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*Some information mentioned in this article may be out of date due to the progress of the current situation.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*
Norman Bowman's credits include Pat Denning and Understudy Julian Marsh in 42nd Street (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Michael in Murder Ballad (Arts Theatre); Cornwall in King Lear (Royal Exchange); Slim in Of Mice and Men (Birmingham Rep); Nym/Williams in Henry V (Noel Coward Theatre); Ross in Macbeth (Manchester International Festival & New York Armoury); PG Wodehouse in Finding Neverland (Leicester Curve); Mack Sennett in Mack and Mabel (Southwark Playhouse); Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales Theatre); Tom Watson/Officer Starnes in Parade (Donmar Warehouse); Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Donmar Warehouse/Piccadilly Theatre); Curio & understudy Feste in Twelfth Night (Donmar West End/Wyndhams Theatre); Billy Bigelow in Carousel (Chichester Festival Theatre); Danny Zuko in Grease (UK No.1 Tour); Munkustrap in Cats (UK Tour); Tony in West Side Story (UK Tour) and Marius in Les Miserables (West End and UK Tour).
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?
I was at home sort of readying myself for the two concerts and one workshop that lay ahead later that week. When they made the announcement there was such a surreal response in me that I've only experienced once in a while, like 9/11 or the London Bombings – an event that rocks the world of so many you just can’t quite get your head around it.
Can you tell us anything productive you’ve been doing?
When I came to terms with the fact I wouldn’t be working for some time I actually chose to do very little for the first few weeks and savour the newfound simplicity and lack of need to prepare for castings, learning lines and everything that comes with it. But since then I've managed to set up a little home recording studio in order to try and secure some voice-over work, I’ve sung on the Les Miserables One More Day video for the NHS, did a Facebook live Q&A and we’re about to start work on filming/recoding the workshop of a new musical. So it’s gone from quiet to quite crazy.
