One week ago I was dealing with post-show blues, having worked for the previous six months to bring to the stage ‘the Man Behind the Microphone’ at Northwood House. In company with the writer, Tim, and an amazing group of actors and technical wizards, we played to a good-sized audience both nights of the show and I thought little if anything of hugging friends in greeting and in celebration of the show’s success. We all shared not only a room but a bottle of champagne as we toasted ourselves and looked forward to the next project for each of us.
I heard myself say: ‘I won’t have time for post-show blues… I will continue to rehearse for ‘Kipps’ with the Savoyards – for which I have started to teach myself to play the banjolele; will join in the rehearsals for Hamlet at Carisbrooke in June and can look forward to Nunsence at Bembridge in the autumn. With all that plus a few murder mysteries, helping front of house with Full Circle at Easter; a directors’ meeting at The Apollo to plan next season, and shows coming up that I have tickets for – Chicago, Wind in the Willows, When We Are Married, and Francis Rossi at Shanklin Theatre, along with my husband’s regular open mic sessions and gigs, I won’t lack for entertainment.
Ha! Every single one of the events listed above is now either cancelled or postponed – mainly the latter I’m pleased to say, but who knows for how long?
Last Monday there were rumours flying around that schools might be asked to close, but no one really thought it was imminent – but we did start to plan as the week progressed, so it made for a pretty busy week, leading up to the announcement that yes, we were to close from today. Oh, and the Year 11 and 13 students will not be taking any exams this year. So we were left to support all those teenagers who have just had their revision time, last day at school, final assembly, exams and prom night all ripped away from them at a moment’s notice. As one student remarked, it feels surreal.
And yet, as I sit here on the first day of working from home, I may be feeling a little shell-shocked from the speed of recent events, but I am anything but despondent. I am very lucky that at present I and my close family and friends are all healthy. That is the main thing. Yes, we may not be able to visit each other for the foreseeable future, but we do have plenty of ways nowadays of being in contact – Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp… and we do have the opportunity to keep safe by staying at home.
I am currently reading a novel set in WW1 and it describes the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. What comes over very clearly is the difference in society between 100 years ago and now. In particular, no NHS – if you were rich, you got medical help, if you were poor, you lived or died according to chance and your underlying health. Which if you were poor was unlikely to be good. No one had any way of being in contact with anyone without risking infection, so the epidemic spread exponentially, especially in army camps – and no one suggested not going to work: no one could afford not to. There were some similarities – schools, theatres and places of entertainment closed, but again that mainly protected those who could afford to go to such places.
The other similarities – and my parents would reference WW2 here as well – is that in times of adversity the community seems to come together, and I have read some heartening stories on social media of support being offered to the most vulnerable, and to set against the stupidity of panic buying, some neighbours and friends (my son’s among them) have shared their purchases with those unable to find what they need in the shops.
I know – and really appreciate – that there are still key workers who need to carry on, and I hope their places of work are doing all they can to keep them safe – but please, if you are able to stay at home, do. And if you can close your business and keep people safe – do it! And let’s keep that community spirit going and look after each other.
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