Evelyn looked around the foyer of the theatre. The floor was light beige tiles, the ceiling a concoction of ornate plasterwork, and the walls were lined with decorated satin. The fixtures, including the large box-office counter, were all carved mahogany. Chandeliers hung from the moulded ceilings. It was not, perhaps, the most modern of interiors but it was certainly impressive. Evelyn rather liked the stately elegance that was not dependent on fashion. “It’s a beautiful place to work,” she said.
“That it is. Of course, it’s not so refined behind the scenes, but it is more interesting.”
“I’m sure it is. I really can’t wait.” Evelyn was genuinely excited, although whether by her forthcoming glimpse behind the scenes of the theatre or by spending the new few hours with Jos, she was not entirely certain. She ran her eyes quickly over Jos, from head to toe. Her hair was slightly touseled and she was in light tweed trousers and waistcoat, fitting the curves of her body. Her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow and showed smudges of dust. Her shirt was open at the neck, revealing her smooth skin and a trace of collarbone. Evelyn had never noticed the physicality of another person in the way she felt alert to every aspect of Jos’s appearance.
“In that case, follow me. We’ll go through the auditorium so you can get your bearings.” Jos led the way towards a big double door with the words Stalls Right above it. She pushed the heavy pannelled door open and led them into a short passageway. “This is where the ushers take your tickets,” Jos said as they walked, “and then you come through here to take your seat.”
The passageway opened into the auditorium of the theatre. The red-upholstered seats of the stalls stretched across the space in curved rows. Above them, the ornate dress circle balcony looked too heavy with gold-painted plasterwork not to fall into the space below. Heavy velvet curtains framed the boxes close to the stage. Above the dress circle was the upper balcony. Although the space was not wide, it seemed to soar in height. In the centre of the ceiling was a very large crystal chandelier.
Evelyn had seen the interior of the theatre in Plymouth, palatial in its own way. But to see the inside of a London theatre, at a time when she and Jos were the only people present, was an entirely different experience. The space felt almost sacred, soaring high like a cathedral, shining with gilt decoration. She turned her gaze to the stage where the heavy safety curtain was in place, filling the whole of the white-painted proscenium arch. Even the safety curtain was decorated with a mural of flowers and cherubs.
Jos was smiling at Evelyn. “You seem impressed,” she said.
“It’s breathtaking,” Evelyn said quietly. For some reason it seemed wrong to speak above a whisper.
“I suppose I’m used to it now, but I do think it’s one of the nicer theatres I’ve worked in.” Jos did not have the same reverential tone, but she did seem proud that her place of work had impressed Evelyn.
“It’s so strange to be here with no one else. I’ve only ever seen a theatre when it’s full of people.”
“I know what you mean. It’s not so much the emptiness that surprises me, but the silence. Audiences are noisy, even when they’re not talking, with all of their shuffling and coughing and rustling. Not to mention the actors and the orchestra. But when it’s empty, it’s so quiet. Even now, I sometimes pause and listen to the silence.”
“I can see why you would.” Evelyn thought it wonderful that Jos would notice such a detail, that she would stop to appreciate it too. After so many days with Lilian, who might notice the cut of a woman’s dress from across the street but had probably never spent a moment in silence in her life, Jos was a wonderful antidote. She was more than that—she was fascinating to Evelyn, in a way she had never been fascinated by another person. Without even understanding what compelled her, Evelyn wanted to know Jos on every level, to see what more she could discover.
After a moment, Jos touched Evelyn lightly on the arm. “Don’t expect such refined surroundings once we get behind that safety curtain. Come this way.”
Evelyn followed happily, as Jos led them down the side of the stalls and then up the short flight of stairs to the stage. As they reached the stage, Evelyn glanced out at the auditorium, at the rows of seats facing her. “Gosh,” she breathed.
Jos turned to see what had drawn the exclaimation from Evelyn. “Oh, of course, I do always forget what it’s like to stand on a stage for the first time.” She grinned. “Why don’t you take centre stage for a moment?”
“Can I?” Evelyn asked.
“Why not?” Jos took Evelyn’s hand lightly in her own. Evelyn caught her breath and allowed Jos to lead her to the middle of the stage. She stood still, looking out to the invisible audience.
“It’s hard to imagine, all those eyes, watching,” she said. Jos had let go of her fingers and she rather missed the warmth.
“You barely see them when the footlights are burning and the spots are in your eyes. They’re just shadows. Really, you perform for yourself and the people on the stage with you. And for applause that comes from beyond the light, of course.”
“But to be the focus of so many people’s attention…I can’t imagine it.”
“It’s exhilarating.” Jos sounded as though she spoke from experience, which aroused Evelyn’s curiosity. “You can lose yourself in it. But then, as Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage, isn’t it? We’re all acting our parts, all the time.”
“I don’t know,” Evelyn said. “Until recently I never really felt like
