Funky glamourous off-amber-red glasses. Should I tell her they look great? Nah. After 8 hours stuck in a cabin, everyone is weary and no one likes small talk.

Waiting. The transit skyway is having a slow molasses day.

She brings out a book to read. “The Empty Space”

Serious? These are the serendipity gods directing me to say something. In short:

-Peter Brook was just in London, speaking about his new book.

-Seems like it was written yesterday.

-You direct?

-Yes. I will be rehearsing in London at the end of the year. A Tina Turner show.

-I write plays. I chaired Talawa, now Coney,

-What’s your name?

-Ben Yeoh. You won’t have heard of me. And you?

-Phyllida Lloyd.

Wow! I wrote to you about 10 years ago and we had a short correspondence about my play at the Gate Theatre.

I’ve seen her work, and she is an impressive director.

I think those gods are telling me something, am I listening?

(Are they telling me to put those skates and write plays again)

Lloyd is known for her work on Mama Mia, and I’ve known her Royal Court work and some opera work. I had the sense that her all female Shakespeare work is forefront in her oeuvre at the moment. Her wiki here. I will be looking forward to more of that.

Peter Brook’s Empty Space considered seminal theatre book. Amazon link here http://amzn.to/2fJJczh  and his latest book Tip of the Tongue here http://amzn.to/2fKOeLI  Anyone interested in theatre should read Brook's book.

Fancy thinking about writing craft - see writing tool tips post here. Or  Neil Gaiman on making wonderful, fabulous, brilliant mistakes.