iLIFE

by Jez Bond

Heading back from the west end unusually early following the ninety minute musical ‘Wolfboy’ I sit on the tube to write the daily blog…

Wearing about three different hats (metaphorically) every minute is precious and only due to modern technology can time on public transport be spent on emails, internet research, writing blogs and viewing documents. All this from the iPhone.

When directing a show out in Hong Kong a few years ago I became a convert to ‘the leaky pipe’ – a method of retaining mobile telephone signals in their underground system, the clean, cool and modern MTR. As talk of this approaches the UK I have been hearing people up in arms against it – “let’s keep phone calls out of the tube”.

I understand the reasoning for and against and can come up with a pretty good argument for society and not mobile phones being the issue, but I shall not expand lest this blog turn into a socio-political rant – there are plenty of those out there.

The fact is that without the iPhone – and the ability to use it on public transport – I would be substantially restricted in building our theatre. If you’re skeptical I completely understand, as I am never in the first wave to embrace these new technologies. Furthermore, of course I accept that there are other ways one can spend time usefully, and still theatre-related, on the underground – such as reading a script. Indeed I do this as much as possible but not a great deal of time is currently available for such activities. Doing the maths, I estimate that in an average 12 hour work day it is not uncommon to spend three hours travelling (to, from, and between meetings as well as to and from a theatre to see a show). In effect this technology facilitates an additional 3 hours – equating to a 15hr day.

Now that’s how we get a theatre built…!

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