Wandering through the East Village it’s easy to get caught up on traversing the busy roads, with stop lights that are kind of adhered to and walk lights that are often ignored by the drivers, leading to an apprehension that is probably not shared by the Native New Yorker, but being a Brit in the city anxiety can kick in at every crossing and there are many crossings needed in traversing the glitzy grid that is Manhattan.
There is an air of ‘free for all’ regarding road rules, but once you step into that rhythm the anxiety subsides.
I have spent three weeks in this beautiful city and so far, they have been three of the best weeks of my life, no kidding, this city has embraced me as its own, at least that’s how it feels.
I came to New York for a reason, and I think that’s always the best way to visit a place. My musical play ‘Always Young’ had been accepted by Theater for the New City for a three-week run in January 2026 and so rehearsals needed to commence in early December.
As the writer it made sense for me to direct the show. I’m primarily an actor and I take a prominent acting role within it, that of ‘Haywire’ the unreliable Narrator. The show sees adults playing teenagers, in the setting of a school in London during the late 1980’s. For more info see: www.alwaysyoungthemusical.com
Theater for the New City is a fantastic, eclectic venue, steeped in history and art, with the true meaning of Bohemia at its very core. The building holds three stages and a Cabaret performance space, and all are fabulously unique. They can cater for any play and the scope for the imagination is limitless. The set and prop department is immense and visiting groups are welcome to use anything! Backdrops, set and curtains are all on offer and for a theatre group travelling with a show, this is a much welcome leg up. The many people who volunteer their time at the venue do so out of respect for the place itself and the community it supports.
I decided to recast my play as it transferred from London, with New York based actors, all speaking with English accents in the show, which has proved both hilarious and impressive in equal measure! The cast are inspiring and the theatre is a powerhouse of help and support. The theatre has always been a primary hub for the community in the East Village and the Executive Artistic Director, Crystal Field has always strived to keep that commitment to the local area, ably supported by Emily Pezzella the Executive Assistant and Office Manager, who is a vital anchor in this popular venue, which is clearly dearly loved by it’s devoted and colourful populace of actors, stage crew and general creatives.
Just sat there and listened
One long rehearsal of singing in the basement labyrinth of the theatre culminated in the appearance of a man, who had been quietly resting on a couch in a snug, round a dimly lit corner from our rehearsal area, coming over and congratulating us on our talents. Always nice to hear. He’d been captivated by the singing and said he sat there and listened for an hour and then had to come and meet us.
He introduced himself as Robert and told us of his time working here at the theatre. We had ended rehearsal for the day and so he insisted on giving my partner Michelle and I a tour of the local area.
The first stop as we turned out of the theatre door was a corner on East 9th Street and 1st Avenue, where a group of ‘angels’ (A99 or Anarchy 99) give away free clothing and food every Sunday as part of their anarchist street organizing drive.
They are there all day and are the most welcoming bunch of genuinely decent folk I’ve met in any borough of this, the most inclusive and cosmopolitan of cities. If you are near there on a Sunday, I urge you to say hello, grab some food and a bottle of water and just chat to these guys. It’s soothing to the soul to see these selfless people genuinely helping whoever they can.
As you wander further from the theatre, the neighbourhood’s vibrancy becomes truly palpable. Street art adorns building facades, turning ordinary strolls into impromptu gallery visits. Small independent cafés spill laughter and music onto pavements dusted with city grit. There’s a sense of creative energy in the air – one that feels both welcoming and exhilarating for an outsider yet remains entirely authentic to the East Village’s storied past.
Robert whisked us on through the Ukrainian Village and pointed out a couple of must eat spots. One of which has stuck and we go there often. ‘B&H’ is my favourite place to eat these days. It’s vegetarian, but you don’t notice as the food is amazing. I’m not vegetarian, but I could eat every meal here. Their potato pancakes are the best. Their Macaroni cheese is a melt in the mouth sensation that I’ve never enjoyed even slightly as much in the UK.
I also had my first ever egg cream here. Which is now my favourite drink. No eggs or cream involved, it’s basically a chocolate milk infused with soda, as far as I can tell, but my oh my it works too well! The owners are great. Leo is the right mix of cheeky and authoritative, which makes for a relaxed eating atmosphere and a genuine desire to return every day.
This day though Robert, Michelle and I opted to dine in ‘Little Poland’ on 2nd Avenue, at Robert’s insistence and I enjoyed a big bowl of Borscht with Pumpernickel bread (my new favourite bread). Michelle had potato pancakes, which Robert happily shared whilst eating his own Borscht. The Borscht was perfect. You could taste the history in that soup. That soup was clearly made by a master, from ancient polish recipes handed down through generations. Not blended, chunky, wholesome and warming, particularly on this fantastically crisp and yes, decidedly chilly December day.
Back at the hostel in the Bowery I woke at 6 am and went through to the lounge, which is a beautiful 1920’s style affair in the Nolita Express (Est. 1927). I sat on a beautiful velvet couch (more like ‘in’ as I sank low into it) and watched the snow fall on the Bowery. It was magical. On the build up to Christmas, in a fascinating part of this fantastic island, I sat and watched the snowfall for an hour. The fire escape strewn buildings facing the huge windows I watched from added to the romance, conjuring scenes from West Side Story amidst a feeling inside that I usually only feel when I’m watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. I could almost run through the streets of the Bowery like Jimmy Stewart in Bedford Falls, shouting Merry Christmas to every building or person that looms up or wanders into my gaze.
That for me was a real New York moment, which in these short few weeks there have already been many. One of which occurred yesterday. A member of the cast told me of a new Broadway musical ‘What’s Going on Tonight?’ and how the production team were looking for an actor to read in as the Narrator at a rehearsed reading for invited theatrical industry guests. It’s an original Broadway musical comedy being produced by Steve Krone, former President of Village Roadshow Pictures, the Hollywood production company behind hits including THE MATRIX, OCEAN’s ELEVEN, MYSTIC RIVER, TRAINING DAY and Charlie & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. I contacted Steve Krone and applied for the gig. I got it and now I’m working alongside the rest of the cast and production team on this show to present at Pearl Studios on 8th Avenue. Whilst I’m on break from rehearsing my own show until we go back to that on 2nd January.
Brooklyn Bridge
Feeling inspired and remarkably upbeat, I walked the Brooklyn Bridge today and glimpsed Lady Liberty. I took in the immense East River and marvelled at the surrounding buildings and of course the feat of engineering that is the bridge itself. Helicopters landing nearby stole my attention only for a second as the bridge pulled me back in, and not for the first time I counted myself incredibly lucky that I get to be here, right now, at this time, in this most magical of towns. And the best bit. I get to stay here until the show closes on 1st February.
Until then I have the distinct privilege of performing the show and enjoying all that that entails, but before it opens on 15th January I continue rehearsing. One place that we rehearse in often is the 122 Cultural Centre on 1st Avenue and 9th Street. Sean on the front desk is a wonderful source of local information. He informed us that Fame the TV series was filmed there and in fact the production team of the show paid for renovations of the electrics for the entire building. He regaled us with tales of Debbie Harry performing within its walls and Rosario Dawson growing up just round the corner, before the musical RENT made her explode onto the theatre and film scene. He also shared with us that he makes it his personal mission to let in anybody who needs to use the toilet. This is no small mercy to the populace of the East Village in their times of need.
The East Village is an amazing place, and I dearly hope that gentrification doesn’t take over and remove the real charm of this friendly, artistic and most endearing of creative places. As I leave this ‘cultural mecca’ and head up Broadway each day, I people watch and take in every store, every building and every pampered dog that is walked through the streets. The fire escapes will always grab my attention and hold it as I imagine living in this house or that, sitting on the fire escape and watching the Citizens go about their business. I am constantly reminded of Damon Runyon’s Broadway stories and the colourful characters that he describes, their personal stories and histories remain ever relevant and it’s easy to imagine a new generation of characters rising from these very streets as we near the 100 year mark since Runyon’s first Broadway story ‘Romance in the Roaring Forties’, published in 1929.
I walked up the Roaring Forties a couple of days ago (the Roaring Forties refers to the bustling and vibrant backdrop of Manhattan’s Broadway district during the prohibition era), most particularly the streets of Broadway known colloquially as ‘Runyonland’, the area from Times Square up to Columbus Circle, particularly 44th Street to 59th Street. Looking up at the hotels that still exist from this era it is easy to imagine a Nicely-Nicely Johnson as a permanent guest in one of these habitats or a next generation Harry the Horse skulking down an alley to meet up with Little Isadore, regarding a little business. `
As I look at myself in a shop window or step over a steaming sewer cover it’s hard not to feel a little like Nathan Detroit taking in a bit of the weather on a most pleasant afternoon, with just a little bit of a Sky Masterson jump in my step, as I consider a stroll through Central Park. And I assure you; I consider this more than somewhat.
