The Loneliest Seat in the World - Guildhall School of Music and DramaWas it the inconveniently placed, apple green back rest, the aggressive florescent strip lighting, or maybe it was the place table installed at just over knee height?
Either way, whilst waiting to watch my brother in law perform in the Cheek By Jowl production of 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore' at the Barbican Centre I suddenly became very aware of my own lonesome existence.
This is in the canteen at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, one of the most renowned schools in the World for churning out talented performers. As I sat I wondered how many aspiring young actors and musicians have sat in this very seat over the years, filled with the anxiety of pre-performance nerves and eating a soggy tuna melt, whilst poring over their lines or lecture notes. Did Ewan McGregor ever sit here and feel as lonely as me?
Maybe there's an argument for such confinement actually inspiring the students at the Guidhall, instilling a 'British grit' in them that other, more comfortable surroundings wouldn't. If that's the case the end of year play at the Miami County Jail must produce incredible theatre.