As some of you may know, I’m currently performing in a UK touring production of theatre company’s non zero one’s ‘ground control’. It’s the first time I’ve performed in a UK touring show, and because I’m all about learning new things, I *obviously* had to blog about it. It’s combined some of my most favourite things – theatre and travel!
So without further ado, here are some of things that I have been learning whilst on tour.
- ‘Pack light’ is overrated
Going against the grain with this one here but…packing light is overrated in my opinion. In the first week, I tried to pack only the essentials – which was tough enough as it was, and my suitcase barely closed. Last week I used a much bigger suitcase and honestly, it was so much better. More space for everything I needed, PLUS packing my bag after the venue was so much easier because I didn’t have to wrestle with shutting the lid. I know that tours differ from one to another but if it’s a tour where you’ll be staying in various hotels and are going to be driven around in a van that has space for a slightly bigger suitcase…then swallow up your ‘I can pack light’ pride and just do it. Your suitcase is going to sit in the hotel room anyway, so it’s not that inconvenient. Take the things you need to be comfortable. After all, you may be touring for a long time.
- Know Thyself
It’s really good to know yourself before you go on tour. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you need eight hours of sleep to function? Do you pray every morning and need to make sure you factor that into your schedule? Do you have a propensity to worry about everything? What can you do to minimise that worry? Do you get homesick easily? Do you need some alone time each day to survive? You get the drill. These are important considerations because when you’re touring, you’re working with a large group of people, from fellow performers to technicians, producers, and so forth. If you don’t know yourself, and if you don’t create clear boundaries for yourself, you could end up trying to adjust to the ‘unspoken’ schedule and getting burned out very quickly. Especially if you don’t know the people you’re touring with prior to working together, they won’t yet know your quirks, so you need to make sure you’re looking out for yourself (and being respectful of others’ boundaries too!) For example, last week there was a day where most of the touring companies went out to see a show and for drinks afterwards. I’d had about two hours sleep the night before, and had also performed in a show the night before. I was exhausted and so I headed to bed. It turned out to be the best decision. Had I stayed up, eagerly trying to fit in with what everyone else was doing, I would have been so tired the next day and it would have been irresponsible of me…so, no regrets.
Know thyself.
- Challenge Thyself
Tour is a wonderful place to challenge yourself. ‘But…but you just told me to know myself and create some boundaries!’ you cry. Yes, I did, but that doesn’t mean you have to remain immovable. In fact, think of it like this – use the knowledge of yourself to recognise the areas in which you should challenge yourself. For example, sometimes when I’m surrounded by large groups of people who already know each other, it’s very easy for me to withdraw. The show I perform in has quite a small cast, and so I know everyone I perform with well. However we are also touring with other theatre companies, who, when we began tour, I didn’t really know at all! I’m quite an extroverted person but I’m also extremely comfortable in my own space. Now, because I *know* this about myself, I can recognise when I feel the need to withdraw and choose to challenge that instead. For example, the other night after a busy day of performances, I was going to head to bed and not hang out with the other company who were having drinks in the hotel bar. But then I realised I hadn’t really spoken to them before, and it had almost been a week! (Our schedules are very different and if I didn’t take this opportunity, it could be a while before we had time to chill together). So I challenged myself and went up to ask how everyone was doing. I planned to stay only for twenty minutes or so. Guess what? We ended up just talking and getting to know each other until 2.a.m! It was such a beautiful night and one that I would have missed had I decided to excuse myself by saying, ‘This is how I usually behave, so this is how I will behave today’. No. Know thyself and then challenge thyself if appropriate!
- Down time is down time
Okay, I recognise that this sounds like a whole host of contradictions but…down time is down time! I work as a freelancer – I act and I also write plays and articles, etc. My colleagues are also freelancers. Whilst we’re on tour, we also find spare moments to catch up on other work, or emails or whatever. Which is awesome! But don’t beat yourself up when it’s time to relax. And embrace the relaxation fully!
- The sheer amount of people involved
I don’t have much to say about this…other than the fact that I didn’t realise tour would involve so many people! Of course, it makes sense, but I hadn’t really thought about just how many people it takes to pull off a UK tour. It’s been great to work with loads of people.
- Be Present
It’s so easy to be tired on tour. Or hungry. Or just fed up of being sat in a van for hours but seriously, it’s a blessing to be touring, to be making art and to be working with such amazing people, so be do your best to be present and appreciative of every moment.
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading!
Oh wait…
What’s that?
I made an entire video about tour where you can watch and see how I’ve been…present and appreciative of every moment?!
And it’s right here?
Whaaaaaat.
Don’t say I don’t spoil you 😉
Hope you enjoy!
anartisttravels x
anartisttravels 