Marcia Wright
A leaflet through the door from Bal at the Post Office, and he is offering to help anyone who is short of money or food, due to the virus. “Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message. I will be more than happy to share what I have.” I’m finding such wonderful acts of kindness overwhelming in a way I haven’t experienced before, but also sustaining, in the face of grim reality.
On 16 March 2020, one week before official government guidance, and just as Covid 19 was turning into a global epidemic, the Performance Ensemble went into lockdown. Our weekly company workshops came to an abrupt halt, and we disappeared behind our individual front doors. The easy ways of communicating, face to face, were no more. But we still needed to connect. Nine of the company started to keep diaries of their experiences, as a way of overcoming the isolation. Here they are: 31 days of lockdown, recorded during the months of March and April, beginning on 16 March and ending on 1 May, just as restrictions started to be eased. Edited by Barney Bardsley