Panto!

It was raining again when we woke up in Wakefield this morning. The balcony outside Nathan's lodgings was under an inch of water and everyone looked a little miserable as they made their way to work.

I've been at a drama school in Garforth this afternoon which is hopefully where we're going to a workshop of Brass in March. It's a lovely place, seemingly filled with kids with boundless energy. Walking through the corridors reminded me of being at Mountview 20 or so years ago. It's good to see that little changes in these sorts of places. I recognised almost every kid I passed!

Getting there in the afternoon was something of a trial. Our car has been parked in the theatre car park for the last few days, long enough for it to get royally blocked in. I had a phone call from the principal of the drama school asking if I could go and see her as soon as possible and as I reached the car, I almost wept. Cue the most ridiculous rigmarole in the interval of the panto with the principal girl in full costume and mackiage driving her car around the car park in a rain shower, and me nearly crashing our car into a wall, and feeling like an annoying tit telling everyone I had to get to a drama school in Garforth. Dreadful!

I came back to Wakefield in the late afternoon, hoping to see Nathan's Mum and partner, but no one's phone was on, and I had no idea where they'd gone to eat. I sat instead, feeling a little sorry for myself, in an empty Subway store, watching the hoy-polloy of Wakefield emerging for a Friday night out on the town. I felt like the focus of some kind of Hopper painting. The multi-coloured street lights of Wakefield, reflected in the puddles, lent a rather mystical aspect to the view.

My friend who was due to join me to watch the panto this evening cancelled with three minutes to spare, which meant I was unable to stick something on twitter which said "any adults who can get to Wakefield tonight, please help me not to feel like a dreadful paedophile in an audience entirely consisting of school groups!" I felt like such a Charlie sitting there beforehand! I tried to avoid eye contact with any of the kids who were undoubtedly looking at me and wondering why a 40 year-old man would go to a panto... on his own!

I made friends with Nathan's side kick's partner in the interval, however, so we sat together in the second half. Strength in numbers and all that, and handy for when the Dame gave us a shout out, and brought everyone's attention in the audience to the "two blokes sitting in a room full of kids... C.R.B.-ehave yourselves!"