We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea Laura Stevely

Week 1

Choosing digs is a daunting task. You're presented with a list of 30 or so names and addresses and minimal descriptions - double room, ensuite, own TV does not really give you much indication of what you're in for. There is no way of telling if your landlady is going to be a psycho or a nudist or a lesbian. So when I turned up at my Ipswich dwelling I was prepared for anything.

Turns out, my abode for the next 2 months, is an actor's dream! A beautiful and large en-suite room in a beautiful and large house, and a landlady who's hardly there. Perfect.

So first impressions of Ipswich are pretty good so far.

First outing in Ipswich was the traditional welcome drinks at The Greyhound pub. The lovely Penny (Company Stage Manager) was getting them in as we, the cast, got acquainted. After a few G & Ts - the conversation was flowing.

Week 2

So unfortunately one of the actors has had a run-in with a pet at his digs, and so has decided to move into my PALACE!

I really did bag a gem!

So the social outing this week was the cinema. It seems that the good people of Ipswich do not share our love of film as in the 8pm screening of Indiana Jones, there were just four other people in the cinema. We also had a bit of trouble finding a pub that served food after work. Oddly, most of them stopped serving at 5pm! Perhaps there is some strange Ye Olde Suffolk law that forbids it! And there was no Salt Popcorn at the cinema. Jeez.

Ipswich has not lived up to the high standards set in week one!

Week 3

Would you believe it? Our landlady has gone away for 8 days - PARTY!

Unfortunately, all this blog writing and line learning leave very little room for partying so we had a dirty take-away pizza and a couple of cheap bottles of Rosé, whilst doing a line run of Act One. After we'd polished off the second bottle, we thought it would be highly amusing to do the play in a Yorkshire accent. We thought we were hilarious. The poor neighbours.....

Very much enjoying having the place to ourselves. Discovered we have Sky TV, the internet and a cleaner! This is better than home...

Week 4

So life in Ipswich continues. Rehearsals are getting longer and later, but we still manage to fit in a few social outings.

We are pleased to see that the Iranian film, Persepolis, is on at the local Art House. We turn up at the advertised time to discover the manager decided to cancel it as he didn't think anyone would turn up. It was replaced with the Sex & The City movie. Don't get me wrong, I love SATC as much as the next girl, but Art House it ain't!

Disappointed, we went in search of some other entertainment. Being a Tuesday, this was pretty sparse. We were turned away by Mecca Bingo as we weren't members, and so found ourselves back in the pub. Nothing new there then!

As we had rehearsals on Saturday morning, we had our first taste of Ipswich on a Friday night! We agreed that Karaoke was the choice of entertainment and found ourselves in the Hare & Hound on Norwich Road, where the drinks were cheap and the music was loud! David was first up with an epic 8 minute version of Meatloaf's I Would Do Anything For Love. He brought the house down, but quite possibly damaged his vocal chords in the process! I braved the stage next with Madonna's Papa Don't Preach. I think Simon Cowell would agree that I have the X Factor! Sarah and David dueted on Sonny & Cher's I Got You Babe, and the crowd went wild! We befriended the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that night, and by the end of the evening, Sarah was dueting with the big scary tattooed bird who had a voice like a fog horn! During all this, Duncan is still studying the songlist, in search of the perfect song. I suggest Space Oddity and he's up like a shot. David Bowie would have been proud.

At the end of the night, I called a taxi, but they refused to pick me up from the Hare & Hound! I mean it wasn't that rough! Oh, and did I mention that there was a pole-dancing pole in the middle of the pub....?