Friday, 29 June 2012

Theatre Tattoo

I promised myself I would get a tattoo once I directed my first show in London.
That happened. So I did.
I've been doodling the same stylised theatre mask design (my own design) in my notebooks, on myself, since January (around the time we booked the performance). After the performance at the Tristan Bates Theatre in March, I set about looking for a suitable tattoo parlour to get scarred for life at.
The location of the parlour was almost as important as the cleanliness, reputation and feel of the place itself. Eleanor (tattooed in her teens) had hers done in Camden, a place she loves very much. I had considered Camden, but as my experiences of it nearly always involved fatigue, torrential rain and general fear of/reluctance to move to London, I wasn't too keen (despite the high quota of tattoo parlours in the area). When I used to visit Eleanor we'd always go and I wouldn't feel at home there. I knew I would have to move to London some day, but as visits were never very positive, I began to despair thinking I'd never be ready to make the move (cue job offer and chain-of-events to the contrary and here I am).
I have always liked Soho. The bright lights and general tackiness of the place has always appealled to me (as well as the glaring LGBT vibe and sheer volume of gay bars). I had considered getting tattooed in my favourite tourist-y area of London, but ultimately settled on Greenwich.
Greenwich is nice, tourist-y sure. But its calm and just removed enough to be bearable. Its also in South East London (and so shares a postcode with my first London accommodation). But the main reason was that Greenwich Theatre gave me my second job in London. I always said if I could land another job after Britannicus (before Christmas) I would stay in London and try to make it work. And that was FOH work during Greenwich's busy panto season. I also spent a lot of time at Greenwich rehearsing for Old Rabbis in the Sky. So Greenwich's significance in terms of my theatrical career seemed apt as a location to scar myself for life in commemoration of the first milestone.
The tattoo parlour was nice. I spent a very long time negotiating the precise size, shape and line-thickness of my tattoo with the artist. He was very patient, thank goodness. The process was rather painful; the wrist is not a particularly cushioned body part, and mine - I'm pleased to add - are not very chubby wrists. But my threshold for pain is pretty high. In fact I was more concerned with the buzzing of the drill. Its the same kind of discomfort I experience when I'm at the hairdressers and they whip out the clippers for the short hairs at the nape of my neck. Brrr!!!!
They wrapped me up in cling film (sexy) and I went off to work at Wilton's, where it was appreciated by the cast and staff.
2 months on and I'm very happy with my tattoo. Because of the sunshine I have to keep it covered so it doesn't fade, which leads to some sympathetic/curious looks when people spot my sporting a tubi-grip bandage around my wrist (don't worry, I love life).
Problem is, these things are addictive.... Got to think of another career-defining moment to celebrate with another tattoo...... Oh well. At least its an incentive to keep progressing with the career!
Photos below:

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