I find myself with a free half-hour. I could be doing a spot of housework but quel drag. I know plenty of women who rise early and vacuum the house and dust their knick knacks before going off to hard-slog it in the *office* (* any work place really) but frankly my dear I don’t give damn if my knick knacks are a little on the dusty side. This week I am mostly being a man and I know very few men who rise up early in the morning to dust their knick knacks let alone vacuum the carpets. OK granted that most men ‘rise up’ in the morning but that is a quirk of nature and nothing to do with dusting.

I spent some time the other day trying out different sizes of paunch to pad out my costume – it being designed for a bloke. It seems ironic really that having lost enough weight to now go in and out in the right places for a dame I then land a part that requires me to acquire a beer belly. But since it is pretty damn cold in the open air once the sun has definitely dropped out of the sky having a scarf rolled up in the front of my costume that I can whip out and put round my neck is quite useful. It also affords me a place to store props and my glasses – and any other paraphernalia I can usefully transport with me on and off stage. Another advantage of playing a chap is that there is no chance of getting midges and mozzies up and under the skirt area as everything bar my face is completely covered.

Here comes the working day, more of this hereafter….