olli's leavers blog...

Gosh. I can’t quite believe I’m writing this – sat at my desk at work experiencing the post-show blues of what is my penultimate show as a member of Black company, psyching myself up for the fact that in a few short weeks it’ll all be over.

I  was first introduced to Yew Tree and Sarah via LitFest and my good friend Chloe at what was A Very Weird Time™️, both personally and globally. Namely, mid-2020, waist-deep in Covid lockdown shenanigans and up to my eyeballs in navigating Life Post-Cult™️. When lockdown came to an end and I first set my foot into WYTDC in September, I found a refuge.

Three years on, in the insanely busy world that is my life, Yew Tree is still that same refuge. It’s a bubble of joy and laughter and creativity in the storm of the world outside. And despite the days where it reaches 5:30pm on a Thursday and I’m contemplating whether I can be bothered schlepping over to Ossett to go to Black, I know every time that I will leave feeling so much better for it. Yew Tree has healed my soul in ways I cannot begin to express- it’s a place of acceptance, something 17-year-old me desperately needed. Drama has been my therapy (although I still definitely need Professional Help™️ lol) and an escape from the tumult of life.

I’m not usually someone to do things by half measures, so I’m still in part regretting the Miners Memorials I’ve missed and not doing Connections last year, but in fairness, I’ve had the opportunity to do three Christmas shows, three summer shows, two Connections (we just don’t mention the first one), one Brexit musical, a 15 Minute Hamlet and a couple more things in between. I could go through and recount each performance I’ve taken part in in great detail, but I will spare you all the, as Sarah would say, self-indulgent twaddle. Suffice it to say that each one has been a joy, working alongside such talented and incredible cast members and under Sarah’s direction. Some personal highlights, in no particular order and without additional context, include the cha cha slide, some very poor sword fighting on my part, and strangling Eliana – you know, the usual.

Every time we’ve come off stage at the end of a show I’ve kind of been in awe that we’ve actually pulled it together. That’s not too say that I’ve ever thought us incapable, it’s just that pretty much every show I’ve been in at Yew Tree has only ever come together right at the end; apparently we love leaving things to the last minute!

I’ve worked with too many incredible people over my time at Yew Tree to begin thanking you all individually; we’d be here for hours. So instead, a massive thank you to everyone who has been a part of my Yew Tree journey. Y’all truly are incredible.

Of course, my biggest thanks go to Sarah, possibly the loveliest person anyone could ever have the pleasure of meeting. Thank you for your sage advice, your stern words of wisdom, your patience and generosity and acceptance of all of us. Despite our flaws and wounds, you always direct us into creating something beautiful. And maybe I’m just speaking for myself, but also to learn something about ourselves along the way.

Things have changed a lot in the last three years. I’ve left college, moved out, got engaged, discovered my gender, started working full-time, started university, stood in an election, and more. Throughout all that, Yew Tree has always been my constant. It’s wild to me that shortly I’ll be saying goodbye to that constant. Not entirely, but in the way that I’ve come to know and love. My next venture with YTYT will, apparently, be as a producer for YT’s next Connections play, something I have little to no idea how to do, but I’m sure I’ll learn, right? Hope to see y’all in the audience, or indeed in the cast!

Much love,

Olli x