Celebrating the past in the present...

This hunk of gorgeousness in the form of a blog is from Ellie Moran!

As always Yew Tree has always been a big part of my life. That will never change, it doesn’t matter how far away I go or how long I am away for (which evidently Is never long because I can’t stay away for very long ha) It will always be just the same upon my return; kind, warm welcomes from everybody, my old Yew Tree team that have been in my life a very long time.

Yew Tree was 20 years old this week, which is massively impressive. On Saturday night we put on a display on with all costumes that had been used over the years, added with a timeline from 1995 to now. Tables were full of scrap books that people had made of all plays, scripts, newspaper clippings, writers material… memories of friendships made, Kendal trips, coach trips and so much more.  I have always known how much of my life has had Yew Tree in it, but looking back on it just confirms the amazing years I have had. 

So many plays, so many laughs, so much progress made. So many friendships made and so much support. When I first started at Yew Tree I was only 8, it was at Dury Lane Library in Wakefield and the lovely Gemma Whelan was there. Inviting me in before I’d even worked out which room it was in, (little did I know then, how lucky I would be too have her and all her support in my life) still now she is the top of my call list when I need a rant, a cuppa, laugh, a cry. She is the smile you need when you’re on your worst days. I will go to her for absolutely anything. She’s done more for me than she realizes.

After a couple of years with Gemma I moved up to Sapphire Company with the lovely Sarah Osborne and often the joyous company of Danny Bell. The first thing I was told when walking in to Sapphire, was even though the company was older and performances were created, it was all about building confidence, creating a safe space and having fun with the challenges that we face. Automatically you know Yew Tree is something you have been lucky to have found. I spent many years with Sapphire, getting involved in my first Connections play, meeting friends, creating drama and having Sarah in my life. As you can imagine, the time I was around at Sapphire I was starting my teenager years, so things were starting to get pretty rough like they do! 5:30pm on a Monday night was soon becoming the two hours out of reality I needed. Sarah would always take the timeout to talk to me whenever I was upset about school or home… she would always tell me that when I walked through that door into the session, everything should be left behind it until the session had finish, I stayed by that rule for the rest of my Yew Tree years and it was the best piece of advise I’ve ever taken. She’s offered guidance through the worst times in my life and always sympathized whatever the problem. She progressed my acting and after many Connections plays, Kendal visits, and narrative Christmas plays I can say with certainty that they were the best of my Yew Tree years.

After Sapphire Company I moved up to Gold Company (I remember the name so well, when Yew Tree decided to create names for the sessions we picked for Gold). It was Saturday Morning at the College in Wakefield, I was older, therefore usually late, I had a bit of a reputation for being late at school and it soon became apparent everywhere else. I had lots of great years at Gold, the sessions started with such a small group but soon we were in a group of 30+. Lunch breaks in the cafeteria had vending machines, they must have taken a ridiculous amount of money from us, but it was a chance to catch up with everybody.  We did Christmas shows, endless amounts of Ninja Warrior and Foot Stomp, we very rarely broke bones but we got close to a few broken toes.  Gold was great, so many fun sessions with brilliant people.

Black Company was the next move, the most professional and eldest of all the companies. Here we did shows for the Hepworth, Airedale, The Hop, Clark Hall, Sarah Thomas. We did Improvisation, Physical Theatre, Shakespeare, Scripts… If Sarah was feeling generous we could be allowed one game of Ratchet Screwdriver a year. (I will admit that it’s not the safest of games but brilliant all the same.) By the time I had reached Black Company, I had made the friends that I have now for life. I spent every week with these people and have done for a lot of years. Hannah and Helen have just been by my side all the way through, we came together and years later, left together. Helen went to Liverpool to do her Degree and Hannah and me went off to Hull to do ours. Our last session was a tough one, many tears occurred and we went on to drink a lot of cocktails to celebrating our years at Yew Tree. Turns out if you’re emotional already, probably not a great idea to get drunk too, everything is evidently more dramatic. I think we even cried in the taxi home ha.

Of course that wasn’t the end, we’ve both graduated University now 3 years later and have always been around to attend Open Mic Nights, Christmas Shows and all the other lovely things Yew Tree has to offer. I volunteer on a Tuesday night with the gorgeous Ruby Company with Gem, and Lydia (my little sister) is following in my footsteps and is a part of Crimson Company now.

I know it can sound cheesy and a little dramatic (ironic), but Yew Tree really has been the Highlight of my life and continues to be. The people I have met, the experiences I have had, the support I have gained, the laughs, the trips, the friends, the journey, everything about my past 14 years has been perfect. It has made me who I am today and I owe everything I have to everybody involved.

This blog turned in to a bit of my timeline and the companies I have been involved in, but I cannot stress enough how much ‘out of’ Yew Tree great times I have had with Yew Tree people. BBQs, birthdays, nights out, meals, trips away, house warming’s, all the celebrations you could think of.

People who missed out on coming this weekend really did miss out, what Sarah, Oz and Gemma have built is something no other company could achieve.

Thank You Yew Tree, Sarah, Oz, Gemma, Danny… the list in endless, I would be here all day if I named the amount of friends I have gained.

Thank You to you all.