2024 - A year for Robin

 2024. A year, for me, represented by change and new beginnings. A year that I used to think i’d never even live to see but now i’m here on the lead up to Christmas and I couldn’t be happier about the future. Although 2024 was plagued with change and uncertainty, YTYT has been the consistent rock throughout that I could always rely on. It was there at my lowest of lows and still there at my highest of highs. This year especially, this source of stability has been unimaginably helpful both in helping me recover, rebuilding my confidence and maintaining friendships in an otherwise rocky and unstable environment. 

The Chaos Arc (Literally) : The start of my 2024 year in Yew Tree was defined by the ending of connections (which I won’t go into detail on as i’ve written a whole other blog about that experience) and Gold company’s version of Chaos. This was a connections play Sarah had previously done and I was overjoyed to be given the opportunity to revive it. On the first read through of the script, it instantly grabbed my attention. I remember using the word ‘treasure chest’ to describe it and I still hold that sentiment to day. Each page you turned to there was something new, exciting and intriguing to discover. It was special in a way I couldn’t describe. At its heart, Chaos is all about the butterfly effect/Chaos theory. For example, If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil then it could cause a massive tornado in Texas. The play followed a collection of people and explored their varying reactions to witnessing a life changing event. It was a play that spoke deeply to me with even more elements i’d only discover after Gold Company had moved onto Death the Halls. With intriguing characters, themes and messages, Chaos is probably one of my favourite plays i’ve done with Yew Tree to this date. 

However, i’d be lying if I said Chaos was getting my full attention at the time. I was in year 11 which meant January to June was revision hell. GCSE’s was something I had been dreading for a while. Friday’s were my escape. A few hours where i didn’t have to think about anything else. I could forget the stress of GCSEs and everything else and simply enjoy myself. During this time i was also helping out at Emerald Company, the most energetic, joyful kids i’ve ever known. Therefore I had 3 and a half hours where my only focus was Yew Tree and I loved it. This is what I mean when i say YTYT has been the metaphorical rock keeping me in place and being the reliable thing I could count on to get me through week after week. 

However, everything comes to an end. The Chaos performance date came and the company did amazing, the kids at Emerald smashed their performance and I (luckily) didn’t mess up on playing the music. Eventually GCSE’s passed. Despite everything that was going on, I passed every single exam with a 7 average (I even managed to get a 9 on my English Language paper.) With my results, I finally decided to leave homeschooling behind and enrol into college. Unfortunately, this meant I had to stop helping out at Emerald due to the fact i finish at 4 most days and the buses take an hour to get home (if i’m lucky.) Luckily, I stayed in gold as they started planning for their Christmas play: Death the halls. 

The ‘Death the Halls’ arc: Credit to Mathew for coming up with the amazing title. This play was equally as special considering the plot came from our own ideas as a company. I was rooting for a ghost story and luckily it came into fruition. During the writing process, Sarah added in her own elements and twists which I adored. For example, the final twist of the play where it’s revealed Rosemary’s husband, Frank, was actually the culprit. 

Death the halls follows the story of the Hargreave’s family in their traditional, annual get together before Christmas. However, everything is flipped on its head when Rosemary (your traditional entitled, cruel and judgemental grandmother) is murdered. Of course, I opted to play the traditional, entitled, cruel and judgemental grandmother that gets murdered. It was the most fun i’ve had in a role in a while. The costume, although hard to find, made it so whenever I was playing her I felt like an entirely different person. Not many people aspire to play a Grandma at the ripe age of 16 but I did and i’m glad for it. I felt like I was able to step into the character and was able to simply have fun. It was almost as if the costume was concealing my identity and therefore somehow immune from embarrassment. After all, my hair was hidden. Not many Grandmas tend to rock split dye hair and therefore i wore the itchiest wig known to man. 

This period came with its own unique challenge. Finding the time to balance school work, my social life and yew tree had become harder. Homeschooling made me get used to having all the time in the world. Now it’s an entirely different story. Because of this, I had to miss out in extra performances I otherwise would’ve picked up in a heartbeat like the miners memorial service. However, this is also the first time i’ve studied drama and theatre studies academically for A level. It has given me a whole new perspective when analysing and picking apart a new script and multiple new acting techniques I can use. Therefore, despite having less time i’m learning more than ever which inspired me to pick LAMDA back up. Due to my schedule, i’m not yet working towards a grade and instead using it to help push myself and improve as an actor. So far it’s proven to be incredibly helpful. I’ve also decided to once again do Connections this year as frankly I couldn’t bear to miss out on it. Once again, I don’t want to go into detail as I may write a whole other blog about my experience when the time comes. 

Needless to say, The Death the Halls performance date once again came and went. It was the first Gold company play i’ve let my parents see in a while and even my sister came (which is impressive.) I loved every moment of it. From experiencing the devising process to seeing our ideas get taken all the way to the stage was a rewarding process. Although disappointed it’s over, I know that 2025 will hold even more opportunities. With Death the Halls over, we have now gone on to discussing ideas for Gold Company’s 2025 Summer play which of course i’m excited for. Despite the challenges along the way, the payoff has been worth it. 

The Conclusion Arc: As the years go by, it is becoming more and more apparent my time at YewTree is gradually coming to an end. After completing my A Levels, I want to go to a university in London with dreams of becoming a director. Of course, that would mean leaving YewTree. Frankly, it’s terrifying. Last I remembered I was still in primary school and now i’m here. It took a lot to get ‘here’ but throughout all it all YewTree has been there. The metaphorical rock I could always count on. For that I’ll always be grateful.