The pandemic has affected many businesses – and almost every day we read about yet another company announcing it’s shedding employees or going into liquidation.

The fact this has all unfolded in a matter of months, indicates just how precariously close to the financial edge we’ve all been living, without realising it.  We can’t even relieve ourselves of pandemic-related stress by being entertained by live performances.

There’s no plan at the moment to re-open venues in a way that’s safe for audiences and performers, while creating much-needed revenue to pay wages and running costs.

Actors, singers, comedians and musicians ,who regularly tour the UK (or the world) for months on end, have had to stay home and twiddle their thumbs. Which is frustrating for every performer except professional thumb twiddlers who needed the practice.

Performers, however, are fickle animals and when they are touring or in long West End runs, it’s not unknown for them to complain their work has separated them from their homes and loved ones.

Here’s a story that illustrates the lengths a performer will go to keep a lonely ‘loved one’ happy at home while he’s working.

When Tommy Copper was appearing in a West End show, he noticed that one of the other acts on the bill always ran to use the stage door telephone as soon as he finished his act, dialled a number but never seemed to get a response. This went on for weeks until Tommy asked him what was going on.

The performer explained that every night he had to leave his dog alone in his flat a few streets away and the sound of the telephone ringing cheered him up!

A couple of nights later, as the performer went on stage to do his act, Tommy entered his dressing room.‘borrowed’ his keys, ran around to his flat, let himself in and waited for the ‘phone to ring.  A few minutes later the phone rang and the lonely dog suddenly sat up and excitedly wagged his tail.  On the third ring, Tommy picked up the ‘phone and went, “Woof! Woof!”

And if that didn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will!