A Troop of Strolling Players Are We.........

Article from The Drama Student

“A Troop of Strolling Players Are We…………………”

“A rat!” I screamed jumping onto the kitchen side-board in my pyjamas “That was a *%$!!%!* rat!”  Our breakfast had just been interrupted by a furry rodent that was (and I’m not exaggerating) bigger than a size 12 man’s shoe as it sped across the floor into the shower room.  My two housemates warily followed armed with broom and saucepan to the sounds of Stevie Wonder (they thought Stevie would soothe the rodent into a false state of security) leaving me to phone the landlord to inform him there wasn’t a hope in hell he would be receiving the rent.

 

Welcome to the world of touring digs!

 

When you get a job on a tour you are given a “digs list.”  It can vary from a sheet of paper to a big file listing accommodation in each venue and it’s up to you to book places trying to stay within your “subsistence” (an amount added to your wages to cover travel and accommodation.)  “Great” you think, “how helpful the company is” but just wait.  Some of these lists were compiled years ago with not all digs still available or with landlords that are still living and your subsistence has to cover rent plus any train tickets or petrol costs.  So it can prove to be tough especially as you can’t view anywhere before-hand.  It’s basically a lucky dip!

Your options are either choosing a room in a private home (this is cheap and good if you like living alone but bear in mind sharing bathrooms and kitchens and often plenty of pets,) or finding a flat to share with other company members.  This can be great fun but hard to know during rehearsals which company members will be good friends and who you will want to sell to slavery three months into the contract.

My “Rat House” as it has fondly become to be known was in Belfast.  We knew it was on a very exclusive road and got very excited seeing all the grand houses as we drove past in a cab.  However, our big posh house hadn’t seen paint since the 1930s; in short it was a slum!  We decided to make do as it was only for a month.  So my fabulous house-mate Chris created a lounge out of curtains and tea-lights and we all built beds out of random frames and mattresses lying around but when that furry rodent appeared, our Dunkirk spirit vanished and we were out of there!

I had a similar experience in Edinburgh.  Now Edinburgh is known for its’ beautiful digs – I’d previously stayed in a gorgeous flat opposite The Playhouse Theatre where I could have happily lived forever but at Festival time it all changes.  Accommodation is scarce and in high demand so I ended up in another desolate house that had been left to decay.  Broken windows and a bathroom that wouldn’t look out of place at Ron Burgundy’s house in ‘Anchorman’ gives you the idea.

I’ve also stayed in peoples’ houses.  When recently in Dartford I realized that my plans to commute were a bit hopeful when doing two shows everyday so I managed to find a room nearby with a friendly guy.  However, he was mid-refurbishment and so I had his daughter’s room.  She is 5 and likes pink.  REALLY likes pink.  So by day I was boyish Peter Pan and by night I was curled up in my single-bed with a pink Princess duvet next to my pink fairy castle!  An Australian friend of mine endured a single-bed with iridescent satin sheets circa 1974 whilst touring.  Sounds bearable, but when you take into account that the bottom bed-posts were 2 inches shorter than the top ones – sleeping on a shiny slide and waking up on the floor every morning got pretty tiresome!

You never know whose house you may end up in.  If you visit Northampton my friend Greg warns you against staying with a certain gentleman whose tall townhouse is lit by murky 30 watt bulbs with devil door knockers and classics on his bookshelf such as “Satan Is Your Friend” hiding in the shadows!!!

I’m painting a daunting picture but please be reassured that there are some nice places too.  I stayed with a wonderful family in the picturesque village of Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire (sounds like something out of a Jane Austen novel doesn’t it?!) they made me feel so welcome that I still visit them.  Many landlords bend over backwards to make you feel at home cooking for you, bringing morning cuppas and some even drive you to work!  There are some truly lovely and interesting people to meet so I would recommend taking time for a chat and making the most of every town you visit because you will always discover something new. (For example the karaoke taxis found in Belfast and Grimsby – hours of fun!)

Another quick note to remember - you only need to find digs when touring the UK.  If you work abroad (including Southern Ireland) then the company should organise and pay for your accommodation.  This often means staying in hotels which is brilliant so if you get a job offer like that DO IT DO IT DO IT!  I have many fond memories of wearing pyjamas down to breakfast and having parties in people’s rooms although on returning home I couldn’t work out why somebody else wasn’t cleaning my bathroom everyday!

So how can I advise potential “travelling players”?  You need determine where the line is for “making-do” in less than perfect digs and know when it’s better for your health/piece of mind to find somewhere else. The length of your stay can affect this but you’ll soon learn the difference between quirky digs and what is unacceptable.  Try to book up your accommodation as soon as you can.  It is best to be as organized as possible because there is nothing worse than panicking and rushing when you are already mid-rehearsals and need to focus on other things.  Oh! And the most common factor from all my digs is that I’m often freezing so a hot water bottle, dressing gown and bed socks need pride of place in your suitcase!

 

So get organized and if you sense that a call to the local health department or sanatorium is required MOVE OUT but most of all enjoy the many new experiences and people that are just waiting to meet you!