Chemistry vs Drama.....

Hello blogging world....
It was brought to my attention by my, probably only, constant viewer that I have not posted in a while (and also that my spelling is appalling-so I apologize)

Here is a headshot of the dazzling Niamh/neve  who i hope feels honored to be mentioned

Two fellow actors in sweeney todd, looking marvelous

Having an interest in the arts can sometimes spark problems concerning school...it's the awkward moment when you say to your maths teacher that you (ideally) don't want to go to uni, the source of all knowledge and future of every student in the school, but instead want to go to drama school. The look of pure horror is hard to forget, then of course there are those history teachers who attempt to convince you that you are wrong. you do not know what you want to do with your life.that really by saying you want to go to drama school you actually mean you are desperate to go to oxford and study chemistry. They translate "My passion is drama, It's what I've always loved and what I realize that I really want to do, my dream is to be on stage, and perform to people.That's what I've always wanted" to "Chemistry is  the only way for me, I love the periodic table, I study it every night and can recite it forward backwards and sideways. If there is one thing i want to do with my life it is to be able to add a new element to the table and learn it all over again...yaah chemistry chemistry chemistry*grumble grumble random element grumble grumble 3+3 ionic bonds grumble grumble*" Clearly something gets lost in translation.
Therefore it is such a relief to have another wanna-be-actress going through the exact same situation as me.
INTRODUCING NIAMH CAINES
(okay I find it hilarious that her whole name comes up as a mistake and this document inquires if i would like to change it to NIAGARA CHINES)
She is knew to the school, and although i've only known her since September she genuinely annoys me as much as my sisters. I know what you're thinking "another drama student, what are you going to do when you both want the lead role WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO" but this problem has not occurred-yet-because I hope that she achieves the dizzy heights of acting....obviously i'd prefer it if we both did, but i'd be thrilled for her to get cast in a huge production, like I don't know "Hello Dolly". She would make the perfect Dolly.Maybe someone will notice that???
Moral of the story....Teachers don't like me
Chemistry is boring
Niamh should play Dolly
And this document should just accept that her name is spelt like that.

OLIVIARS! AND SCHOOL.......



So today resembles many things.....the sudden realization that really I should be revising more for my exams.....I do the IB and so I have 6 subjects + TOK to cram....and put it this way....it's not looking good....Also today resembles school starting the summer term. Eurgh....first day, walk in and there is a beautiful message on the school screen "SUMMER TERM" when we all know it should read "EXAMS,EXAMS.EXAMS". Today also symbolises the first day for every school kid to forget about the concept of tights and wear light and short summer dresses and tops. This seems a good idea....but even though the screen dictates that it is summer.....it's not....trust me.FREEZING. Trying to summerfy (hmmm i like this work....a new verb to summerfy something) a horrific suit with crop tops in this weather...really REALLY doesn't work.

Yupe this is me before i realize that i'm going to fail...every single exam

And one last mention is the OLIVIAR awards that were last night.....I was lucky enough to meet and hug Micheal Ball.....and I saw Imelda Stauton playing the epic role of Mrs Lovett....and it's safe to say they were an incredible comic duo with and without the Sweeney makeup. I loved them as presenters.
WWRY opened the show....and I'm a huge fan of Lauren...but personally I thought the male lead...who sang 80% of the Queen song as a solo really lacked in character and vocal talent. Maybe he was having an off day? Maybe a bad mic?
 Matilda did so well as a musical it was up for 10 awards...and it won many of them. The performance by the 4 Matilda's was brilliant and they all looked so cute in their dresses when they got up to say they speech and thanks for winning the award for "Best actress in a musical".
I thought is was a brilliant show....and the time which i had planned to spend revising was quickly consumed by the TV.
But one thing that still remains unanswered is why was it not on BBC1? Why was it on the red button?


Here are the winners of the Olivier Awards 2012.
Best Revival- Anna Christie
Best Supporting Performance- Sheridan Smith
Costume Design- Peter McKintosh (Crazy For You)
Set Design- Rob Howell (Matilda) First of it's many awards
Lighting Design- Frankenstein
Sound Design- Matilda
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre-Roadkill at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Best New Dance Production- Desh
Outstanding Acheivement in Dance- Edward Watson (The Metamorphosis)
Best New Director- Matthew Warchus (Matilda)
Best Actress- Ruth Wilson
Best Actor- Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch - Such talented actors
BBC 2 Audience Award- Les Miserables I did vote for them....but Rachel Tuckers performance in WICKED was breath taking
Best Entertainment and Family- Derren Brown
Best New Opera- English National Opera- Castor And Pollux
Outstanding Achievement In Opera- English National Opera
Best Theatre Choreographer- Peter Darling (Matilda)
Best Performance In A Supporting Role- Nigel Harman - This just shows what singing and dancing on your knees achieves:)....He is brilliant, the prize is completely deserved.
Best Musical Revival- Crazy For You I am now even more desperate to see this...if only i could dance there could be a future for me in this...but alas....
Best Actor In A Musical- Bertie Carvel
Best Actress In A Musical- The 4 Matilda actresses. (Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Sophia Kiely and Eleanor Worthington Cox) Such talented little girls....
Best New Musical- Matilda Again I really really want to see this....so many awards.....so much talented
Best New Play- The Collaboraters
Special Award- Tim Rice  And amazing lyricist....his work is astonishing

Ballet Blunders

I've read recently that the best thing for "wannabe" actors to do is to become involved in every drama play or musical that they can possibly be in. This advice I've tried to follow, through the last 2 years I've been in 8 shows, including 2 musical and additionally to that, I've also performed in a ballet."The nutcracker" but you'd be mistaken to think that I was the White Queen, or sweet Clara....oh no I was a Russian dancer, but not just a Russian dancer, the Russian dancer who was banished to the back of the stage as I struggled with my red ribbon and painful shoes. Even though the short 2 minute dance demanded 3 months of rehearsal....yes hours and hours of practice....I still managed to jump on beat 3 instead of beat 2.....resulting in me being the lone dancer bobbing a second later than all of the rest of the ballet stars.

Yes it's an awful picture and i don't have one with the famous red ribbon...but for some reason I decided not to document the costume with a picture (also i did not photo edit this....but I can't change it back)

 You would think that would be embarrassing enough, you might be wondering why I didn't just turn around right then and there and glide off the stage in a ballet style manner...(not that graceful dancing was something I could achieve, but a girl can dream can't they?) But oh no instead i thought I'd stick by it....finish the finale and then make my most likely not-so-graceful exit. Now I should make it known that the stage was tiny, and our ballet teachers wish that all 250 dancers do a breath taking dance number for the finale, was in my mind, completely flawed. Because of my not-so-important part in the performance, I took my bow first (and as any theatre addict knows, the first bow is always reserved for the worst or smallest performer in the production) although I did not resent this, partly because I knew that the first bow in a ballet was the best that I was ever going to get...partly because i thought that all the audience members would be anxiously waiting for the stars to jump on and therefore they would not notice if I stumbled or just completely stacked it on stage. Luckily I did not completely embarrass myself....I managed to pull off the bow without loosing all my pride or my footing. The only problem occurred when the dance number actually commenced. You see when I went on stage for the last performance I believed that I should stay in character, and as everyone knows, a Russian dancer is not a Russian dancer without her red ribbon. Unfortunately I was the only Russian dancer who thought this way. Resulting in me looking the dim one when I was the only one who insisted on waving this ridiculously long string like thing at the audience. This problem only increased when the dance occurred....you might not know this but if you attempt to jump with your leg outstretched behind you and your arm reached forward (there is defiantly some sort of ballet term for this....but I don't know) there is a strong possibility you might whack another dancer right in the face....This might then cause her to turn around in a angry manner and accidentally push you back into the back curtain, causing you to crash very-un-gracefully to the floor and additionally take 2 more dancers down with you. It was safe to say after that I knew my short lived ballet career was exactly that. Short.Lived.
So therefore I think we can all agree that I can't dance, but my theory is that on my CV which states that I performed in the prestigious ballet "The Nutcracker", the casting director is not going to consider the fact I might be the world worst dancer, but instead is going to assume that I have a good solid dance history.How wrong they will be. I suppose I will just always have to live in hope that no director ever asks me to perform a short dance....because I can assure you I lost that red ribbon a long time ago.

Moral of the story- At all cost avoid red ribbons.

This is me in my Mrs Lovett costume with Ellie on the right dressed for the part of Johanna and Kate on the left dressed for the part of the Beggar women...two very talented girls

Well what can i say this pose is going to be in Vogue's next addition just you wait....

And this beautiful picture is with the gorgeous Tom who played Pirelli, he is also a budding actor and trust me he'll be on the big screen soon i'm sure of it.

And since today i'm clearly going blogging mad here are some more shots from one of the productions i did at E M foster. It was sweeney Todd, and it was such a privilige to be part of such an amazing cast. It was an amazing 2 and a half months of rehearsal, and an unforgettable show week!

Our arty shot, those two beautiful girlies are rosie on the left and Sarah on the right....I'm putting it out there I would kill for sarah's amazing figure and rosie's glasses <3

A classic easter egg hunting pose.....With luke, tom and tiarnan (they go to tonbridge school...that explains Tiarnan's name...;) also you would not believe how long it took me to learn how to spell his name...

Rosie and me:) on a child's toy which-i'm putting it out there- is way to tiny for the likes of me to get in-I will post a link to the gorgeous Rosie's blog...if I ever figure out how too....

Right so a little bit about my life.....here's some pictures of recent times, in my head this should totally be viewed with the music of "here comes the sun" playing in the background.......This is from Easter Pinic day....which i now believe should be a national day.The girl in the awesome glasses in the last picture is the gorgeous Rosie who has her own blog, and really it was her who inspired me to write a blog....

Hello blogging world....
I now genuinely believe I have for filled my duty of being a teenager and got to grips with technology.
Right, the whole point of this blog in my mind is to share my thoughts and experiences on the vast world of acting. Obviously I know next to nothing about it, but still someone somewhere might find what I say interesting, I can live in hope.
First topic I'm going to breach is volunteering to teach drama, in my mind this was an amazing opportunity to help inspire 11 and 12 year olds. The prospective class of 15 in my mind seemed manageable, additionally they all chose to take part therefore should be willing to behave and show enthusiasm right? No no not right. instead of the 15 delightful year 7's I was faced with 25 hyper 11 year olds, who persistence display of chatter was matched only by their persistence display to scream at the top of their voices until the dance music next door for the dance class was drowned out by the young actresses screams.
After an hour of playing games (their favourite ended up being park bench? they could literally play it all day and still not get bored) we finally embarked on some actual script work, it was only then that the noise died down, but the enthusiasm still existed. It was remarkable to see them working seriously on hard scripts, I remember watching them showcase their pieces to the class and thinking, "I was never even nearly as good as them when i was in year 7". They were so confident and comfortable with the class they really became their characters, something which i have never seen such young students do. They were quite simply astonishing. And yes it is stressful to run a class, but it's so remarkable, (I'm aware of how cheesy this is sounding.) but honestly if you ever get the chance to teach. Do it. It's painful at first, but the material they come out with, and the improvement they make is just...brilliant.