When I stepped off a cruise last February I never imagined it would be another 17 months until we boarded again. The constant moving of dates and cancellations was at times soul destroying and we were beginning to think we would never get back on stage.
Having to be a performer in covid times meant having to discover new ways of reaching audiences and keeping a presence online so it didn’t feel like you were being forgotten. This, whilst homeschooling children and feeling a pressure to make money doing other things at times felt overwhelming. But, we did it and thanks to our agent Zoe, the phone did indeed ring at the beginning of July with a call of “put the flags out!” I couldn’t believe my ears – a contract had been offered for a cruise in February. It seemed a lifetime away but we were so happy and at last there was a little flicker of light at the end of what felt like an interminable tunnel.
Skip ahead a few weeks and after more covid tests, school bubbles being sent home and the prospect of a summer holiday with covid restrictions still in place I never imagined I would see a message that said,
“Can you do a cruise from 26th July ?” ………er “yes” was my instant reply.
It then turned into a full contract meaning we would be away for 15 days but the prospect of finally performing in a theatre with a live band and real people just was too good to miss. Stepping back out on the stage felt both exhilarating and utterly terrifying. Can we remember how to do this? Will the audience love us?
Thankfully the show was great and it was as if we had never been away. Muscle memory is a great thing and, as singers who never really stopped singing through lockdown, our stamina was just as good as it was all those months ago.
So here we are, floating around the UK on a beautiful ship, doing what we love best and living the life we remembered. Thank you to all those who believed in us and to our families for supporting us, Indigo May are well and truly back!
Julie x
Comments