Catching Up...

It is September and the British indian summer is in full force. So, somewhat tragically for yours truly, is a case of flu I seem to have picked up from lord knows where, though, as ever, the British Library, temple of knowledge and infectious disease, remains a likely culprit. I may regret the decision to re-engage with blogging in the last three months of my PhD (cue non-stop panic attacks, police sirens and spools of caution tape falling from the sky in the manner of evil champagne party poppers), but I’m going to do so on the grounds that any writing is good writing, particularly writing I enjoy, and writing which therefore makes me feel as if I actually can write. If all goes according to plan, the knock-on effect of this will be a thesis whose fluidity, effortlessness and joie de vivre is more haute couture than overworked and auf’d Project Runway disaster (yes, I am well and truly engaged with the new season, of which there will be doubtless be more later).

Right – and now for some statistics that will convey some sense of what I have been doing with myself for the last four months.

International flights: 8

Countries visited: United States, Czech Republic, Poland

Random milestones: 1) learning to rollerblade, two days before rollerblading in a room full of people, some sitting/lying on the floor, during a performance; 2) going to Hel and back in a day (seriously, it's a city in northern Poland); 3) first swim in the Baltic Sea.

Theatre productions to which I have contributed creatively: 3

Shakespeare roles: played 2

Sold-out Camden Fringe performance (directed by me): 1

Successful arts council grants: 1

Languages spoken on stage: 3 (4 if you count directorial swearing in Italian ;-)

Terrifying Polish phonemes I have mastered-ish: endless! For instance, I can now say “ść” properly, which is inordinately satisfying.

Thesis chapters drafted: 2 (the last 2, hooray!)

Key acquisitions: new laptop (though I may be returning it – annoyingly the model I wanted, after being aggressively persuaded of its superiority to everything else in my price range, was only available if I bought the floor sample and I distrust the mouse buttons), All Saints maxi dress, various Czech and Polish earrings, a great many new friends and collaborators, far too many mosquito bites to count.

Key realizations: My body and mind  and, indeed, body-mind, much prefer theatrical to academic work. Duly noted for future reference, though sadly something I am unable to put into practice now. (Cf. horrifying thesis deadline.)

So that’s about it for now. I am not entirely sure from whence comest the sense of obligation to catch up the readership (or perhaps just myself) upon resuming service after a long absence, but it does feel necessary somehow. Duty completed, I am off for a contentious cup of my favourite brew and a great deal of Lemsip.