The dames are well into their Spring season working for Creative Arts East and Live & Local. Now we have enough distance on an incident during the Autumn for me to write about it. Just as we are about to go on stage – Barry our deputy pianist has already gone on – I notice my dress zipper, on my left side, has broken. HELP!!!! What do do? Nothing for it. I HAVE to go on. So, brain whizzing round like crazy I put a brave face on it, set a fixed smile on my face and go on as if nothing is wrong, all the while thinking desperately forward to when I can get off to repair the situation. Good! After the first two numbers, Hel has a solo. Fantastic! I duly sidle off to the dressing room and search for a safety pin. Find one. Hurray! But it is too small to do any good. Panic! I slip my right arm out of the shoulder strap and have another go. No luck. And it is my turn for a solo. So with even more bravery on I go. During my heartfelt number I notice with my periferal vision that my dress was sliding down! O no! I had forgotten to put my right arm in the strap so not only is the zip bust but the only other thing holding the dress up isn’t in place.  Result? The entire dress is moving inexorably South. Total disaster! I soldier on. Next up our West Side Story duet in which I usually move a fair bit. Not this time. I clamp both arms to my side, stay rooted to the spot and WILL Hel to move towards me. I don’t know how I get through that number but I can tell you it is with ENORMOUS relief that I wilt behind the screen at the back of the stage to change for my next entrance. Of course the audience noticed but one or two asked us afterwards if it was meant. MEANT???!!! I am still recovering!
