I hope you have all been keeping well and that you’ve found moments of calm & joy, amidst the whirlwind of life! I’m delighted to share with you a short video capturing the first Rehearsal & Development (R&D) phase of Off the Scales!

It is a group of completely different people, who live very different lives, who do all sorts of jobs and are a complete range of ages. And we gather together every week and support each other with huge amounts of heart, and lots of laughter!

Every part of me is bubbling over with ideas and energy, fizzing away, explosive. Fed by a brilliant couple of days exchanging and building ideas together.

I am currently preparing for a four day R&D (research & development) on the musical. Next weekend I will be with a group of brilliant theatre makers for some focused creating time.

When I signed up for a course that would be hosted online, I’ll be honest that a full 5 days of workshops held on ‘Zoom’ filled me with dread…But this residency ended up being something very special.

I’m currently preparing for a writing residency next week with Arvon ‘at home’. I hope that next week I will start to develop my very embryonic ideas into something more tangible. My notebook currently includes phrases like: "Space hopper sequence" & "Trestle table ballet".

Welcome to the first letter connected to ‘Off the Scales’. I’ll be sending out a weekly letter to say a bit more about the project as it unfolds, share some reflections and let you in on some insider info. Imagine that I’m telling you this over a hot cuppa in your favourite local cafe.