Chris Addison: seven days in the life of...

There comes a point in every performer’s life when he glances in the dressing room mirror and spends valuable show-preparation time wondering whether he’s accidentally grown himself a mullet Photograph: Chris Addison

One of the best things backstage at any venue is the posters of productions. This is at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. I like to text it to Armando every so often Photograph: Chris Addison

February and March are the worst time to be on the road. Especially at night. It’s the end of the financial year, and every single agency is using up its roadworks budget. I drove home from Leicester the other night through 20 separate roadworks Photograph: Chris Addison

I’ve been given brilliant things by punters. After one gig an audience member proudly presented me with this cross-stitch of a line Tom Hollander and I share in In The Loop Photograph: Chris Addison

My agents’ pro forma Standard Artist Requirements form inexplicably includes the word “fruit”. In Ilfracombe the chef spent an afternoon creating this insane platter. I shared it with the audience Photograph: Chris Addison

One journey’s worth of detritus. I have 40 dates on this leg of the tour. If in a few weeks you see a car apparently being driven by a pile of those clear plastic prisms that disappointing sandwiches come in, that’ll be me Photograph: Chris Addison

When I’m not on the road I’m mainly in the office downloading Ian Rankin audiobooks and burning them on to CD after CD to keep me sane when driving Photograph: Chris Addison