Twenty four hours until the last ticketed event opens and I can stop talking about guest lists, allocations, comps, discounts, buy backs, float sheets, refunds, apologies (I’m sorry, we’re out of programmes/ tickets/ printer ink), cancellations, apologies (I’m sorry that show has been cancelled), promotions, printers, ticket printers, network printers, tickets, event summaries, the mind-crunching stress of the 6:15 push out, apologies (I’m sorry, that show was over sold, I’m going to have to offer you a refund), start times, amended start times, producers calling for the xth time to ask where there sales are, add a matinee, cancel a matinee, apologies (I’m sorry I never got your comp list and your VIP international producer is on the standby list), missing volunteers, tired and hungover box office staff, rotating managers, and apologies (I’m sorry my system is just very slow right now, can I call you back?).

But there were celebrations for every 1,000 tickets, amazing theatre, fake mustache day, wonderful happy efficient staff against all odds, Susan & Darren, pizza & beer, AMAZING inspiring coworkers who willingly join in the mess each year, lovely producers, having Andy & Polly based at filmbase, a lovely glimpse in Gavin Kostick’s mind, speed dating with the companies, pizza & beer, that day nothing bad happened to computers or printers, being the judge of the artist club chat up line contest, the companies that blow me away, seeing Wolfgang dance on stage and off, volunteers who show up in the rain with a smile on their face and a bucket of cop-on ready to get the job done, pizza & beer, companies who smile, phone calls about something anything good that happened, sneaking out of the office for a matinee, beanbags, Polaroid, Buckfast, discovering a love of clowns, and stumbling backstage

See you at bosco, we’ll sleep in October.

X sarah – box office manager