Diss is what I'm talking about

I woke up very early in Reading, because it struck me that I was staying at the Reading Rainbow Hotel.

Reading Rainbow is an American children’s show on PBS, it’s about- funny enough- reading. Reading, the town, is actually pronounced like the past tense of “read”- I just found it funny at 4am.

Then I remembered that Reading Rainbow had recently been cancelled.

Then I found myself feeling bad for show’s host: Levar Burton. He was in Roots. He also played Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Then I started to think about the Geordie accent from Newcastle.

It was over after that- I couldn’t get back to sleep.

We left

for

at a decent hour. The day was pretty nice too.

The train trip was as enthralling as ever. I looked out the window

at the exciting scenery

and recorded my every single thought about it.

On the way to Norwich, I couldn’t help taking a photo of this town’s station sign:

Oh, I should mention how great the show had been the night previously in Reading. I’d performed once before at the gorgeous Reading Concert Hall:

Okay, back to the train journey.

We arrived in Norwich and quickly became reacquainted with how beautiful the city is. It’s the kind of place where you could spend the entire time just taking photos. It’s grandiose one moment and quaint or homey looking the next.

Luckily for me, Norwich would serve as my “home” for the next four days.

Off we went to the theatre.

The Norwich Playhouse is situated right on the river:

The view from my dressing room made me nervous that the swans could to watch me changing.

We performed on the Friday and Saturday. The shows were fantastic. (Aside from a microphone malfunction. Argh!)

Norwich is the place to be as far as I’m concerned. Any place where strangers invite you to sit at their table (after they’ve seen the show) in the pub, is worthy of praise.

People in Norwich spontaneously break into to song along with fully choreographed dance numbers.

The staff at the Playhouse were awesome too. They’ve gave us some red wine after the show and let us sit up in the control booth with them.

At some theatres the staff line up like sprinters on the starting line and come the end of the show, they’re breaking world records to get out of there.

I’d like to thank the Norwich Playhouse staff for being so wicked.

I don’t have photos of everyone, but they know who they are. Thank you, again.

It became frighteningly clear that I’m not the only one who REALLY loves the Norwich Playhouse:

There were two schedules days off in Norwich. I’m a bit sheepish to admit that in order to clean up some issues I’ve been having with the show, I spent the first day off watching the entire LOTR extended trilogy.

It shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering what I do for a living.

Did I mention that weather was incredibly awful?

The films are just as good as I remember.

Yes, I’m a nerd.

This morning (February 22nd) I began with a radio interview at none other than:

It  was a remote interview with BBC Radio Devon, which meant that I worked out of a studio the size of a broom closet.

It’s snowing again today. Everyone is trying to pretend that Winter is over. Some more than others:

I popped  around Norwich’s extensive shopping district afterwards. There’s an outdoor covered market.

I found a cheese shop in the market which made me want to do that Monty Python sketch (What was it called? The Dead Parrot? I can’t remember.). Unfortunately, the cheese merchant had every kind of fromage a person could desire.

I think I’ll spend the rest of my day-off at either at the Cathedral, the Castle, or the Colman’s Mustard Museum.

I will miss Norwich when we go.

Onwards and upwards.

Tomorrow we’re off for Epsom.

🙂