This is a post I need to write but you might not need to read – I’m going to discuss some of the complicated, distressing parts of having Tourettes, and if reading it feels too much at any point please stop or take a break.…

The other day, out of the blue, I got a call from a researcher asking if I’d be up for contributing to a radio segment on balancing work and Tourettes. I couldn’t do it because I was in rehearsals for ‘Not I’, which we are taking to New York in January.…

I woke from my rest this afternoon to the horrible news of a knife attack at London Bridge. I immediately checked in with my friends and family who could’ve been in the area, including King Russell whose work is nearby.

I’m a Londoner, this city is my home, and from as far back as I can remember, terrorism’s been something I’ve been aware of.…

Disclaimer: I’m not writing this post alone. There’s a heavy weight lurking on my chest, vibrating relentlessly, and occasionally batting my face for asnmyu,uuuuu attention. My vibrating companion also keeps stepping on the keyboard…

Introducing Monkey the cat. Monkey is Chopin’s cat and he’s come to stay for a bit.…

Playing and making are the two big passions in my life, and they always have been.

Play is a fundamental part of children’s lives and it’s very individual for each person, but sadly some children don’t have the same opportunity to express themselves in this way as others.…

I’ve just got back from performing at the Brilliant Shambala Festival. Shambala’s got a very special place in my heart for several reasons – it’s the first place where I ever went on stage. It’s where I learnt the value of sharing my tics and experiences with other people, and it’s where I first felt the immense power of shared laughter.…

Airports can be fraught places for everyone. I find them particularly stressful, unsure if I’ll be able to get into my seat, go to the toilet, be shushed, ignored or dropped. They are, though, part of being able to visit amazing places like Toronto where we’ve been for the last week or so.…

This morning I woke up in a leisurely way, opened my blind and let the light from the grey day fill my room. I felt much more cheerful than I had when I went to sleep last night, and I greeted the lamppost enthusiastically.…

It’s my support worker Ellie’s birthday. She was supporting last night too, so we were together as the clock struck midnight and she turned twenty-five.

At that exact moment Ellie was helping me with my pre-bed catheter and my tics celebrated with a special song to the tune of a Whole New World from Disney’s Aladdin.…

Although it’s only be the fourth day of December, my tics woke up in a festive
mood. I was involuntarily singing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ but with slightly
less conventional lyrics:

“On the first day of Christmas, Oprah gave to me, a sheepdog in a pear tree.…