Last night I partied with lovely people in a beautiful marquee, enjoyed fine wine, and worked my way through the largest cheese platter I have ever seen, at the wedding reception of Steve and Lucy. I had a fulfilling day at work and a fantastic night out, followed by luxurious accommodation at a guest’s house, a full English breakfast and a friendly tour of their vegetable plot; just one of the experiences I am so grateful to Vamos Theatre for!

I set off early in the morning (sadly another feature of working for a theatre company!), with Finding Joy actor, Mark. When we arrived at the hall, we were ushered around in secret, as we were to be the surprise of the day. During the ceremony, we donned our wedding attire and hid in the church, ready to greet the guests as they left. At the reception, we appeared as waiters, serving champagne and generally causing havoc! Later we introduced the open mic evening with our 1950’s rock and roll dance from Finding Joy, accompanied by woops and cheers from the guests! Everyone thought it had been a great addition to the day, and we were quickly welcomed into the party.

This is just one example of the varied and exciting work that I am lucky to enjoy with Vamos. Next week, we will be performing an extract from Finding Joy at conferences for dementia care workers. Last week I was part of the actor training workshop led by Vamos director, Rachael. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard! It was a privilege to work with such a skilled group of actors, both playing with creating new material and working with existing scripts.

There’s always something new to work on, whether it’s a mask making residency in a school, a mask performance workshop or a bit of good old fashioned sewing and ironing! Two weeks ago I took to the streets with Mark for the Sandwell Arts Festival, where the antics of our elderly couple brought a smile to many faces. I have taken part in several walkabout events with Vamos; my favourite was being part of a troupe of 1940s nurses patrolling Worcester high street, administering “treatments” and bringing a little Christmas cheer with a sprig of mistletoe!

In December, we will be going back into rehearsals for Finding Joy 2014. Having performed it 75 times this year, I’m really looking forward to exploring the scenes with new ideas and energy. And, I have to admit, I will continue to relish driving the big red high-top long wheel base van all over the country for another year!