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Next in our 2017 blog is Ben...


A year in Yew Tree Youth Theatre is not just a year of theatre, shows and performance, but a year of progress and the development of comradeship and friendship. Over the past year at yew tree I truly believe it has helped push me to become increasingly understanding, outgoing and mature as I’ve advanced through groups this year. 

At the start of 2017 I’d just completed the annual Christmas shows with Sapphire Company where I took on a lead role of which was riding high on confidence off of and I found myself thinking I wanted more, I wanted a challenge and a new experience. So I joined the slightly older company gold and from then it was off to the races. My first experience of the new, more mature environment I found myself in was daunting, even though I already knew many members from previous projects together. The overwhelming, anxious feeling I had was all but lost within the first few minutes of the rehearsal where the unity and accepting nature of all present once more boosted my confidence. 

Before long I had performed my first performance with them, “Bassett” by James Graham, and began expanding my horizons and taking part in such things as the yearly Miners Memorial Service which I had only previously ever done a few years prior. However my biggest challenge yet came when I decided to audition for the Connections play this year. At the auditions for what part to get I was unfortunate to find myself being the last person to do their piece  and I was largely intimidated by the plethora of talent from those who were also was there. I got my part and at the first rehearsal of the play the comradeship of all the other people there truly outshone my expectations. But that’s what Yew Tree is, its comradeship, trust, belief, confidence and all of the above. 

A year in Yew Tree is the expansion of you as a character, a performer and a person. 2017 shows not only the pride and self confidence one can dream of but the everlasting friendships that grows within the rehearsal space, I was just scratching the surface of what Yew Tree and Sarah has brought me over the last 52 weeks and I can’t wait to see what awaits me in the years to come as I already look over future possibilities.

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