We’ve been locked away for nearly a year. I haven’t changed or improved. I’m not better. Not worse. Just older. But still the same. I’m just here, the same and surviving. And that’s okay. And if you’re the same and surviving then high five. We’re still here. We’re okay.
Y’all wanna know what I’ve done these past four months?
Absolute sod all.
I’m not gonna have a new skill to show for this time.
Know what?
It’s perfectly okay.
#letpeoplebe
After asking people not to grab me, I was grabbed again at stage door tonight to be asked to take a picture after I said I wasn’t taking pics in the rain. So I won’t be doing any stage door again for a while. Sorry folks.
Hey
@AlisonHammond
You are our people. We love you. You love us. You love the musicals. You just went to one and the cast celebrated your being there. How you gonna go in front of all them people and undermine an entire industry? One that loves you so dearly? Fix up.
Hey guys. We made theatre in 2021. We all deserve a fricking medal for that. And you guys did good. You popped your heart on the stage. And everyone in the audience. You came out for us. You deserve a medal too. Everyone is brilliant!! Thank you to all of you.
I mean, I’m not saying I’m people, but Hannah Waddingham said my name at the Oliviers Awards… you don’t get to see it, or indeed our entire performance on the ITV highlights. But I’m walking 10ft tall today, because the Queen said my name.
Took me 20 years to get into the
@nationaltheatre
and I can’t believe my luck. At my age, there are still so many firsts. To be here, hoping to raise a smile and adding a bit of glitter to this year of uncertainty and distance, is more than I could have …
Guys. You all don’t understand. I’ve done a fair few West End shows. But I don’t always get to sing in them (the last time I sang in the West End was 2008!) So to get such nice messages about me singing in
@julietmusical
is absolutely making me cry. Thank you for being so nice.
You know what I’d like? When we are allowed to reopen, every theatre that has one should do their panto as their first production. Whenever that is. Let us fill theatreland with riotous fun. We will need that release terribly.
Fat. Unbothered.
Body by me. Blemishes, lumps, sags, bulges, everything.
There is unkindness in the world, my darlings. Let your skin be soft yet thick. Walk in your body, nurture it in the ways you know how. Do not take your health advice from strange…
Just to clarify - I’m a regular jobbing actor who has been out of work since March. I’ve had no assistance whatsoever from the government. No SEISS, no universal credit. I’ve volunteered many hours with my union. I got a regular job. I’m just a person. Just to clarify.
Y’all don’t understand how this swells my chest. She is mother, teacher, mentor, advisor, sister, friend. She is a trailblazer, a way-maker, and she takes us all along for the ride. Rise up. The Queen is being honoured.
Okay. Look. I’m under no illusions. I’m pretty certain I’m not winning today. But you know what? Thank you to everyone who put my name forward for the
@WhatsOnStage
awards today. I don’t often get nominated for stuff. I am so grateful for you guys. Thank you for thinking of me.
If y’all don’t behave yourselves 🤣🤣🤣
We take the rough with the smooth. But this little crossover graphic where my two worlds collide made me chuckle on the train 😀
If Hadestown made you “long for a happy ending”, may I present & Eurydice! When the one she loves turns on her, Eurydice waits for no one to find a fresh beginning, featuring such hits as Miley Cyrus’s Flowers and Nelly’s Hot in Herre as she proves there’s life after Orpheus
If you sit in the front row and chat through the show, I can hear you. If you sit in the front row and take out your phone to take pics, I can see you. Hermes is watching you watch us. Just so you know.
On the train, felt a little chesty so had to use my asthma pump under my mask. Woman asks me why on Earth I would be wearing a mask if I have asthma. Because leave me alone I’m trying to care about other people thank you bye, that’s why. Let me live.
Support new writing. Make new work. Produce original musicals. Take risks. Support young/emerging/new (at any age) talent. Give writers who have been at it a while a chance. Invite writers from other genres into the field. Open the world to others. Make magic.
Hey! Just checking in. You good? Getting enough rest? Drinking enough water? Have you had some fruit? No? It’s okay. We can only do our best. Sometimes that means chocolate. But remember to look after the body that houses that you that I love. You are of tremendous value.
Thank you for all your good wishes. I understand that the behaviour is out of enthusiasm, not malice. You know the love I have for theatre fans. I always try to stop and sign but can’t always stop for pics. I’m fine, but I’m setting firm boundaries for the moment. Love you all
So today, stay cool, stay sexy, stay sweet. Be nice to others. Don’t fight in the internet (or anywhere else for that matter). Remember that you’re pretty. You look great in those shorts. It’s okay to have that ice cream. Smile if you want to. Don’t forget your mask. I love you.
50. It’s not cool to show your age. But I’ve been here. For 50 years. I’ve learned over time to be present for it, to let the small stuff remain small, to fortify my boundaries, to try to teach and listen in equal measure. Here’s to more learning.
And that is exactly how it’s supposed to go. This world can be weird and horrid sometimes. And sometimes, in a fun and offbeat song competition, the world can show each other that there is love and loveliness and fun and light. Hoorah for this lovely night.
I held my breath and refused to blink and wished that I could freeze time to live in this moment forever. I cupped my hands in a vain attempt to capture this unsurpassed feeling, this communion of hope and wish and past and present. My heart beat with al…
Here’s what we not going to do. You’re not going to come to my socials with no prior knowledge of the recent rise in antisocial audience behaviour and how it affects our dear FOH staff and performers and question my ire. Attitudes and context are important. Seek knowledge. Peace.
Happy February. How was your January? Good? Sad? It’s okay. You survived it. Remember February can get really cold. So wrap up warm. Plenty vitamins. Remember, kindness is warming too. Carry on with kindness. Laugh a little. Dance at a bus stop. I love you ♥️
Sang Calypso at City Hall in Trinidad at 8. Sings pop songs on Broadway at 48. Grateful for the journey. Still shocked at where I find myself. But ready, always ready. Here’s to attending to life with a full heart and endless joy. Happy opening
@AndJulietBway
📸 Matthew Murphy
It’s been a while. So I’m just checking in? You good? Drinking enough water? Finding it hard to switch off? It must be tough. Sending you warm milk, hugs and wishes of sleep. Remember to include some fun in your life. The world is weird, but don’t forget to laugh. I love you.
If you don’t need trigger warnings, don’t read them. If you see the word Trigger Warnings and know it’s not for you, don’t read them. Just because something isn’t for you doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist. It’s not for you, leave it alone.
I feel like I held the world in my arms. I feel as though I reached inside myself and scooped out my soul and offered it to you. I feel like a giant and an atom, here and there, real and imagined. I feel endless love. Thank you for receiving us at
@HadestownUK
46.
I made it. We made it. We went around the sun one more time. We loved each other all the way through. We’re not promised much in this life. But we made the best of it, didn’t we. We’re still laughing. Thank you for loving me all this time. I love yo…
Best thing about opening
@julietmusical
tonight? The number of beautiful young men and women making their West End debut tonight!! Yes to new talent! Yes to giving opportunities. Yes to commitment to young people in the arts. Yes to all of this!
Just checking in. And this time with my young performer colleagues. And I don’t have to ask the questions. I see you. I see the worry and the fear about your mistakes being captured on recordings and dissected online. I see the anxiety about the scrutiny. 1/
This is genuinely one of the most beautiful presents I have ever received. Thank you to Kay and Lauren for making me weep tonight. It’s confetti from every venue I’ve played & Juliet - Manchester, London, Toronto and now New York. My heart is bursting. I will cherish this forever
I was 45 years old before I ever had a love interest on stage. I’ll be 46 this year. I didn’t even go to drama school. This organisation of bodies in entertainment goes deeper than school.
When theatre educators automatically cast the fat students as the “old ladies” or the broad comedic relief, they are subliminally being told that they’re not believable as objects of love & desire & they will often carry that belief with them throughout their careers & lives.
Let me say this again. I love theatre fans. Without question. And everyday since we’ve opened I’ve stopped to sign programmes. Sometimes I don’t want to do pics, esp when it’s raining. And when I’ve stepped away from signing, I’m done. That’s all it is. 1/
The moment Max Martin kissed my hand and whispered ‘Thank you’. My life has been forever changed by this entire experience.
Thank you to
@alexlaurenroy
for catching this.
It is entirely possible that I am being too sensitive. But I do wish this young woman’s performance was reviewed on its own merit rather than by comparison to men. She is a force. A storm. Full stop. Let it stop there.
My loves. Your power doesn’t come from your beauty. It comes from your willingness to show up everyday in this world, fully embodied, fully present, in spite of those who throw cheap blows. Let them laugh. Stand in your skin. Own your presence. Breathe. I love you.
You guys know I hardly do this. But, Imma humble brag about the fact that I played the same role as both Sharon D Clarke and Viola Davis...
They are heroic women. I am proud to emulate them.
@LivEveryPlay
2004
Watch the thugs.
Then
Watch the response.
Watch the media.
Watch the government.
That is what hate looks like.
Tomorrow, next week, next year
I still have to wake up in this skin.
What will you do?
Hey. Just a quick check in. How’s the light treating you? I know it’s a bit darker at the moment. But remember, you have the light of a thousand suns in you. You burn brightly, even in the moments when you are unaware. I am blinded by your brilliance. I don’t mind that one bit.
I may have applied for, been accepted on and enrolled in an MSc in Organisational Psychology at
@BirkbeckUoL
this week...
This is what happens when you leave me alone for too long...
Hello my loves. Just checking in. How’re you doing? Have you been productive this past week? Yes? That’s awesome. No? That’s awesome too. You made it through. You’re still here. Still breathing. All of you. Remember to have a bit of fruit today. More water. Keep warm. Love you.
But I just saw a lady in the station with the BEST shoes. They were red and sparkly. And the buckles were Christmas trees. And she showed me that they lit up. That made me grin. Remember to look around. Other people can make you feel better.
You know, when we can hug again, I’m gonna hold on to you all forever. Like, weird-long. Like, just-a-little-longer-than-comfortable-long Just be ready.
I’ve never performed at the Oliviers. So I’m super excited. I think it’s super cool and I’m gonna be enjoying the experience and probably going to talk about it. If it’s annoying feel free to unfollow, mute or do whatever that maintains your peace. Big love ♥️
Quick check in. This time for me. I’m a little nervous. Excited. My heart is all a-flutter. I have doubt. I have a sense of reconnecting the circle. I don’t know anything and I know a lot. I guess I just have to see how we go. Wish me luck. It’s a big day.
#backtowork
Just a gentle reminder that things don’t always go our way. That’s just life. There’ll be disappointment sometimes. That’s okay. We’ll survive it. It’s okay to be sad about it. But that’s not where we live. After the tears, we rise up. We go again. Because that’s just who we are.
I cannot stop thinking about the brilliant
@Rob_Madge_02
and this extraordinary show and how much it’s needed on a Broadway stage. Can someone teach me how to be a Broadway producer so I can make this happen??
Know this. You will get past this. You will get through this. They may have power. But you have more. Take the time to feel this, to be disappointed, to be furious. Then know. You will get past it. And you will prosper.
Hey arts press. Don’t just report the announcements. Report the way in which the announcements are being made. Let us not forget the people behind the headlines, the livelihoods being lost, the shock being spread across the industry. You know enough of us. Do the right thing.
My
@WICKED_Musical
tweet was a lighthearted response to the fact that lots of my cast mates from when I was in the show in London are heading back to it 😀 But seeing that you all responded so favorably to it, I’ll happily give Broadway a go! I already have my costumes 😊
I went to a marvellous party! Thank you
@OlivierAwards
for having us. Thrilled to have performed with
@HadestownUK
So proud to also be a part of the celebration of the
@NationalTheatre
at 60! It was a wild and beautiful day. Dress by Louisa Parris.
Normalize not celebrating when a show closes. People are losing their livelihoods and dancing on the head of others’ misfortune is not the flex you think it is.