Sunday 14 September 2014

When Words Fail, Faye Understands

Yesterday I made my 4th trip to the swamp to see the incredible Shrek tour. This time my destination was the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.

It was a last minute booking I decided on after missing out on seeing Faye in one of my scheduled shows in Bristol when she was unfortunately unable to perform due to a hip injury.

It worked out quite well because I was already heading in that general direction as I had tickets to see Bristol Rovers match at Lincoln.

So I was very much a Morning Person yesterday, getting up at 6am to make sure I was on the road by 8am. It's about 200 miles from my house to Lincoln so after a stop for lunch and a few minor hold ups I eventually arrived at the ground at 2pm; an hour before kick off.

Rovers remarkably pulled off a great win with a last minute goal so I set off for Nottingham at 5pm already in good spirits.

It's a little over 40 miles from Lincoln to Nottingham and the journey took just over an hour but by the time I'd found somewhere to park about a mile from the theatre, there was only half an hour before the show. I stepped it out and got there with 10 minutes to spare.

My seat on this occasion was 3 rows from the front, which I'd normally say is a little too close but it did enable me to pick up every facial expression and nobody gives a better expressive performance than Faye. Simply sensational.

There are very few shows you could happily go back and watch every day but the Shrek tour is one of them. Every time I see it, I'm counting the days until my next visit. This time that happens to be in 2 weeks, Sunday 28th September.

The audience - which I should point out appeared to be 90% adult - were in stitches from start to finish and couldn't wait to get on their feet to give a well deserved standing ovation at the end.

I would travel pretty much anywhere to see Faye perform because to me she really is perfect, in a league of her own. However, the Shrek tour have managed to put together a superb cast and they all play a part in making this such a great show.

As usual after the show I headed round to the stage door to wait for my idol to appear.

She soon came out looking as stunningly beautiful as ever and although I'm practically speechless in her presence we actually chatted for a good 10 minutes.

Obviously I told her how much I enjoyed the show and she said that she's now completely over the injury she'd had the previous week and was back in tip top shape. That was a great relief to me because Faye's health and happiness is always my main concern.

We spoke a bit about Amsterdam where she enjoyed a lovely 3 days away last week. It was somewhere she had always wanted to go and Gareth managed to arrange it as a wonderful surprise for her Birthday.

I honestly believe Faye and Gareth are for keeps. They really do seem like the perfect match and it's obvious they are very much in love. They do both have very busy schedules but they've found a way to make it work and after today's show Faye will be heading off to join him at their new house in London as she has a couple of days off.

Last week in Bristol I gave her two of the three presents I'd got for her Birthday. She said she loved the bracelet, which I was really delighted about because I was a little unsure it was Faye's style when I brought it. She hadn't had chance to try the Dragon Phoenix tea yet but Gareth has taken it down to their new London home so maybe she'll get the opportunity to enjoy a brew this week.

Last night also gave me the opportunity to give her the other Birthday gift which I didn't take to the theatre last week, a bottle of Prosecco. She said she would have loved to drink it that very night but unfortunately she had to be up with the birds on Sunday. The cast had to be at the theatre by 9am today for the 11am matinee so she thought it best to keep it for another time. Probably wise :)


Last time I was up this early doing a show with ... WOW.

I told her how amazing it was to see her on TV in Our Zoo and that I can't wait to see more of her character 'Frankie' in the remaining episodes. She confirmed her part grows with the story and that there are some great scenes to look forward to. There could also be some exciting news coming soon regarding series 2, so watch this space.

Faye would like to do more TV work in the future and clearly has the talent to do so. Hopefully Our Zoo might open a few doors for her.

Obviously I'm so very proud of Faye and love seeing her on TV but I can't help being a little sad that at some point I probably wont be able to see her perform live. She really does sparkle on stage, it's like she was born to be there. I think what I'd be most upset about is not having the opportunity to meet her in person at the stage door. Maybe when the time comes she would be kind enough to meet me for a quick chat somewhere near where she was working. I'd be happy to travel any distance to spend 10 minutes in her company.

We talked about a few other things but I'm afraid they are not for public knowledge and I'd never break Faye's confidence. I'm just pleased she knows she can trust me with personal information.

By the time I got back to my car, sent Faye a thank you tweet and travelled the 175 miles back to my home in Bristol it was 2:30am. A 20 hour day and over 400 miles travelled but it was more than worth it.

I sometimes dread to think how I come across to Faye when we meet. I get so nervous. A little unorthodox but this time I had actually written down a few notes because I normally end up forgetting everything I'd planned on asking her as soon as she comes out the stage door. I'm sure I still appeared very anxious but it did at least mean the only thing I forgot was to get a picture.

Despite this, she was as adorable as ever and 'When Words Fail, Faye Understands'.

No comments:

Post a Comment