What's happening at YTYT

I made a start writing this leaver’s blog when I was on a bloody needed holiday over a month ago, on the glorious Isle of Islay in Scotland. I’m re-writing it now, because I think it was naff to be honest. And I’m not in the same mindset as I was then. Also I might have had a few too many drams of whisky whilst writing it there, so there’s that. A line I’ll keep from it however is: “How am I meant to do justice and summarise in my writing the enormity of an impact that Yewtree has had on me these last 5-ish years?” How can I articulate all the skills that I've learnt and developed? The experiences I’ve had? There’s so much, where and what do I start on? So I’ll do just that, and put some of the skills I’ve learnt into use: “You can’t be a creative, a critic, and an editor at the same time” But in fairness - I don’t think I could share and articulate all those things. And I’m not sure that I want to, they’re for me. I can’t put that expectation on myself. The past year I’ve felt as ...

So, it’s time to write my leavers blog. Here goes nothing and I know some tears will be shed writing this. Like Sarah said it’s an end of an era. I started Yewtree at 7 years old, as I joined through my mum seeing Yewtree on Facebook, as I was wanting to start acting, and so she signed me up. Later I joined the dance school and did Peter Pan, along with Sarah. So, I joined Jade Company, making loads of friends, Eliana, Kirsty, Lyla and Violet and later people like Estelle, Orla and Kenzie. I can’t really remember any plays from back then, but I remember one. The Grinch which we did, and the boy who played the Grinch was sick that day, so he couldn’t perform. But Tom saved the day, and we were able to perform. I also had to sing away in a manger, first time singing in a play (when Sarah didn’t have to force it out of me). Another memory of Jade company I have is at Christmas we would make our own versions of Christmas songs, and my group were given the 12 days of Christmas, and we made ...

  So I started writing this literally fifteen minutes after I walked out the door of my last drama session. Which is a slightly horrifying concept that I've still not really admitted aloud (it's now been more than a month). I've been coming to drama sessions with Sarah at least once a week for nine years of my life, so I don't think it's at all a stretch to say Yew Tree has had a fair hand in raising me, and now that it's done it feels weirdly anti-climatic(?). It's just a normal Thursday, nothing especially memorable has happened, but it's the last time I'll ever be coming to drama regularly and it's the first time the thought of leaving for university and growing up (*shudder*) has actually felt real . Yew Tree has been a constant part of my childhood - I honestly cannot remember a time when I haven't come to sessions and I can say confidently that I've always adored every minute of them. I turned 18 recently, and finished sixth form ...

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....