Irish Eyes Were Smiling

Well, that went fast... no sooner than we travelled to Dublin, opened, threw a pint or two of Guinness down our necks and did some more rehearsals did it seem as though we were flying back to the UK once again!

Dublin never fails to disappoint. The weather did its best to, of course, as the month of April threw strong winds and incessant bands of rain across the Grand Canal area. But the audiences really turned up and showed their appreciation for Matilda, which was of course making its Irish premiere. Standing ovations at every performance!

I was recently in the Fair City with The Addams Family, back in August 2017, so there wasn't much left for me to explore. That was no bad thing, as pretty much every weekday was spent rehearsing children or understudies. Our kids cast are now fully rehearsed, and our first cover cast (the principal understudies) teched and dressed. I did manage a few trips into the city centre, though, and even an impromptu train journey out to the seaside town of Bray one Sunday.

Now it's time for another week off. This is one to try and make the most of, as we then have 18 (EIGHTEEN) straight weeks of performances ahead of us, taking in Sunderland, Milton Keynes & Birmingham. By the end of that third venue, we'll be saying goodbye to a fair portion of our children's cast and introducing some new young faces to the tour.

For now, though, it's a week of life admin for me: accounts, dentist appointments, car servicing, a friend's wedding... before I know it though we'll all be up in the North East to show audiences there how great Matilda is.