Lovely things...

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In case you hadn’t noticed we performed “Tomorrow I’ll Be Happy” at the NT Connections regional showcase at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal this weekend…we’ve been pretty vocal about it so it would have been hard for anyone vaguely connected to YTYT to miss. 

On the face of it, it shouldn’t be that big a deal 4 hour round trip to perform a play we’ve done a number of performances already and watch a bit of youth theatre while we’re there.  The thing is that description couldn’t be further from the truth.  It is the most fulfilling inspiring weekend.  We get to meet people from all over the region and from the National Theatre too who are as passionate about young people making quality theatre as we are.  I get to watch actors, from my company and others, rise up further than they have ever risen and you know that they will be forever strengthened and affirmed by the experience.  You get to share and challenge opinions about plays, productions, performances and writing.  You get to celebrate a journey that has taken effort, graft and generosity and has given gifts of reward, fulfilment and understanding. 

On a personal note I have been able to enjoy hearing lovely things about my actors all weekend.  From other youth theatre performers, to directors at the National Theatre, from the technicians and directors at Kendal to audience who had never heard of YTYT until Friday night.  They have been called talented, fabulous, wonderful and brilliant as actors and they have been called professional, lovely, generous and disciplined as people and that makes me the proudest person.

So Tomorrow I’ll Be Happy company you are now signed out as we close Connections 2013, but as we were reminded by Rob from the National Theatre on Friday night, applications for next year open in 3 weeks…then we have to see if we get in, if we do we’ll have to choose a play…see what we get, audition, cast rehearse and on it goes…I’m up for another journey, in fact I’m positively giddy for it…who’ll be with me this time I wonder…

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