We got back from Shambala in the early hours of this morning, and I went straight to bed. Several hours later I woke up to a very rainy London, feeling exhausted. I’d been planning to go to Notting Hill Carnival and Eoin was coming to pick me up in the early afternoon.…

I had lunch with Bunny, Fran, Pete and a load of other people, sitting on the grass, bathed in sunshine, with the sound from the main stage of an incredible harp player drifting over hundreds of other people all having a lazy lunch too.…

The sun’s been out for most of the day and Shambala’s looking beautiful, with people in colourful costumes everywhere. I’m not doing a show today so I’m able to relax properly.

Captain Hotknives did have a show though, a solo set in the Wandering Word tent.…

I woke up in a warm tent and crawled out into the dewy day. King Russell and Fat Sister, camped opposite, were already up and about. They were making tea on a portable stove and I sat with them, surfacing slowly.…

At ten o’clock Fat Sister and King Russell arrived at the castle, soon followed by Bunny’s brother Pete. He’s one of my two main support workers at Shambala, with Eoin, the other half of the team, meeting us on site.

We had a tense time packing the small car with four people’s-worth of stuff, two tents and one all-terrain wheelchair.…

After two days back in London, my stay in Edinburgh already seems like a long time ago. Since getting home, a few significant moments at the Fringe have kept coming into my mind so I thought I’d share some with you.…

I’m on a train speeding through the countryside on a bright sunny day. In just a few hours I’ll be back in London and I’m looking forward to the familiarity and home comforts of the Castle.

This morning we got up early to sort out final bits and pieces and pack up all the props.…

This afternoon Chopin and I took to the stage in the Pleasance Above for our last show at the Fringe. It’d sold out so the venue was packed. It was an even more joyous show than usual and I could feel the energy and enthusiasm of the audience.…

This morning I had an email to say we’d been nominated for a Total Theatre Award in the ‘emergent company’ category. This is really exciting, and just being nominated feels like a big achievement. I feel really proud of what we’ve achieved – putting the show together, with the help of lots of people, has been a great experience.…

Up until I arrived in Edinburgh a week ago I’d seen only nine theatre shows, not just in the last month, or year, but in my whole life.

For a thirty-four-year-old theatre-lover and performer this probably doesn’t seem very impressive, but as someone with Tourettes, my access to live performance has often been difficult, and intensely emotional.…