Just dashing off to our final open casting workshop – not sure what new surprises I will find there.

My mind is racing forward with late applications to supplement the schools work that has bubbled up so deliciously – that and a hundred other things that happened yesterday or this morning or recently –  the newly formed migration network at Norwich Castle this morning, my buzzy lunch with Jeannette spewing out more possibilities:  a songbook, a CD, an ongoing choir, another project – then I’m  home to crack through the latest bits of script that is beginning to stream in from the writing team after 5 days of hard structuring over the last 2 weeks.  It’s a whirlwind this one.  My phone pings constantly – I seem to always be in a spin of ideas and practical considerations – the long, short and medium term planning are a jumble in the stream of ideas that spring from this one central impulse – to make theatre that talks of strangers.  I am loving it, but have never worked so hard.

Last night at the open music workshop 22 people turned up – from 14 to 84 and all shades – hardly anyone knew each other – within minutes Charlie has them singing the newly written signature song Come Yew In!  It’s catchy. People are smiling. This is wonderful.

By Sunday we will have a cast and the birth of a choir. And some script too.  When I think where we were just 10 days ago it is an astonishing pace – we have to keep it up – after all there’s just 11 weeks left.  I can’t stay to say any more right now – got a workshop to run, and I keep telling myself, “must -not – forget – to – eat …” ‘til soon x