One Year On

Today is my blog’s first birthday. It is a whole one year old. This is probably not exciting to anyone other than me, but still I am quite chuffed about the fact. Thank you to everyone who occasionally drops by to read this unfocused waffle (which since I finally got around to installing Stat Counter I know is more than none and less than many people – substantially more than I ever imagined would read it though. I was also quite amused to discover that someone ended up here after typing Cheap Gin Drinks into Google – welcome, my friend!)

I started writing Interval Drinks because, as I found myself seeing more and more theatre, I wanted a place to order my thoughts about what I saw, a place to record the things that moved and engaged me (as well as the things that irritated and infuriated me). I had been pondering the idea of starting a blog on the subject for a fair bit and then I went to see a play by this man (Festen, if you're interested, which after stupidly missing it in the West End, I finally caught on tour in Richmond), that was vital and thrilling, and finally made me stop prevaricating and get on with it.

Oh, if you are able to make it over to Theatre 503 in Battersea in the next week or so, I strongly recommend you see George Gotts’ new play Cocoa. It’s an unsettling and engaging little play about a daughter returning home to visit her parents - but just like in Festen you soon sense there are dark, hidden things in this family. I enjoyed the way it took a familiar premise and twisted it around. It felt fresh and original; Gotts' dialogue has a lovely lulling rhythm to it as well, an excellent sense of pace and pause. In short, ‘tis good – go see.