When the pandemic closed New York's theatres, thousands of performers found themselves out of work - some were even unable to pay for their health insurance. One top dancer quickly opened a business, inspired by a gift from a fan, which gave people a way to express affection during lockdown.
"At first I thought, OK, well, it's just going to be for two weeks", says Robbie. "And then gigs that I had in August, gigs that I had in September started getting cancelled. I thought, 'Oh Lord! this is going to be rough.'" According to the Broadway League, the trade association for theatres nationwide, the livelihoods of almost 97,000 people depend on shows performed in Manhattan's Midtown.
He had first learned about floristry while living in London during the West End run of An American in Paris. His flat was around the corner from the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers and out of curiosity he enrolled for a class on a rare day off. "I discovered it was fantastic therapy," he says.Robbie Fairchild and Leanne Cope in An American in Paris, at the Dominion Theatre, London
"It was still dark out and no-one was there. No cars either, he says. "I was looking up at the theatre that I used to perform at. It was just so eerily quiet but all the lights were on. Part of me thought, 'Oh My God, nobody is here! Let's save electricity and turn them off!' I mean what about climate change and global warming? But I guess people needed the lights on as a sign of hope.