Making the most of all we have...

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I want to congratulate all my actors in YTYT for getting this far.  You’ve pretty much learnt your lines, you’ve almost sorted your costumes, you’ve taken and responded to all the notes I’ve bombarded you with.  You’ve also taken the time to come to rehearsals even when you’ve been ill or school/college has been ridiculously demanding or when all the other stuff going on in your life has felt like it’s all too much.  I am fully aware that the expectations on you grow and grow and yet week after week you show up and give me the best you can.  I never take it for granted.

The result of your effort is that our Christmas shows are just about there and so in order that you enjoy them to the fullest extent I wanted to remind you of something.  Your rehearsal room and your stage is a place to let all of your worldly responsibilities go…you can put them down for a while and let your world become smaller.  Then at the end when you pick them up again you are reenergized and stronger.  Sadly I’ve become increasingly aware recently that at the start of rehearsals I am faced with a group of young people, a large proportion of whom are so weighted down and a in truth somewhat defeated – it takes the first 30 minutes to remind you that you are ok and that you are in a place you like to be…one by one the lights within you switch on and eventually all of you with your brilliance and fun fully appear…I just wish we didn’t waste the first 30 minutes – our time is short together and I want us to make the most of it…


My Christmas time wish is this – for the rest of this term remember you are in a place where you are valued and treasured as you walk in the room, a place where you do brilliant things and become the best you can be so you can enjoy every moment of it…yes you have to work and think and create and reflect – but what better way to spend your time…in three weeks it will all be over for 2015 – let’s make the most of all we have…

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