My heart’s still pounding.
An account of my Sea Wall escapades: Earlier in the day, I circled the theatre a few times, trying to find the stage door, in the hopes of later getting an autograph. Failed, but nevermind.
Waiting outside the theatre about an hour before the show, and Andrew Scott walks past me. I double-take, heart in throat: he’s hurried, and intense, and stylish and adorable.
Once inside, I eavesdrop on the two people behind me waiting to get our seats. We talk a bit, and it’s only once I’m sitting down that I realize, hey I recognize one of them. Andrew’s already there as we file in, pacing absently on the minimal-to-the-point-of-nonexistence set. The audience hushes almost immediately once the doors shut. What follows is half an hour of some of the best theatre I’ve seen (for those who saw it online: that, times 50. For those who haven’t: what the fuck. And to be able to see him live…
The play ends, darkness, standing ovation, and we file back out. I accost my queue-companions (not at all creepily), who turn out to be Amy and Katie. We’re heading out when Amy realizes she’s left her scarf in the theatre (did you really?) By that point I’d given up on meeting Andrew, and was just glad to have seen the play and to be going out for drinks with like-minded lunatics. Which of course means that he is there, by the door, signing autographs, posing for photos, being lovely.
We wait for the crowd to thin - me shaking like I’m about to spontaneously combust. I take their photo, and then it’s my turn.
Mother Mary on a trampoline. I can’t even remember what I said. Did I even remember to say hi? Please? Thank you? He very graciously signed some autographs (almost misspelling my name, I don’t even care) and agreed to a photo. My left arm and side are now magical for it. It’s like touching a unicorn. I think I remembered to say how much I enjoyed the play. I’m still overcome.
Long story short: Andrew Scott is confirmed as the loveliest, most amazing man on earth. And I’m so grateful to have met Katie and Amy, who are wonderful, and without whom the evening would not have been half as spectacular.
