These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and share some peoples experiences because we are all in this together. Each day we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share their experiences with you all so take a read and see how people are getting through these hard times.
Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!
*Some information mentioned in this article may be out of date due to the progress of the current situation. Please keep that in mind when reading*
Evie Rose Lane will play the role of Ariel in the UK touring production of Footloose. Her other credits include Musical Director for Menstrual Cups (Cabaret); Assistant MD and Musical Supervisor for Songs For Jeremy(Southwark Playhouse); Stove/Dingo Dog & Assistant MD in Just So (Barn Theatre) and Judy in 9 to 5 (Bridewell Theatre).
On Monday 16th March 2020, The Society of London Theatre announced the closure of all Theatres in London. This followed suit with regional venues. Where were you when you found out and what was your initial reaction?
Well, the timing of when I saw the news has a twinge of irony about it. I’d been due to start rehearsals for the Footloose tour a little less than a week after the day lockdown was announced, and I had just recorded a podcast with (the gorgeous) Andrew for West End Frame that same afternoon. And within that podcast, I think it was the first time I’d allowed myself to finally accept the job as a reality and get truly excited about it, and when it was actually released Andrew had to do a disclaimer before the interview to explain everything. So I found out about the closures and the postponing of the show on a busy train on the way home from the podcast recording, and I had to try and remain cool and calm despite that awful instantaneous flood of sadness and fear for all my friends, for all the shows, for my fellow castmembers.
Can you tell us anything productive you’ve been doing?
I gotta say, I wish I’d been more productive than I have been. I did actually have COVID from the end of March and throughout April - it went on and on, I don’t think people, on the whole, realise how persistent and enduring it is - and I think that really drained me of energy for quite some time, creative or otherwise. I’ve taken part in quite a few online concerts, lots of them charity things, which I’m happy to do and I appreciate people asking me. I’ve shared some new material, worked on some new arrangements, but I think there has been that looming sense of obligation over creative people, notably people in our industry, to use this time as productively as possible, which I think has made some folks including myself feel somewhat guilty for not feeling capable of that level of productivity. This situation is clearly both unprecedented and entirely unfamiliar, and at times I think it’s enough just to be coping and keeping on keeping on.
