Musings, ramblings and reveries.

Self-confessed theatre and Punchdrunk fan. Health advisement: There will be gushing. You've been warned..

[tarot-sybarite]

From SilverSpiral.org: 

Every year, right around New Years’ Day, I like to do a comprehensive Tarot reading for the forthcoming year. This is the spread that I developed for this purpose. It’s a hefty one, weighing in at 26 cards, so I definitely need to set aside a good chunk of time to really let them all settle in. I record these results and pin them to my calendar, to use as a guide throughout the year.

The first twelve cards represent the twelve months, and what influences will be coming in to play during that month. Each card can represent a theme for that month, warn me of challenges ahead, or introduce a bit of fortune into my path.

Cards 13, 14, and 15 represent what influences are being carried over from the previous year – what I am holding on to from the year past. Sometimes we hold on to things we need to, other times its wise to let them go. These cards can help you make that decision.

Cards 16, 17, and 18 indicate what I will be carrying over into the next year – what I will be taking out of this current year and will be influencing the future beyond it.

Cards 19 and 20 represent what will be crossing me this year. As there are only two cards in these positions, they carry a lot of weight. They are the over-arching challenges, situations, or influences that will be crossing my path, for better or worse.

Cards 21, 22, 23 and 24 represent the themes of each season – Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain, respectively, and what each quarter-turn of the wheel will bring.

The final card, 25, is a keyword to carry with me throughout the year, advice or insight for the coming year.

I hope your new year is full of health, wealth, brilliance and inspiration, and that it blesses you with new adventures and dreams realized.

[thebewitchingoracle]

I was trying to make a romance spread about finding love.  But the Universe pulled me into making a Self-love spread instead.  As always, I tested the spread. It was a lovely change and the first time I used the Romantic Tarot. Happy belated Valentine’s Day.

First positive trait about you: Reverse 7 of Swords- Most people think I’m lying or not being true to them.  Which isn’t the case at all. I’m a very honest person. Everything I say is just as I am. My good trait is my honesty.

Second positive trait about you: 5 of cups- I regret some of my life choices because of their outcome. Not how I felt at the moment.  But this just means I’m living my life. And I’m reflecting on my actions so I’m always learning about myself and how to live my ideal life.

Third positive trait about you: Page of Pentacle- I’m always looking an opportunity for better myself. Quoting from Hamilton “I’m not throwing away my shot”

Forgive yourself on this issue: 6 of cups- Nostalgia is my issues.  Sometimes, I romanticized the past at times.  However, you can’t repeat the past and it’s nice to look back. I just have to remember to keep moving forward

First step on practicing self-care: Reverse of Lovers- There is no going back to my past lovers.  I’ve changed and they’ve changed.  It’s time to take the lessons I learned from them. And just remember it when I start dating again.

Second step on practicing self-care: 4 of Pentacle- Shopping therapy is not going to help solve my problem. So I just have to be mindful not to spend my money thinking it would fill a void

Third step on practicing self-care: 7 of wands- I have to trust myself. I know when the right one will walk into my life.  I just have to trust the risk is worth the possible fall.

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Favourite Moment for Each Character

Thanks to @theaterguy105-blog‘s post and inspiration, here are my favourite moments below:

Macbeth: Finding him sat in bed brooding waiting for Lady Macbeth after the party. 

Lady Macbeth: Her walk down high street before the banquet. 

Macduff: His dance with Lady Macduff when he is trying to reassure her and calm her down. 

Lady Macduff: When she is packing and folding the baby clothes into the suitcase in the children’s bedroom. 

Banquo: The crypt dance with Bald Witch. 

Malcolm: The shaving scene with Duncan.  

Duncan: The moments after he’s drunk the poisoned drink from Lady Macbeth and he starts realising what’s happening. 

The Porter: His dancing during the ballroom. 

Danvers: The door dance always and forever the door dance. 

Agnes: Her first visit to the Porter. 

Fulton: His fight with Taxi.

Bargarran: His visit to the cemetery on the third floor. 

Speakeasy: His scene with sexy witch

Nurse Shaw: The limb dance. 

Matron: The mirror dance. 

Boy Witch: When he goes up the stairs to the lobby with Sexy after the ballroom. 

Bald Witch Her ballroom solo. 

Sexy Witch: The rep bar solo. 

Hecate: Her causing havoc on the high street during reset. 

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

What characters do you like to follow?

I tend to gravitate more towards the female characters but my go to characters seem to be Nurse and Matron closely followed by Bald Witch and Hecate. The female character I follow the least is probably Lady Macduff.

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Favourite Reset Moment

Prompted by an answer I gave from @littlegoldenflies‘ questionnaie, I thought I’d put this question out into the ether:

What is your favourite reset moment from the show? At The Drowned Man, most characters had a moment where it was pretty obvious they were resetting and about to start their story arc. I don’t think these reset moments are as obvious at Sleep No More but they do exist so what is yours?

Mine is the High Street reset watching the red wirlwind that is Hecate causing havoc. 

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Question Time @ Sleep No More

Alright then, my turn!

How did you come up with your username?

It’s the line straight after “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” so I thought it suited me and my tumblr account.

Favorite character?

Matron, Bald Witch, Nurse, Hecate and the PIB. 

Favorite bar character?

Elizabeth will always have a special place in my heart bur Kit, Hazel and Calloway are also favourites. 

Favorite one on one?

I have the strongest attachment to Matron’s but I also love Hecate’s ring one and Agnes’ too.

Favorite scene?

Bald Witch’s Ballroom solo and the Mirror Dance. Oh! And the high street during reset. That’s my favourite reset moment of the whole show actually. 

Favorite song?

The music that plays when matron collapses on the floor after writing on the pillar. Also, the drones/sounds during Bald Witch’s Solo in the Ballroom, the music/drones during Bald’s and Banquo’s crypt dance and “Every Night About This Time”. 

Biggest pet peeve?

This one has been said before but watching people pelt it away from the lift on 5 or 4 in order to make it to wherever they want to get to first. It adds a weird sense of competition that we don’t need from the very top of the show. 

Worst audience behavior you’ve seen?

I’ve seen a fair amount of bad behaviour but nothing massively shocking luckily. I’d also rather not dampen this fun questionnaire by dwelling on the negative. 

First moment in the show?

I was actually asked by a friend and fellow regular if I’d like guiding to a scene that has a lot of characters at the top of the show and I said I’d rather make my own way around. Having seen The Drowned Man, I knew I’d find a characte eventually. I think I got off on the third floor and somone zipped past me on the stairs and made me jump out of my skin. I was roaming around dead set on not following the hyped up characters like Porter or Boy Witch but of course the first character I found was Porter and I somehow found him scribbling in his little office. 

First one on one?

Porter was my first 1:1 since he was the very first character I followed and stuck with for about a full loop.

How many times have you seen Sleep No More?

Like I say at check in when they ask, too many but I still love it. 

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

McKittrick May/June Highlights

Well then, I didn’t think I’d return to the Mckittrick so soon after my trip in April. I wasn’t meant to go back until late July for my birthday but every once in a while, fate has a different idea than yours and you have to change your plans. It’s taken me longer than usual to sit down and do my highlights but here they go in no particular order.  I have a feeling this is going to be long but enjoy!

- Being greeted with such warmth by Maximilian and Hazel on my first show back and feeling like I’d never left. 

- Wandering down to the high street at reset after spending the start of the show up on 5th and seeing Mallory’s wirlwind Hecate causing havoc. 

- The beautiful combination that is Molly’s Nurse and Virginia’s Matron. They feed off each other’s mood and energy so well. 

- Seeing Virginia’s Matron in the hut on my first show back and smiling from ear to ear because for a good while she would always be in the hut on my first day back. 

- Ryan’s sexy witch running and dancing around like the whole building is her playground and the huge contrast from that to her Rep Bar solo where she is in complete distress and broken.

- Erin’s cool and collected Hecate and her sly side looks and smiles to her accomplices. 

- EJB’s Porter and how hard he tries to keep his game face on but ultimately fails.

- Bickering with a couple of the Men in Bar all the time. All. The. Time.

- A certain Man in Bar doing his pre-lift speech saying “From now on, there will be no more talking... Though I know it will be difficult for some of you” and giving me a pointed look across the room. I gasped in complete and genuine outrage at that. 

- Ida’s Lady Macbeth and her cold ruthlessness. She exudes power and control more than any other Lady Macbeth I’ve seen. Oh and her dancing. INCREDIBLE.

- Ida’s Macbeth mad walk down the high street.  I could watch it every loop, every night. 

- Matron having no letters to fold down on third and having to somehow occupy her time while Nurse meticulously folded a single towel for ages. 

- Jenna’s sexy witch and her shameless flirting with everyone. So good. 

- My absolute dream pairing of Ida’s Nurse and Virginia’s Matron happening again and it being everything I ever wanted and expected. The dynamic between the two of them was brilliant. 

- Ida’s super efficient and professional Nurse only ever showing small signs of weakness when caught unawares. 

- Kacie’s calm and relatively collected Nurse and the way she seemed more aware of the white masks around her than other Nurses seem to be. 

- Virginia’s Hecate and the terrifying glares she gave people if they stepped on her dress.

- Virginia’s Hecate directing the rave with such glee and power that I wanted to be her for a minute or two.  - Matron looking genuinely worried at the blood on my hand during the 1:1 and eventually realising it wasn’t real blood. 

- Adam’s Taxi having the perfect combination of creepy, angry and sometimes even funny.

- Adam’s Taxi offering a sweet to one of the bird skeletons at the beginning of the loop and then moving the sweet to give it to the turkey later on since the bird didn’t eat it. 

- Adam’s Taxi taking drawing out a piece of skeleton or whatnot and then talking to said piece of skeleton and showing it its portrait before pinning it on the wall.

- Adam’s Taxi going to town destroying the third floor cemetery with such satisfaction and malice.

- And finally, in the Adam Taxi section, seeing the 5th floor solo for the first time ever!

- Tim’s neurotic Porter wanting to be things just so. He really did not like the dangly light switches on the green lamps moving around. 

- Tim Porter’s extreme sadness only really showing in the 1:1, making it that much more intense.

- The night when Boy Witch became Macduff, Porter became Boy Witch and a different Porter appeared. 

- The night when Banquo was pretty much AWOL and only ever appeared for the Ballroom and Banquet scenes. 

- Camara’s beautifully sad matron and how resigned she is to her fate. 

- Tina’s Matron being terrified of the thunder and being constantly in motion because of her anxiety. 

- Seeing Evelyn Grey as Woman in Bar for a show and forgetting how good she is at making everything sound dirty. 

- Delivering notes left, right and centre.

- Going up to 5th to check who was in the hut and seeing Mallory in there. Spending a whole hour with her and relishing every moment after not having seen her in the role for over a year. 

- the PIB being disappointed if I showed up in Manderley without a candy delivery. 

- Mallory’s Matron doing less 1:1s and constantly doing something interesting in the hut which made it super hard to leave her. 

- Getting grabbed on the stairs by Hecate for a walkdown after having spent a whole loop with her earlier on in the show. 

- Jenna’s Bald witch and her great combination of sheer power and charm. She’s added so many little touches that make the role unique to her. 

- Wanting to spend every minute of the show with Molly’s Bald but being sensible and just doing the standard loop.

- The Bald Witch Ballroom solo. I could genuinely watch that on repeat for a whole show. 

- Finally meeting and talking properly with Lola and having my cards read by her.

- Jenna’s wonderfully weird and intense Danvers. I’d missed her so much in that role.

- Lindsey’s gorgeous Lady Macduff. I haven’t been as touched by a Lady Macduff’s performance in a good while. She’s so sad and innocent and her dancing was out of this world. 

- Ryan’s Lady Macbeth making an appearance and seeing how much she’s improved and made the role her own. She has a constant vulnerability that makes her so much more human and easier to relate to. 

- The way Ryan just gives 1000% in everything she does and being constantly in awe of her and her talent. Her dancing as Lady Macbeth was incredible. Especially as she starts to become unhinged and she let her body do all the story telling. 

- Virginia’s Hecate raising eyebrows at audience during the rave as if saying “you got a problem with any of this?”

- Being whisked away to the 6th floor in the middle of a Nurse loop after I tried i be clever and take a shortcut.

- Molly’s Nurse getting up to so many wonderfully weird things up on 5th. I never knew what I’d find her doing when I got up there.

- Andrea’s childlike Nurse and finding her trying to pick up a peg with her foot and looking so very satisfied with herself when she managed it. 

- Ginger’s matron going from strange and playful to grave and sad in the space of a few minutes. 

- Kit and Calloway causing havoc in Manderley. 

- Finding out Calloway’s super power and him demonstrating it. 

- Somehow keeping up a conversation with Calloway and Hazel for a whole happy hour. 

- The way Ruth portrayed Agnes with a lovely innocence I haven’t seen in a while, and the way she seemed resigned to keep a game face on in public and not show any vulnerability if she could help it. 

- The way Ruth’s agnes puckered her nose when smelling the drink Speakeasy offered her and her reaction after drinking it. 

- Ruth’s Bald Witch Ballroom solo and the way the power built and built as the solo went on. 

- The way Virginia’s matron always plays off and matches the vibe of whoever her Nurse is and the way she always, ALWAYS changes things up slightly depending on her Matron’s mood, the audience and the general circumstances.

- The night we had Cordelia, Kit and Colette in Manderley. 

- Having my cards read by Kit and Colette joining in on the reading and then Cordelia joining in too because she felt left out. 

- Kacie’s seemingly more gentle and flirty Bald Witch showing her power through her dancing.

- Spending so long talking to the lovely Lola that I missed a whole chunk of the show and never made it back in on my last show but it was wonderful. 

- Evelyn Grey’s reactions to my really bad jokes. 

- Washing my hair and being quite happy with what it was doing despite the humidity only to have Lady Macbeth smear it with blood during the show. 

- Accepting the fact I cannot hide and will be recognised no matter where I stand. 

- Feeling overwhelmed by everyone’s kindness in the hotel and the way the McKittrick seems to know exactly what you need from a show before you know what you need. 

This is way too long now so I apologise and well done for getting this far if you read it all. As usual, feel free to ask for more specific details if you want to and chip in with opinions etc too. 

 I always enjoy writing these because they bring back so many vivid memories and I love sharing my love for this strange and wonderful show. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

On Being a Regular

Do any of you ever wish you could to the show completely incognito and unrecognised? Because as much as we think that changing our outfits or style for a show will make us less recognisable, that really doesn’t work.

When I come to New York, I do several shows in a row, which will make me even more recognisable than if I came once every few weeks or months.

I found myself thinking I wish I could be completely incognito in order to watch a favourite in a favourite role without the awkward guilt I get of repeat following. I got that awkward guilt last night and it turned out to be completely unnecessary guilt in the end but it did make me wish I could be less conspicuous. As much as I try hanging back and not standing in lines of vision, I don’t think it works very well!

Anyway, this is a bit of a ramble but I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this.

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

April 2018 Highlights

Well, here goes another highlights post after my bonus trip over to New York and the McKittrick. Broke my twice a year rule but it was so worth it. 

As usual, these will be in no particular order other than what comes to mind and when. Feel free to reply with any questions or comments. 

- All of the Happy Hours! Seriously, we had Manderley Happy Hours Monday- Friday and it was wonderful. 

- Meeting Calloway and experiencing his weirdness and eccentricity first hand. 

- Finding Molly’s Nurse off of the first lift and getting to spend time with one of my favourite performers in one of my favourite roles on my first show of the trip. 

- Having @everylittlenote come up to 5th (knowing that’s where I could be found) and whisper “Go to the Rep Bar after this”.

- Going down to High Street during Vertigo, refusing to believe that I may finally see the Hecate I’d been dying to see, standing across from Taxi’s and seeing Virginia’s Hecate walk through. I swear I gave myself whiplash with the double, triple take I did, 

- The way Virginia’s Hecate makes sure she makes eye contact with everyone during the cabaret and makes sure each individual person locks eyes with her. 

- The way she looks so elegant and majestic but eats like a pig. What a contrast!

- Having a tarot reading with the wonderful Cordelia. Just what what I needed. 

- Ryan’s playful sexy growing in intensity as the loop progresses and the constant feeling that she may be fun, but she’s also dangerous. 

- Molly’s Bald Witch always finding opportunities to lock eyes with white masks. She’s one of the rare few people that constantly looks at the audience during the ballroom which is so good and quite intense.

- Bald’s solo after the ballroom. I could watch that on repeat.

- Following Molly’s Bald twice in the space of a few days and finding the crypt dance with Banquo completely different each time due to a different performer being Banquo and the tempo being different. 

- Ginger’s Matron feeding off of Isabel Nurse’s energy and both of them being extra playful and weird. 

- Erin’s subtle yet super powerful Hecate. She may be more understated than some of the more recent Hecates we have seen, but she has a quiet authority and such a cinematic quality that I could watch her sit and stare into the distance for a loop if I had to. 

- Camara’s heartbreaking matron constantly speaking to herself between the sobs and tears. 

- The way she broke down after letting her white masks out of the 1:1. You could genuinely feel the pain she was in. 

- The way she walked me down to the banquet with a confusing detour to the lobby for good measure. 

- Kacie’s quiet and gentle nurse who just wants to be able to protect her patients no matter what. 

- Walking into the rep bar to check who Hecate was and being stolen by her before even registering who it really was. (It was Tori).

- Tori’s Hecate palm reading after putting the ring on my finger after he dinner and looking at me in wicked horror just as the thunder clapped. Genuinely made me jump out of my skin!

- Being stopped from getting on the lift by WIB so that people would go in front of me and I’d be last in. WIB telling James I’d like to go for a swim and the lift foor opening on the 6th floor rather than 5th. WHAAAAAAAAAT?!

- Getting Virginia Hecate’s cabaret and people swarming to the table as she opened her dinner meaning I couldn’t see her anymore and having to move myself several times in order to somehow keep the eye contact. 

- Ilana’s beautiful Matron trying to find some playfulness and gentleness despite her loneliness and sadness.

- Ilana’s matron slipping something into my hand during the final banquet before walking me out. 

- How the above and other little things that happened mean I still get surprised, heartbroken and sometimes even giggly at the McKittrick despite the large amount of shows under my belt. 

- Marissa’s Sexy Witch constantly toying and having the upper hand with her white masks. 

- The way she can just have you 100% in her thrall by giving you a single look. 

- Molly’s Nurse hiding behind each bath tub for ages trying to hide from god knows what or who. 

- Molly’s creepy smile as she comes at you for the 1:1. Still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. 

- RYAN’S LADY MACBETH! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

- She’s quieter than some, but so very intense yet vulnerable. You could see small glimpses of that vulnerability that her Lady Macbeth desperateky tried to hide until it’s ultimately too late.

- The way Ryan’s Macbeth uses you for support on the way up to 5th yet never really realising or acknowleding that she’s clinging on to someone. 

- Her exchange with Danvers before the ballroom and the way she clinked her wedding ring on the whiskey glass to get Danvers’ attention. 

- Not following a single Agnes on this trip yet but wanting to and finding Marissa’s Agnes walking out onto the high street. What a wonderful loop!

- She’s a strong woman who gets broken by circumstances beyond her control but that strength is always there until the bitter end.

- The way she picks for her second 1:1 during the rave is the best thing ever.

- Marc’s Fulton despertately trying not to step on creaky floorboards while Agnes is asleep. 

- Being grabbed for a walkdown by Virginia’s Hecate on the stairs down to the final banquet and feeling equal parts excited and embarrassed. 

- Spending my last show doing to favourite loops: Bald (Molly) and Nurse (Audrey). 

- Audrey’s tired nurse prepping everything for Lady Macbeth’s arrival.

- Her pride in the pretty maze she cut out of paper and showing Chelsey’s Matron who had absolutely no interest in it. She very patronisngly hung it up on the wall as a parent would hang their child’s millionth drawing of their family pet.

- Feeling like Bald’s accomplice during the whole loop due to the amount of side eyes and smiles sent in my direction. 

- That ballroom solo... again. SO GOOD!!!

- Finding a ring where there usually isn’t one. Another little surprise to keep me on my toes.

- Virginia Hecate’s laugh post cabaret. Not quite a cackle. More like a hilarious inside joke with some imaginary being. Brilliant.

- Having a ridiculous amount of kissed masks to take home because apparently Hecate was my go to character this trip like matron and Bald were on the last one.

- Clearly the McKittrick dealt me different cards this time. Not that I’m complaining since I got to finally see an (old) favourite in that (new) role and several times too. I have no shame. 

_ Naming the pillars in the Lobby, Rep Bar and Macbeth’s room. 

- Meeting @manderleyghost and @mckittrickbold and having some wonderful pre-show and post-show chats over the weekend. 

- Making new friends and meeting up with old ones that I would never have met had it not been for this wonderful show and its fandom. 

- Leaving the city with a smile on my face and lots of new memories for the bank.

I’m pretty sure this is super long now so I’m going to leave it at that. I had such a good time despite spending an innordinate amount in the rep bar and in the actual bar thanks to Happy Hours. Thanks to all the lovely peeps on here who may read this that I got to spend time with during my visit waiting in line and nudging each other during shows. See you all at the end of July!

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm really looking forward to see Ida in person. Sorry to labor the point, how naked is she, because I don't want to get embarrassed and look away! Perhaps a couple of drinks beforehand too! Karin

There’s no need to look away. You’ll hardly be the only one watching her and if you feel uncomfortable, stand to the side or way at the back until she’s clothed again.

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Sleep No More January 2018 Highlights

Well, another long visit to the McKittrick has come and gone so it’s time for the highlights post while the memories are still fresh.

- That feeling of familiarity and excited anticipation when walking into the elevator for my first show of the trip.

- The heart swell of being in an almost empty first ballroom during my first show and hearing the familiar drone while Bald Witch summons everyone else.

- Not being able to watch the witches during the rave because of Hecate’a unnerving staring competition, which she won of course.

- Matron going for a little wander around the maze after the mirror dance and confusing my already discombobulated jet lagged brain.

- Ryan’s sexy flirting all over the place and infusing me with her fun energy for the rest of the show.

- Steph C’s quiet and understated Nurse. Constantly moving in order to not succumb to the loneliness she radiates throughout the loop.

- Her breakdown after the mirror dance followed by her steeling herself for the long journey downstairs to the banquet as if it was the hardest task on earth.

- Her limb dance throwing her all over the operating theatre and how scared she was of what her body was doing against her will.

- Realising that Freddy (MIB) was still holding a 5 month long grudge after I accidentally “ruined” one of his jokes back in August.

- Freddy’s failures at glaring at me across the bar on several occasions. I guess I’m too cute to stay angry at for too long 😉.

- Ginger’s kooky matron being so strange and constantly in motion inside the hut but so very sad when she takes a guest in.

- Ida’s Lady Macbeth walking down the high street gathering her spirits around her and slowly losing her mind.

-Ida Lady Macbeth’s gentleness with Macbeth after he’s come back from the murder vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared. Blink and you’ll miss it.

- Both Ida and Marla Macbeths kissing Danvers to get their way and then quickly rejecting her when she makes a first move. Burn!

- Molly’s Nurse adopting a pet rock and looking after it with such tenderness it was really disconcerting and cute at the same time.

- Andrea’s Nurse making a pillow and blanket fort in one of the beds. She has such a child like innocence that contrasted so well with Matron and the general atmosphere of the 5th floor.

- Molly’s Nurse coming at you with that creepy grin that doesn’t reach her eyes. If I could’ve melted into the wall, I would have.

- Colette’s wonderful follies with so many fun acts and old hotel residents.

- Steph C’s Bald Witch with her incredible power and presence.

- Meeting Molly’s Bald Witch for the first time and loving how fierce she is.

- Subsequently following her again a few shows later after constantly locking eyes during the ballroom, and having one of, if not THE most intense loop I’ve had at the McKittrick. It was one of those rare loops where I was entranced and at her complete mercy for the whole hour.

- Steph C’s Danvers gliding around in the shadows as if she was just an apparition but then every once in a while, showing she does have a human side. One of the most beautiful images I have of her is after “Moonlight Becomes You” when she stands in a pool of light regaining her composure and steeling herself.

- Realising how emotional the 6th floor 1:1 makes me. Every. Single. Time.

- Spending an innordinate amount of time outside Matron’s hut whiling away the minutes and always feeling like they were very precious. I’m such an energetic and hyperactive person in normal life that spending time outside the hut brings so much needed stillness to the mind and soul.

- Ida Nurse’s professional and to the point vibe. This is one nurse who needs to get things done and quickly. Her bed solo is also incredible.

- Ida Macbeth’s solo in the mirror box: the despair, the ambition, the moment when she actually loses her mind.

- All the People in Bar being so friendly and inviting towards me. I never felt awkward or unwelcome in there.

- Colette’s wonderful Tarot reading kind of facilitated by @lucisferre84 😉.

- Ilana’s sad and tender Matron holding my face and looking into my eyes like she could look right into my soul.

- Virginia’s quiet and intense matron sometimes harsh and patronising towards nurse and sometimes tender and motherly.

- The very subtle yet sad nod Virginia’s Matron gives you when you leave the hut as she watches you from the doorway. So sad and resigned.

- Having a white mask follow me for the rest of a show to then find me in Manderley and ask what happened in Nurse’s 1:1.

- Having another white mask follow me around the 5th floor as I switched from Matron to Nurse without me realising. Said white mask coming to me in Manderley saying he was following me because I seemed like I was having such a good time and he wanted to be part of it. The poor guy didn’t realise that what constitutes a good time for me inside the hotel is definitely not what the majority think.

- Tyler’s heart breaking Porter sobbing and smiling so sadly it even tugged at my little tough heart strings.

- Seeing new things (to me) while doing my first ever full Boy Witch loop. Don’t judge!

- Seeing even more new things while following Duncan around on a night where I wanted to be away from the hustle and bustle.

- Sarah’s super elegant and majestic Bald Witch. Her more subtle and quiet flirting with audience and her incredible musicality. The girl can make a drone seem like music!

- Seeing Sarah’s last ballroom (with her being lifted up) and her last ballroom solo thanks to Nurse and Matron going down to watch it during the third loop. Such a beautiful moment made even more beautiful by the amount of support that could be felt from all over the place.

- Spending so much time with @rottenwoodandwiltedsunflowers in and out of the show.

- The surprise visit from Mallory’s Hecate and her incredible rave scream and cackle. She had everyone in the rep bar eating out of the palm of her hand and boy was she relishing in it.

- Ida’s sad yet sassy Agnes having no patience for Fulton or Porter.

- JWW’s Porter throwing Agnes’ purse off the counter and it skidding under the double doors. Great aim!

- Wandering around the hotel and seeing so many friendly white masked faces around made my heart skip so happily. I even got a massage from @ashleyfern92 while we both watched Duncan and Danvers. Win!

- Marissa’s Bald, her quiet command of the space and her ability to move in such incredible ways that the mind just boggles.

- Learning a ridiculous amount of bad jokes.

- Seeing the People in Bar’s reactions to said really bad jokes.

- Being asked my someone in Manderley if I was part of the show because I was bickering with Sebastian and his “she may as well be!” answer.

- Surprise appearances from Austin as Boy Witch and Lily as Sexy, Matron and Agnes.

- “Laugh to scorn the power of man” written in chalk by Matron when we had an Orderly instead of Nurse. GIRL POWER!

- And finally, the extreme kindness of everyone inside the building performers, bar and FOH and fellow fans alike.

This has ended up so much longer than I expected. Sorry guys! If I remember more I will add them in the comments or something.

Enjoy!

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Thank you for the great SNM reviews. Finally hoping to catch Ida, whom I absolutely adore as a dancer, as Lady Macbeth. I know she will be amazing and the I can almost feel the intensity you describe. Is she full frontal during the bath sequence? That's gonna be the the only scary thing to be looking at her that exposed.

Hi! I only just saw this, sorry! You’re gonna love Ida as Lady M. Or I hope you do anyway. Let me know what you thought when you do see her! All the Lady Macbeths are quite intense but I like mine to have a bit of a meaner streak and bigger emotional journey which I feel Ida does.

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Another trip, another highlights post

I'm back with another highlights post after my birthday trip to the McKittrick. As usual, these aren't in particular preference or chronological order. - Finding Jenna's Nurse up on 5th at the start of my first show feeling jetlagged and giddy at the same time. - Watching Jenna's incredible dancing and how creepy and intense her interpretation is. - Ida's Lady Macbeth. Incredible every single time. - Ida's Lady Macbeth's not so subtle glances at Danvers during the ballroom always plotting and ruminating. - Ida's Lady Macbeth post breakdown bath imperiously demanding for a white mask to help her out of the tub and for another to dress her. After that, the gradual descend into "sanity" as she went back down to the third floor her whole body straightening and becoming stronger the closer she got to her room. - Nick D's speakeasy always throwing a curve ball or two throughout the loop. So intense and funny at the same time. - Emily's Sexy Witch always winning over my heart with her flirting and dancing. - Emily's Sexy Rep Bar solo. Her drowning, her struggle, her breakdown on the floor and Hecate whipping her out of my arms and glaring at me for daring to help her. - Emily's Sexy now being scared of white masks after her solo while she puts her shoes on and running away from us all to get to the banquet. Interesting touch after spending the rest of the loop toying with the white masks. - Ginger's Matron and the wonderful combination of playfulness, loneliness and sorrow. - Steph C's Bald Witch and everything she does. Her ballroom solo is out of this world and I love the gasp/scream she does to stop Macduff in his tracks at the end of the solo. - Dancing with Steph C's Bald at the top of the show after stumbling upon her in the trees and having the decision of who to follow first made for me. - Steph C's Bald and the way she walks. Glides up the stairs remaining super powerful and walking with that animalistic saunter of hers that no one else can quite do. - Andrea's gentle and childlike nurse and her beautiful window solo. - Andrea's Nurse stealing Taxi's teddy bear at the end of third loop and putting it down on the Macbeths' bed. - Ryan's more playful yet still powerful Bald Witch. A brilliant ballroom solo and creepy yet fun interactions. She always changes things up and adapts so well to her surroundings, fellow performers and followers. - Ryan's Bald crawling towards me on the floor, me moving away from her thinking she needed space to get out of the little alcove, her crawling some more, me moving back some more until she grabbed me by the foot and I realised she was intending to crawl at me. Whooops. - Ida's beautifully elegant Agnes. Her gentleness in the 1:1 coupled with a hidden fierceness when she got angry was beautiful to watch. - Jenna's Danvers and how wonderfully weird and sexual she is. I never know whether to laugh, be creeped out or plain old marvel at her talent when I watch her in that role. - Steph C's understated and sad Nurse. The focus she puts into everything she does drew me into such focus that at times I forgot where I was and that all I was doing was watching her fold some pyjamas. I could've still watched her do that all night though. - Sarah's ridiculously intimidating yet thrilling Danvers. She has such authority around that building that I'm not surprised the Porter just shrank away from her at any of their encounters. Such a Queen Bee. - At the opposite end of the spectrum, Sarah's sad and vulnerable Agnes and her never ending quiet determination to find her sister. - Elena's super intense Nurse who seems fairly matter of fact and normal until she takes you into a 1:1 and goes completely unhinged. Don't judge a book by its cover people! - Ryan's Lady Macduff. What beautiful dancing coupled with such a nice combination of innocence and giddiness at the impending birth of her baby. - Virginia's Matron. Sometimes heartbreakingly sad, sometimes angry, sometimes plain old creepy but always with an undertone of determination and some deeply buried strength. - Jackie's Hecate and the way she cackles, holds a room at attention and takes no shit from anybody. So good and so intimidating. - Tori's Hecate who feels wiser and otherworldly than others I've seen. Her stare seems to read deep into your soul and not once do you get lulled into a false sense of security with her. I was on tenterhooks the whole time I spent with her despite knowing what Hecate does in the loop relatively well. - Jeff's Speakeasy and how he basically uses the whole of the fourth floor, its characters and audience as a giant playground. - Jeff's Macduff climbing all the way from the ballroom to the mezzanine in order to do the Door dance with Danvers. WHAT THE FUCK?! - Nick D's Porter and his goofiness, sadness and frustration at his situation. Those silent screams he does had me wanting to go up to Hecate and slap her into submission to free her. Except she's terrifying and I could never do that. - Mallory's Agnes making a return and breaking my little heart all over again. She's such a wonderful Agnes full of subtleties that others don't do. I also always get so stressed out when she steals the money because she feels so desperate and panicked it's genuinely contagious. I was SO happy to see her roaming the hallways quietly and sadly. - Ryan's Danvers who I was desperate to see in the role and not being disappointed in the slightest. She has no patience for Duncan and it's brilliant! I loved her dancing around the Macduffs' like she owned the place too. - Telling Ben's Man in Bar so many bad jokes and ruining a joke for him by telling it to Kit before he got to. I don't think he'll ever forgive me for that but it was great. He's also such a welcoming presence you never feel awkward around him. - Similar to Ben's Man in Bar, Ilana's Woman in Bar is so charming and welcoming, all you want in life is for her to be your best friend. - Elizabeth Lindsay's ever falling dress strap still driving me up the wall. - Having many a moment in the hut trying so very hard not to laugh or giggle and luckily, always managing not to. - Bringing in my birthday by being with friends, and watching Evelyn Grey's follies (which I had always been desperate to see and always missed by a week or two). - Being brought up on stage to slap Evelyn and be slapped by her 30 times as a birthday treat (or punishment?). - Being allowed to wait in Manderley until midnight so I could be given drinks and cupcakes and hugged by the loveliest and craziest of friends. I'm sure there's more highlights and I will reblog with more when I remember them but I head is so full of moments and memories I probably need to process a bit more. Hope you all enjoy these and feel free to comment and discuss anything you like! Sooooo much love for everyone on here that I saw on my trip and met properly for the first time. You know who you are :)

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Here's to McKittrick birthdays and being made to feel like the most special girl in the world. Thanks to everyone on here that was there and spent some time with me. I am one lucky and grateful girl

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Sleep No More Shanghai Highlights and Impressions

It’s been a week since I flew back from a whirlwind 5 and a half days and 6 shows in Shanghai. Having had the time to process and let it all rest, I’ve decided it’s time for one of my highlight posts. So... below are my thoughts from my mini adventure. I’m not going to praise individual performances in roles or I’d be here forever but let me say the cast is INCREDIBLE. I’ll try and keep it as spoiler free as possible but you’ve been warned. Also, this is longer than I planned, sorry! 

- The entry maze is LONG! I genuinely thought I’d done a U-turn at some point and that I would end up back at the start. Brilliant!

- I loved not being able to understand any of the pre-lift and lift speeches yet obviously knowing what the gist was.  - Meeting some lovely fans that I am sure will read this :) - The ballroom is so much smaller than the one in New York. It made the whole room seem much less grand and intimidating. - I had some very strong feelings about the 5th floor after my first show and they weren’t good feelings at all but it did eventually grow on me. - Loved that Matron has a lot more to do in the show but I missed the quiet, the sadness and the intricacies of Matron in NYC.  - Big yes to the bamboo forest and big no to the hut/pagoda.  - 1:1s being surprising again even though you know what it’s going to be like.

- No to recycled 1:1s for some characters. 

- Missed all of the Paisley witch references that the New York show has and this show lacked.  - Danvers’ loop is great! True to me fashion, she’s the very first character I spent time with in the show  - My feels were all over the place about the show for a couple of days. I hated one of the new big scenes (it did grow on me eventually) and loved one of the other big new scenes.  - I followed male characters! SAY WHAT?!

- Cunning Man: great loop but couldn’t figure the character out. -It’s taken a trip to Shanghai for me to finally do a proper full Banquo loop rather than the equivalent of a loop in fragments. I love the dance in the ballroom and did enjoy the scene with Bald Witch. However, the crypt scene in NYC wins the contest.  -Duncan: SO weird!

- Bald Witch spitting at religious icons and licking religious statues.

- Bald Witch going all spidery after the rave in the apothecary. Now that was brilliant.

- The lead up to the rave: Boy Witch lifting sexy witch on his shoulders in the corridor to the rep bar and Sexy whispering and beckoning the audience over. 

- I’m always a big fan of Bald Witch’s ballroom solo but the couple I saw in Shanghai blew my mind. 

- Losing Nurse because of Cunning Man’s kindness or maybe cunningness and therefore spending a good 20 minutes trying to figure out where she was.  -Bride dancing in the trees was so beautiful. - The wedding scene is also gorgeous. 

- One of the nurse’s walkouts and how the show was still going up until that moment where the mask came off.  - The tea spoons are so cool!  - Matron doing unexpected yet familiar things. - Massively missed the mirror dance. -Dancing with Bald Witch and getting really bad giggles.  - Donating some of my hair to Bald Witch’s cause.  - Lady Macduff’s giddy giggles whenever she seemes to remember she was pregnant and was going to have that baby soon. That made the end of the loop  so much more heartbreaking.  - My inner monologue going something like this: “Ok, start moving to the left because that where she’s going to... Oh nope ok let’s go right instead that’s fine too!” That happened a lot and I loved the fact that this show wasn’t in my muscle memory.

- The cabaret song: NOPE! - Sexy and Bald’s costumes are spot on.  - Missed the three witches being more related to each other. They somehow felt a lot more detached and individual from each other in Shanghai. 

- I finally learned to accept the 5th floor by my last show and though I missed a lot of the dances and moments that Nurse has in NYC, I loved spending time with her. So much so that she was the last loop of my trip. Anyone who knows me knows how big of a deal that is.  -Finally figuring out which staircase goes where. That’s a big feat people! 

- Seeing Porter do what porters do. That was odd.  - Seeing Bride learn how to human. I loved that so much.

- Some weird stuff goes on on the third floor between two characters that really didn’t make much sense to me. Cryptic I know, but I don’t want to spoil.  - Spending so much time with @pursuitofhappenstance and @atoddswithmorning I love you guys THIIIIIIIS much!  -Ending the adventure wanting to see more and discover more. Now THAT’S the sign of a good trip.  -Hearing Lady Macbeth’s shouts across the building.

- Finding the Speakeasy accidentally and thinking “So that’s where it is!” It’s kind of well hidden!  So you’ve read my ramblings and may want to know where I stand in the Shanghai vs NYC battle and I will say I stand firmly in the middle but with my heart in New York. I find it so hard to compare them! For every bad thing I found, there was something amazing to see too. Would I go back though? Yes, for sure! Please do feel free to comment with questions, inputs and opinions. 

[klarionchaos]

The ‘Neath had vanished. Your sins will have to wait if you want them to be wiped clean…

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

Love these photos! And loved the show too for that matter.

[playbill]

First Look at Immersive Sweeney Todd at Barrow Street

[dunwannawakeup]

@errrrtythebabber wow

[openlockswhoeverknocks]

And to think I worked on this show in its first iterance when it was actually staged in a real pie shop (which he has to return to its pie shop state after every show). Everyone please go see this!