Starting at pre-school, memories of performing in the quintessentially British tradition of Christmas Nativity plays remain sound. The first taste most budding little performers get of the theatre world. Usually the simplest of blocking and the easiest and most flexible of scripts, the nativity play is an important gateway into exploring the possibility of escapism at such a young age. This took its stronghold on me. As for similar reasons to most performers, the most enticing part being the applause. Mostly because being so small and craving attention constantly, we are all bought up with positive connotations of people clapping and cheering. This positivity to some can become infectious and makes some crave it more and more.
Moving onto Primary level, the premise remains relatively similar. Purely for the sheer joy and love of doing theatre, as a student I applied myself towards doing certain performances than the parental expectation of being in a Nativity. On a personal level, I was extremely lucky, performing short skits and ‘pieces’ at a local professional theatre (New Theatre Royal) with my school. This naturally drew larger audiences and crowds of which weren’t huge, but one that could be intimidating to some. Secondary then developed theatre even more! The beast that calls itself a musical had reared its complex head. Easing into this loud and proud world, We Will Rock You became the first musical I ever became involved in. With a proper script for an enthusiastic ‘Cliff Richard’ equipped with 3 lines, this was a monstrously fun show to do with plenty of songs to rock out to generally without a huge amount of direction or choreography. Having such a joyous process, I decided with my sprouting history of performing I would join a local youth theatre company called Stage One. Paying weekly, this became a more serious venture due to the spare time being dedicated by the creative team and all my fellow cast members. This also gave a more robust process and further knowledge of using a professional space. This now being Ferneham Hall, Fareham where Stage One still regularly perform all sorts of musicals. For example, when I attended from the ages of 15 to 19, I covered musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, Les Mis, Oliver, Footloose, Grease and Oklahoma to name a few.
Overlapping this, I also decided to follow the academic route to further study and expand my knowledge of what I had begun to really enjoy. As such I studied BTec Acting at school and Performing Arts at College. This gave me a fantastic insight to the world of academia within theatre, allowing me to transfer the textual skills into practical ones. Personally, I was a rather difficult teenager at times and especially in the world of theatre (and school) I maybe should have applied myself more which would have only improved my technique and know-how. Regardless of this my joint venture both as a hobby and subject matter became very significant to me, directing not only my social life but my career path too. This, after a gap year, eventually took me to university where I would go on to study BA Hons Music and Musical Theatre. As someone that has openly suffered with anxiety as previously stated in my log posts, I found a difficulty in juggling the severe intensity of university and everyday trials and tribulations. It is safe to say something I had really gained confidence and experience in became a little bit of a labour of love. So naturally after graduating I took a bit of a sabbatical to clear these demons away. This majorly dented the confidence I had grown throughout my many different outings doing straight plays, musicals and other pieces.
What does the future hold for it? I’m currently amid my application for a teaching qualification for Secondary Teaching in Drama. I have experienced wonderful moments performing, directing, tutoring and giving-a-hand to and working along side some of the most wonderfully talented people and that sort of experience shouldn’t go to waste. It should be passed on. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with and alongside splendid teachers, directors and cast members. Theatre is a wonderful art form that brings out the greatest of human emotion and this is reciprocated in those that watch such a spectacle. It has breathed confidence into someone that never thought he could gain it.
I worked in a Sales job without having any involvement in any sort of local theatre. Or my other love, football. Nothing. This continued for more than a year whereas I was used to show weeks once every 6 months or so. This really really bought me to a point where I very nearly completely diminished the chance of ever doing theatre again. Then one day a very very good friend of mine, Sean, got hold of me. A company he was involved in, Fareham Musical Society, were performing a couple of months later. Unfortunately, due to a cast member having to drop out, and stereotypically getting reasonably short of available men I decided to take the invite and went along. I had walked into honestly, one of the most welcoming and family orientated casts I have ever been involved in. Within weeks I already had remembered the names of the new faces as was their kind and open-hearted nature. I auditioned to ‘guest’ in the show and received notice that I was in a mostly set production of Our House! Over the next few months with a lot of fantastically dedicated fellow cast members, I managed to pick up a majority of the songs and the small amounts of blocking I had to remember. In such an intense schedule to learn what had already been taught, I could have been forgiven for being dreadfully nervous. But the all-for-one feel bought me that confidence again that they had my back. In return, I for sure as hell, have theirs. Currently about to audition for my third show with Fareham Musical Society, Grease, I finally feel I’m regaining the reason I started in the first place. The audience reaction, the escapism for both me and the person watching, listening and clapping along. I am very pleased to say my love of theatre is well and truly on its way back.
What does the future hold for it? I’m currently amid my application for a teaching qualification for Secondary Teaching in Drama. I have experienced wonderful moments performing, directing, tutoring and giving-a-hand to and working along side some of the most wonderfully talented people and that sort of experience shouldn’t go to waste. It should be passed on. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with and alongside splendid teachers, directors and cast members. Theatre is a wonderful art form that brings out the greatest of human emotion and this is reciprocated in those that watch such a spectacle. It has breathed confidence into someone that never thought he could gain it.
‘The stage is not merely the meeting place for all the arts, but is also the return of art to life.’
- Oscar Wilde
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