My phone regularly chimes in with helpful reminders from my diary: load in day at the Ambassadors Theatre, Mamma Mia get out Nottingham, travel up to Liverpool. It is taunting me. I suppose I should delete everything until (insert your own unknown date here) but for some reason I cannot bring myself to do it…
Like so many (or should that be all) of my fellow freelancers working in theatre, I currently have no work (despite what my diary may claim). I had begun the year looking forward to a bumper 12 months ahead but slowly the various productions succumbed. The imminent shows went first, but one by one, even the more advanced bookings were cancelled or postponed.
Although it may be six weeks since I last went to work, the one fortunate thing is that I am not bored. I think I have always been quite good at keeping myself occupied and I have no trouble passing the hours each day.
In the early days of unemployment, I watched the daily-televised Coronavirus updates but have now largely lost interest. I waited with bated breath for the chancellor’s financial aid packages but rapidly realised I had fallen through all the cracks and working as a ‘sole trader’ there was nothing there for me. I know I am far from alone in this.
I try and count my blessings (not something that necessarily comes easily to me). I have the financial means to survive and am lucky enough to have a back garden I can enjoy. I know there are a lot of people who are less fortunate than I.
I am lucky enough that I still have one major production later in the year which is still (at least for the moment) scheduled to go ahead as planned. I have been doing bits and pieces of pre-production paper work for that, but I find the work drags and expands to fill the excessive time available; to the point where things that would normally take a matter of minutes to do in busier times can now be expanded to fill an entire day. I hope I can get quicker again when I need to!
I have always been a bit of ‘a tinkerer’ and enjoy computer coding and lighting orientated electronics projects. I have a drawer full of half-completed projects and maybe some of them might even now make it to two thirds finished.
In the spirit of self-improvement, I have been taking a few online training courses and attended a couple of training webinars. Many companies are providing these for free during this time which is great. I am most proud of my ETC ‘Eos Essentials (v2.9)’ for which I now have a certificate!
So yes, I am now officially a programmer. Ok, maybe not.
I will openly admit the last lighting desk I really ‘knew’ was a Strand Galaxy and I have been amazed to discover programming effects no longer involves sticking little yellow pins into to pin patch!
Joking aside, I would highly recommended visiting the ETC website as they have a range of free courses available: https://courses.etcconnect.com/.
Next on my ‘to get a better understanding of’ list is prospective fault currents in relation to MCB types and lighting multicore lengths and size. I should probably get out more…
I am also using this spare time to… (wait for it) my 2019/2020 accounts. This is normally unheard of and I am seriously concerned I will not know what to do next January. The one thing the government has done for me is delay my next tax bill until next year, but as it will have to be paid eventually, I am not sure if that is of any great real benefit.
For the past few winter months, I had taken up swimming but the closure of my local swimming pool was the nudge I needed to get back on my bicycle (that and the improving weather). I was very happy when Boris announced cycling as one of his three approved means of exercise. Richmond Park was my go-to cycle route of choice but that has recently been closed to cyclists due to other cyclists believing if you pedalled fast enough you could ignore social distancing. So now, most days I head down to the river and cycle to Hampton Court (note to self – add ‘adjust rear brakes’ to the to-do list).
As I now cycle for an hour every day, by rights I should be fitter and healthier than I ever have been. Unfortunately, this has been tempered by my increased red wine consumption in the evening, and the fact I have strayed back to nibbling cheese. Consequently, I am now heavier than I have been for many months! I understand I am not alone in my increased food and alcohol consumption and that weight gain is normal lockdown behaviour.
I hope that is of some interest and reassuring that we are all in the same boat. For me, it is a case of keeping busy and learning new skills in the process. Which reminds me – I must go and research DIY haircutting…
Martin Chisnall.