On traveling.

I’m sitting on the bed in a Premier Inn hotel room. The setting sunlight falls across my fee through the cloudy sky. Beside me, my partner lies with his laptop perched on the chair in front of him.

It’s our first holiday in two years. In that time we’ve bought a house, starting new jobs and putting our creative careers on hold. But right now we’re exploring a new place together and taking time away from the mundane routine of ‘normal’ life.

One of the things I enjoy about being an actor is the opportunity to travel. During my career I’ve had the opportunity to travel up and down the country. From Bath to Edinburgh, Bradford to Porthcurno. I’ve been to places I’d never have thought to look up on a map, and others that I wouldn’t have found the time to visit by myself.

Bearing in mind that I’ve not worked abroad or toured internationally. Being paid to travel the world is a perk few jobs could boast.

Obviously there are prose and cons. When you’re working, especially on tour, your time in each place in limited. You’re also there to do a job so you can’t go too crazy. Not to mention travelling to a new town every week, being away from home and not having access to a fully stocked kitchen is draining. On the other hand, solo travel is a great excuse to unplug, and seeing a new place independently is, in my experience, an enlightening experience.

So, of all the places I’ve visited for work, where were the best? I’ve lost count of how many towns and cities I’ve visited in my career, but here are three that stand out in my memory and the stories behind them.

Keswick, The Lake District

This was one of those flying visit occasions. I was working on a musical adaptation of The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane as a standby for the lead role. I was called up to cover three performances at Theatre By The Lake in Keswick. I’d never been to the Lakes before and as more of a country person (I grew up in Kent, after all), I was excited to go. The weather was glorious. Arriving the afternoon before my first show there, I had time to explore the town. The next day, I spent the whole day exploring Lake Derwentwater.

Surprisingly, spending the day in the June heat didn’t drain me for the evening show. On the contrary, and arrived at the theatre feeling energised and inspired. During my few days there, I was able to walk other nearby trails and hikes. It was definitely a rare occasion where my stay felt like a holiday with a bit of work attached.

Edinburgh, Scotland

I’ve actually been to Edinburgh twice for work, and several times before that. The first time was in Brexit: The Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe (back when Brexit was fired). We were at the fringe of the whole festival. Luckily, because our show was highly topical at the time, we sold out our whole run - no flyering required! So our days were ours, and our 6pm slot meant we had our evenings as well. During the run, my partner J visited for his birthday. One the one day of during the run, I bought us tickets to The Whisky Experience. I’d recommend it if you’re in Edinburgh and are partial to whisky. And this was the start of our shared love of the city.

My second time in Edinburgh was during the final week of The Dresser tour. It had been a challenging job; there had been tensions within the company and I’d been going through health issues during the run. I was in need of a break. So J and I decided to tack a city break onto the end of the tour. It was the best few days! We visited Edinburgh castle, climbed Arthur’s Seat (and were nearly blown off it!) and visited the Scottish National Gallery. It was the perfect silver lining to a less-than-rosy job.

Porthcurno, Cornwall

This was another destination that I visited twice, both with the same theatre company and playing the stunning Minack Theatre. The first time was during Romeo and Juliet. Aside from the actual performances, my clearest memories from this time are sitting on the beach with my castmates in the early hours listening to the sound of the sea and standing in the car park after tech rehearsal and looking up at the milky way for the first time in my life.

My second time at the Minack was during Measure for Measure. This time I got to see more of Penzance, where our accommodation was. This meant less time for late night awe at the expanse of nature. But I did get to do some solo adventuring around the indie shops in my down time.

I may only have spent a small amount of time in the hundreds of places I’ve visited. But even so, they have made me. The things I’ve seen and the people I’ve met have altered my soul in ways that I’m likely not even conscious of as I type this post. And I know this trip I’m currently on with J will re-shape me again.