; whatever the case, here I am again, happy as can be....

My landlady describes Norwich as one of Britain’s best-kept secrets, and after a day and a half here I can see why: I had no idea there was so much here to see and do; no idea of the History of the place, the shopping-everything from a six-days-a-week open-air market to what must be one of the oldest, still family-run department stores around, and certainly the best I’ve ever been in for stock and customer service and layout: Jarrold, founded in the 19th century (and where some of our cast were to be found in the foot spa today, on official business/p.r.!) But anyway, Privacy and Comfort: my first photo is actually from the dressing room in Aberdeen, a moment caught on camera by my dressing-room mate,  Carys Gray, who found my attempts at achieving modesty outside the shower cubicle worthy of recording.

Karen Ascoe in Dressing Room, Rhyl

The second pic (right) Carys found equally snap-worthy: in the ‘haunted chair’ (so called because it was so ancient it always looked like someone was already sitting in it) in the dressing-room in Rhyl, where I attempted some newspaper study while my bottom was almost at floor level, so lacking in oomph and upholstery was the haunted chair.

Rhyl theatre stage door entrance

The final pic (leaving my bottom to one side for once) is of the ‘Stage Door’ at Rhyl. It didn’t actually read ‘abandon hope all ye who enter here’ but it might as well have done! Having said that, I must note that Rhyl was one of our best weeks: great houses, enthusiastic audiences and SUNSHINE ALL WEEK - much to the amazement of the locals!

In fact, on that note, let’s end with a photo of the view from our dressing-room window in Rhyl... sod all the discomfort along the way, it doesn’t get much better than this for a footloose, strolling player!

Sunset in Rhyl, North Wales, April 2011

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