Backstage at The Gateway – with theatre manager Sophia Moseley

How was it for you? I reckon you were ill for at least part of it, weren't you? I was. It's always the same, the moment I stop work and relax, BAM! It's like it's waiting in the wings for just the right moment.

But here we are, a new year underway and all your resolutions have been forgotten, but don't beat yourself up about that, because there's the Chinese New Year this Sunday, so not only can you celebrate another new year's eve, if you missed the last one because you were ill, but you can set yourself a load more new goals.

2022 was a fantastic year at The Gateway Theatre. Did you see our big news on social media? We had over 10k people through the doors, which is phenomenal at the best of times, but in a post-Covid world where everyone is still a little nervous, it's flipping brilliant! It does mean the bar is set a bit higher for 2023, but looking at our programme for the first quarter, I don't think we'll have any trouble.

Our New Year's Eve party was a blast. I ended up working, but it was such a brilliant atmosphere, it didn't matter. I'd forgotten all about the conga, yes, it is still a thing. Theatre tech ace, Paul, managed to line up the Big Ben bongs and London fireworks at the exact right time. There were hugs and kisses all round.

We had another visit from the local hoodlum with his/her marker pen, who decided to leave an illegible splodgy mess on the backstage door. It was a real mess because the ink had run, maybe they were using the cheap felt-tip pens from their school bag. I was keen to find the little twerps and make them scrub it clean with their toothbrush, but one of our fabulous councillors rolled up his sleeves and cleaned it off.

I had a couple of firsts this month. My first meeting at the re-established Seaton Chamber of Commerce. Plenty of plain speaking, and plans are afoot to give the town the boost it needs, with local businesses pulling together to make things happen, sans politicians.

My other first was seeing Richard Foord MP at his surgery. I was very flattered he remembered what I was wearing when we met last summer. That'd be my paint and polyfilla splattered overalls, flip-flops, carrying a paintbrush and wearing most of whatever I was painting, on me. Obviously created an impression then. 

Talking of impressions, have you seen Seaton now has a new tattoo parlour? In the spirit of all things new, I thought about having a capital 'G' for the Gateway, tattooed on my person. I'm not very good with needles though, and knowing my luck I'd end up with something more akin to Prisoner Cell Block H.

But then maybe it would make me look well hard, and the local yobs who keep graffiti-ing the theatre will think twice, I'll be waiting with my old toothbrush in hand.

Sophia Moseley