The Green Room: What are your coping strategies during the coronavirus lockdown?

Meet our panel: We have given our panellists pen-names and used stock images but their biographies reflect their real career details…​​​​​

	Gary Abblett is a 38-year-old jobbing actor with experience at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, in the West End and on tour
	Dicky Benfield is in his 40s and has worked in the West End, at the NT, the Globe, and in theatres around the country, as well as regular TV appearances
	Ros Clifford is in her 30s. A deputy stage manager, she has worked extensively in London and regional theatre for nine years
	Abi Egerman is in her 20s and has appeared at the Old Vic, National Theatre, and in regional rep
	Vivian Lee is 38 and has played leading roles at the National, the RSC and the Royal Court, alongside regular TV appearances
	Charlotte Osmand is in her 30s and has worked as a stage manager in venues across the UK, as well as in event management
	Albert Parker is 60 and has appeared as a regular in soaps, two BAFTA-winning sitcoms, theatre and TV
	Beryl Phoenix is in her 40s. She has played leading roles at the RSC, worked on new plays, and toured both nationally and internationally
	Peter Quince is a 72-year-old actor working in theatre and television
	Jenny Talbot is 39 and has nearly 20 years of experience in West End and touring musical theatre with forays into TV, film and plays

 

Peter I try to phone at least one person a day. I walk in the park. The fabulous weather has helped.

Dicky As long as I do three things a day – one physical, one practical, and one creative – then I don’t beat myself up. I’m learning how to do cryptic crosswords.

Charlotte Getting dressed and doing my hair and make-up. Sounds a bit trivial but it’s making me feel better and like I’ve started the day.

Beryl Trying to be creative. Growing veg.

Gary Not needed yet. Apart from the appalling news, it feels like the only holiday I’ve ever actually taken.

Albert Routine and a treat each day.

Abi I am very much trying to stick to a routine. Up with my alarm, exercise first thing, get dressed every day, write a to-do list. I find that otherwise I feel so sluggish and sad. That said, I am also making sure I make the weekends still feel like a treat – lie-in, more telly, etc.

Vivian Reading as much as I can. Trying to sit and just read. I don’t have enough concentration to last longer than 10-minute bursts, but I try to settle as much as I can. Mealtimes are the way to mark out the day.

Charlotte I’m one of the lucky ones in that I am still working from home, so I have a bit of structure to my day. Hence, I’m saving reading, knitting and so on for the weekend.

Jenny I’ve been surprisingly busy. Schooling a seven-year-old really takes up the day.

Dicky I have two teenagers and keeping them from being bored is a challenge. I’ve taken up residency in the shed.

Peter I’m not drinking.

Beryl I’m drinking.

Abi I am drinking too.

Dicky I’m only drinking at weekends.

Jon Drinking means shops and shops scare me.

Albert How lucky to have a good virtual world. I’ve had a Zoom lunch and a Facebook messenger dinner party, for which I had to turn down a play-reading group.

Jenny Yes! We had a great quiz the other night and I’m planning one for my whole family on Houseparty tomorrow.

Charlotte I think I’ve spoken to more of my friends since Monday than I have in weeks.

Beryl Make sure you have your trousers on – a few folk have been ‘caught short’ on Houseparty.

Charlotte The clapping for the NHS was rather emotional.

Beryl Yes, the clapping was beautiful.

Gary In densely built-up areas of London (that is, all of it) it sounded superb. Where I live it was weird – there’s quite a lot of space between houses. I was a bit sad.

Jon I stood at the window with my husband thinking how silly we’d feel if nobody else bothered and then suddenly all the lights went on and there was this sound like frying sausages.

Albert There’s a lovely moment when you wake safe in your bed each morning. It lasts for between a few seconds and up to a minute or so where you are in another place, before the iron bar of reality thwacks you around the head.

Beryl Yes, it’s a bit like remembering your heart is broken.

Jenny Albert, that is so true. There’s a split second in the day when we are blissfully unaware of how strange our lives are at the moment.

Jon Familiar from days with dentist visits or funerals or something; but they tend to be one-offs, not every day.

Peter I’ve been getting up very late.

Dicky I’ve started a play-reading group that meets online once a week. It’s a bit like a book club – you read the play in isolation, then discuss it the next week.

Charlotte I’m also trying not to snack. I could quite easily live on crisps and gin.

Jon I’ve learned words like ‘yoga’ and ‘cardio’.

Jenny I’ve learned words like “PE with Joe Wicks”. They are painful.

Peter Is everyone still going out for a walk?

Dicky I’ve been going for a cycle every day.

Jon Folk near me are not great with the old social distancing, so I’m doing more exercise at home rather than walks.

Peter When I first started walking in the park, people weren’t always good at social distancing. But they are now – and the playground and tennis courts have closed.

Albert I’m enjoying the walks. Thinking time. My partner is running a company in the dining room so it’s hard to just go and flop in front of the telly.

Gary I’m running on the beach.

Ros Am I the only one who is anxious about going out? Which is so unlike me. I can never stay in the house usually.

Albert I’m nervous.

Beryl Me too.

Ros Glad it’s not just me.

Albert We did a supermarket run and I stayed in the car, on headphones, while my partner ran round the aisles like a bizarre version of Challenge Anneka.

Charlotte I have quite a bit of green space where I am so we are able to get out and have a long walk without seeing many people. I just think of those in a studio flat in the middle of a city.

Abi I have very much been making the most of our state-sanctioned outdoor time. Might be foolish, I guess, but otherwise I will be miserable. Also, I’ve started working at the local food bank a few times a week, which is definitely risky but someone has to do it.

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Jon Dryden Taylor is an actor, writer and editor of The Green Room. If you work in theatre and would like to join in the conversation, email greenroom@thestage.co.uk