The work deepens! We are all back in the room together beginning to entwine the various strands of the play. It's very, very exciting.

The spirits I mentioned a couple of weeks ago have been tirelessly working away on movement and singing. It was such a lovely surprise to hear and see them for the first time this week.

We have begun layering the scenes by bringing the spirits in to begin affecting the action.  This provides loads of opportunity for visual fun and invention. What's brilliant is that they are being played with such relish by the company. The 'world of the play' as we call it is now being brought to life in vibrant technicolour. The island has got a personality – that’s probably the best way to say it.

Tony (Stephano), Joe (Caliban) and I are still having an absolute ball! What a brilliantly creative pair of chaps they are. We have a very easy working relationship which means that ideas are welcomed and explored with no bias.

This is, for me, a slightly tricky part of the process. We're beginning to settle into the play. We know what we are saying and, generally, where we will be on the stage but we still have only a loose shape. It feels like an approximation. It's like putting all the parachuting equipment on and stepping to the edge of the aeroplane door. The good stuff only happens when you jump...I'm not quite ready to jump yet. I can feel it.

Luckily, I have a costume fitting that begins to answer some of my questions about who Trinculo is. While it's not always a good idea to rely on costume for the answers, it really can give you a lot of food for thought.