Hey Everyone
Happy Thursday!
Happy Blog day. Apologies for not writing a blog last week it was chaotic with the summer school and so I thought it'd be better to write about it when I had more time!
So I'm gonna crack on cos there's a lot to fit in!
The journey back to Wales after the show on the Saturday night was really smooth (even if we departed 20 minutes later than scheduled because we had a power cut in the Theatre which resulted in a 20 minute show stop!)
Myself and one of the summer school staff Evan were singing all the way back to Wales! Crazy Welsh boys with hoarse throats when we woke the next morning!
The Sunday was just a day of final preparations and sorting through props and costumes before heading to my friend Aimee's house where we were all staying that week and we watched the closing ceremony of the Olympics. I'm pretty sure we all agree that there were some great parts and some not so great parts to the closing concert but I still enjoyed it and was very sad when they extinguished the Olympic flame! It's never gonna happen again in our life time - and the fact that it was so successful for London and TeamGB makes me feel so happy and proud and lucky to have been living in this amazing city during the whole thing! The whole world got to see just how incredible London is!
So Monday morning was the first day of West End In Wales - the musical theatre summer school I've been running since 2006 and the beginning of the final ever course!
It always starts the same way, me acting like an idiot to try and make the students feel comfortable and relaxed and to allow them selves the freedom to join in with all the new challenges they are faced with during the week.
By the time we finished the first morning session which includes a singing audition where each student has to sing in twos, we soon realised that it was possibly the best group of students we'd ever had! 74 hard working and committed 8-18 year olds who were an absolute pleasure to teach the entire week!
The week consists of rehearsals in singing, acting and many styles of dancing in preparation for the showcase which is performed twice on the last day of the course which always blows the audience away because the students learn an hours worth of material in just 5 days. That's 22 numbers in the showcase!
It's a tough week for them but that's the whole idea, it gives them an insight into professional training and the quick pace of a performers professional life!
We also do many improvisation workshops and confidence building sessions to ensure that no matter whether they leave the school at the end of the week desperate to be a west end star or just realising that they don't want to do it as anything more than a hobby - I give myself the responsibility of making them feel that life is theirs to do with it as they please and to work hard and be confident in everything they decide to do and to not let anyone persuade them they shouldn't do it- whilst all the while being realistic of course, there's no point hoping to be the next Elaine Paige if you cannot sing in tune!
It's basically a fun week and a celebration of a large group of youngsters who share the same healthy passion and interest towards an art form which is one of the most challenging and rewarding performing art forms that exists in my opinion. I would have cut off my arm to have the opportunity to do West End In Wales when I was in my teens and that is the exact reason I have been running the course for 6 years!
The end of week showcase was the perfect ending to the summer school. I felt so proud to stand in front of all the students as they we're dripping with sweat at the end of each performance and simply say to their parents 'do you see how much your children can achieve when they are pushed and given the right guidance and support' - By that point in the week it is always one of the most exhausted moments of my working year but also one of the most rewarding! It's a humbling reminder to any successful performer where they've come from, what they've achieved, why we do it and how lucky we are to get paid to do what we love!
I wish every single person who has ever been involved in my summer school the very best of luck in all you do and remember to keep working hard and focus on determination and your goals and remember to let me know when you've achieved them!!!
Ambition never stops, no matter how successful one may become and that is the joy of being a self employed actor- the challenges just keep coming to hopefully fulfil your ever growing passion for what you do!
So once the summer school was done and I'd packed all the stuff away - which took twice as long as two of nieces were 'helping' me, otherwise known as trying on every costume and playing with every prop they could get their hands on! I didn't mind though, I just enjoyed some fun times with them and then had a big banquet of Chinese food with my family and chilled in my sister's garden until late!
I drove back to London on Sunday afternoon. I was so keen to just get back to a normal schedule where I only have one full time job to focus on and to try and allow chill out time. By the time I was driving through London the sun was blazing, my car windows were down, music was pumping and as I drove past Hyde Park it felt really good to be back in good old London town!
Sunday evening I met my friend who lives near by and we went for a walk and ended up randomly finding a Spanish tapas restaurant so we went in there and had some good food and a laugh before watching a film and then I went to bed and for the first time in a long time, I didn't set my alarm.
I naturally woke early on Monday but then fell asleep on my sofa for a couple of hours whilst This Morning was on the TV - I'm not afraid to say that I seriously cannot stand to watch Eamonn Holmes. Just my opinion!
I had a long swim in the afternoon and then saw my physio for a session on my voice to make sure it was ready to return to the show after a week of shouting and singing with all the kids! I then slept again in my dressing room for an hour.
It was good to be back at work on Monday and after the show I headed home and slept like a baby all night! I spent most of Tuesday in the gym (or at least that's how it felt). I could tell I hadn't been for a week because I nearly passed out and vomited at the same time from pushing myself so hard! I'm feeling determined to get back on form as I was before all the excess summer school work started!
Wednesday (yesterday) I spent the afternoon at the National Theatre watching the Shakespeare play Timon Of Athens, which my friend Craige's in! I really enjoyed it! Some incredible acting, particularly from Simon Russell Beale who plays Timon!
This morning I came into town early for a swim and then a rehearsal for West End Bares with Louise Dearman. We're singing a brand new song written especially for us for this event and we'll be surrounded by practically naked west end performers! Worth buying a ticket???...... I think so! And it's all for the charity TheatreMAD! It's a week on Sunday, September 2nd at Cafe De Paris in Leicester Square, central London. Two performances 9pm & 12pm don't miss it!
And that brings me to the present! Sitting in my dressing room having just had our 15 minute call for the matinee and I think my body is a little bit in denial about what it's got to go through today....twice!
Thanks for reading folks! Have a great week!
Keep Believing!
Sh-Boom!
Mark
To find out more about Mark and his career visit his official website at http://www.markevansonline.co.uk/
