The Show Must Close — Closing Night Culture & Post-Show Blues

Yeah, I think you've hit the nail on the head, both with this and Closing Night in general.

It is that weird dichotomy of being super excited, feeling super proud and just being like, we did it, we made it.

And then going, huh.

no, I like this.

I want to keep doing this and all of the other feelings that might come with that.

Depending on what kind of show you're working on, depending on how long it's been running, you know, there's different versions of closing night as well.

For shorter runs or limited engagements, you know, you might even be exhausted during closing night you might just be excited to get it done so that you can go to sleep you know oh

god yeah

but then there can also be that that panic of well do i have a job lined up do i do i have anything prepared am i having a break you know whether that's of the fun employment kind or if it's a designated break that i've set for myself you know there's there's all of those feelings that come into it as well Whereas on a long run, you might leave in the middle of a contract, as it were.

So you're leaving, but it's not a closing night or you're there and there's a cast change.

And so, you know, you you have this celebration of, hey, we've done it and these people aren't going to be here.

And then the next day you have to go back in and there's a whole new bunch of people.

And you're like, no, this this feels weird and different.

And yeah.

How you how you navigate that and how you adjust to that.

I mean, have have you had many closing nights? Tell tell me.

yeah I've had so my career was mostly behind the scenes in like the super West End professional world but I've done like off West End stuff and like university showcases and I did a lot of Amdram and like most Amdram that I did actually was kind of semi-professional it had runs in big theatres and sold tickets and it wasn't just like friends and family turning up most closing nights I've had have felt like a party It's felt like, woo, we did the thing, guys.

I'm so grateful,

gratitude,

prayers, sorrows.

Those sorts of nights where, essentially, if there's a free bar, I'm like, I'm sad and I'm not going to remember this shit show, so let's have a bev, if I'm truly honest.

I've always... loved Closing Night because it's given me the opportunity as a performer to like, you know, get it out your system.

And I find as well, a lot of the time, especially people that are on stage, when you know it's Closing Night, it's like a second wind.

You get like a really big energy of like, right, okay, let's go out with a bang.

And I've always enjoyed closing nights.