...and the obvious reason is because of the season!

What musically minded soul hasn’t been humming the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ ditty to themselves over the past few days “Oh the barnyard is busy in a regular tizzy...” all together now “It’s Spring, Spring, Spriiiiiiiiing!” 

We are all basking in the balmy sunshine feeling renewed and I feel I must apologise from distinct lack of blogging in recent weeks.

You see, I have been roosting like the birds tending to their nests outside of my window.  Co-habitation with my man since the beginning of the year has brought out all these weird homely qualities that we actresses normally only read about in scripts.  Previously, the nearest I have come to being a home-bird is playing one of the “homing pigeons, homing in,” in the Thenardier Inn scene in Les Mis so these changes in habit have come as a surprise to me.  My musings and meanderings have been concealed by planting bulbs and cooking meals for two.

But!  A recent teaching job at my old drama school shook me out of my housewife lull and reminded me why a career in theatre is so exciting.

Four days of teaching aspirational teenagers, who dream of being on the West End stage and are prepared to work their butts off to get there, got my inspiration blossoming like a spring flower in bud.  You remember how “cool” it actually is to have been in certain productions as people ‘Ooo’ and ‘Aaah’ in wonder as you teach them show choreography.  There is a certain breed of actor who is quick to dumb down their achievements, I sadly include myself in that camp, but I think it is better than the alternative - that actor who may as well write their CV on their forehead for all the bellowing on they do about it!

These students were incredible; eager to learn, humble and with a work ethic that shamed me.  Why when you become a professional do you suddenly rush out at lunchtime instead of stay behind and work on your harmonies with the MD?  When something becomes your job I’d say it is normal for it to become part of your routine without becoming complacent or taking it for granted.  I mean, it would be slightly daft and ultimately embarrassing if you spent every day at work telling your colleagues how “amazing” they are, that you saw them 8 times in Phantom and gushing about living the dream.  But why do we forget so easily the 16 year old dreamer who wanted nothing else than to walk through a stage door and into that unknown world?  

Of course there are always moments of “wow” and “how did I get here?”  - that’s how you know you’re not complacent or bitter but these students reminded me of those feelings of determination, blinkered vision and commitment.  And it was lovely to bask in their glow for a few days.

So as the season changes and we emerge from the eternal bleak mid-winter, so my love for my job has been renewed.  And a good thing too, as I have an audition tomorrow where I may need to harness that youthful energy to drag these old bones about in a dance call!