[Forgot to do this at the time, so relying on the itinerary and my faulty memory]
Get up early and help with the load in for the Mikado at the opera house. It goes very quickly, so then help focus the lights by holding the genie. Finally time to do some laundry. I find the launderette past Market Square, and also find out that laundry in the UK, like so many things, is much more expensive than in the USA: £2/load for a small washer, £3 for a large, and £4/hour of drying time (that’s $3.60, $5.40, and $7.20, respectively). While waiting, I go up to the new net cafe that hasn’t opened, but the owner is kind enough to let me plug in my PowerBook and check my email. Find out Sylvia can’t make it over from Dublin, and still no word from Adventure, so I have to call them when the open, only to find out that Mary (whom I had dealt with before the tour) is on vacation, and it’ll take them a while to find out the info I need. With the laundry finally done (and my wallet much lighter), I head back to the hotel, but luckily stop by the opera house first, where I find out that Neill has been desperately looking for me: they want me to audition at 2pm (it is now 3). I track down Neill, who asks me to come by at 5. I head back, take a quick nap, change into my clothes for the show that night, then head over to the Pavillion and sing Col. Calvery’s song. Jonathan, who had auditioned for Grosvenor, was called back at noon for Bunthorne.
Before the show, I work the concession stand, selling Houston stuff. One of the ushers asks if we have any programs, and Steve had thought to through in a box of them to hand out. The usher then asks how much we are charging for them. “Charge?” “Sure, you can charge a couple of quid easy for these.” So we do, and it is our biggest moneymaker of the night.
The show is a smash. Everyone is wonderful, the sound is beautiful…it is even better than it was on opening night. I rush backstage to change and help with the strike, then find out that a shower has been installed since we were last here, so I don’t have to go back to the Palace to wash up. The cabaret is great (even though it is short), then we have the after-party at the hotel bar. Alan Dalby really likes my jacket (which had been my great uncle’s), and for the rest of the trip always comes up to me asking about the ‘Silver Trumpeter’. Neill convinces the kitchen staff to make us some sandwiches and fries, and we all have a great time. We try to quit at four, but the bartenders (Nat and Neill) refuse, and buy us all a round of drinks. I finally call it quits around 5, but some keep going til 6, and sainted Maria (who got them to open up at the first) stayed behind to help clean up.