Do you believe in coincidences? You will after this.
Songs which produce instant tears in me include:
Let's go fly a kite (we all know that one)
It's been a long long time (Look it up, I know it from the very end of Endgame - Cap and Peggy)
Are you Lonesome Tonight and...
The Trap (The London Marathon Theme - and basically anything at all to do with the London Marathon). Just keep those last two in mind....
Sunday 22 September and it had been one of those weekends, so an evening at the theatre was just what was needed.
The show: The Long Run by Katie Arnstein. https://katiearnstein.com/the-long-run/
All about her Mum's cancer journey and the people she met along the way..... including a man training for the London Marathon at the hospital, with squeaky shoes. We find out about his story during the course of the show.
I cannot state this enough. This show is brilliant.
It is magical, funny, moving, energetic and heart-breaking. If you get the chance to go, please go. It's a beautiful journey through love, loss and connections.
Now, for the coincidences....I'm not sure where to start.
Dad passed away on the 30 December 2023 from Lymphoma. Literally two days later I started training for the London Marathon. We're a family of runners and Dad ran the London Marathon three times. This was my third time too, running in his memory. For so many reasons it's a very special race to me.
Spookily enough, my sister and I were ALWAYS telling my Dad to "stop squeaking your shoes"! He did it sitting on the sofa, walking along.....All the time! When she first meets the runner at the hospital, all she can hear is his squeaking shoes, over and over! In fact when the runner appears, an older gentleman, all I could visualise was my Dad.
The description of the starting area of the marathon was spot on. I was transported back, tearfully recalling calling my Dad at home from the start of my first London Marathon back in 2014. Emotional then. Emotional now.
Then the song "Are you Lonesome tonight" started playing and I'm not quite sure how I kept my composure. Instant tears were somehow held back - mostly, not completely.
Lastly, before it was developed into Stage Two at the Theatre Royal, Norwich, it used to be the studio theatre and it was where I completed my theatre arts course and it was the very first place I acted on stage. It was something I did alone, at a time when that was a huge challenge for me and something that started me on my acting journey. Something I'm working to get back. Very timely.
As we applauded the end of the show, I smiled, wiped away my tears and waited to thank Katie and relay all of the above.
A play about running, cancer and connections really connected with me more than I would have thought possible. Inspired.
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