The Security Manager
Collen HeskeyIt’s been like a ghost town. You start to think of those horror films where there’s a major catastrophe — zombies — because it’s so quiet.
You could tell how empty it was because the mice stopped. We had the pest controller still coming once a week, and he was catching less and less, until one day he got nothing. There’s no one dropping food.
In the six months, you know what I actually did? I learned to play piano. Never played one in my life, but I found myself in a rehearsal room and thought, “Why don’t I do something different?”
I went on YouTube and there was a lesson for Elton John’s “Song for Guy,” so I watched a bit, memorized a few notes, and when I had a break, went up there and tried to play.
I’ve come out of all this with something, which is really nice.
Alex Marshall
Six Months in the Life of a Locked-Down Theater
Britain’s National Theater hopes to reopen in October after being closed for more than 200 days. But even with the shutters down, it’s been an eventful and emotional time for its staff.