Time’s nearly up for the annual School Plays, etc, .and as we move in to the new year, a lot of us might be reflecting on the performances by Children, themselves, Great Grand Children, and how it went in those plays.
There must be those, amongst us, who went on to play roles in the Bigger arena of Real Theatres.
Did you ever go on to play that part in a Theatre, The West End, etc?
What was that like?
The son of a friend of mine, for example, sang at school & went on to be a young singer in Les Mis in the West End!
He was amazingly good, when doing his song at the Parents’ wedding Anniversary.
I danced at school. As I grew I guess I was recognized as a talent and I was coached and trained. Eventually, at the age of 16 I won a scholarship to Europe to train at a relatively prestigious ballet school in Amsterdam.
Sadly, I broke an ankle and the dream died. No real drama, it was always my Grandmothers dream, not mine. I still dance and taught for a while too, but the idea of joining a company was gone
Two girls I knew from those days ended up with the Moulin Rouge…I can only imagine how amazing that would have been
I am not sure how naturally talented I really was. Some physical gifts obviously but I was a rather introverted child and teen, very insular and focused. Consequently, I worked extremely hard at the things I took interest in, was very diligent etc.
And yes, broken while dancing. Well, during a warm up. Very innocuous, doing nothing extreme or overly challenging. Just landed awkwardly and heavily. Don’t want to gross anyone out but…the instep of my left foot touched the inside of my left leg just below the knee!
Very much an Ewwww moment and I am forever grateful my brain couldn’t cope and I blacked out…
The Noel Coward song sums up why my acting career never took off!
Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
The profession is overcrowded
And the struggle’s pretty tough
And admitting the fact
She’s burning to act
That isn’t quite enough
She has nice hands
Give the wretched girl her due
But don’t you think her bust is too
Developed for her age?
I repeat, Mrs. Worthington
Sweet Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
Regarding yours
Dear Mrs. Worthington
Of Wednesday the twenty-third
Although your baby
May be keen on a stage career
How can I make it clear
This is not a good idea?
For her to hope
Dear Mrs. Worthington
Is, on the face of it, absurd
Her personality
Is not, in reality
Exciting enough
Inviting enough
For this particular sphere
Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
She’s a bit of an ugly duckling
You must honestly confess
And the width of her seat
Would surely defeat
Her chances of success
It’s a loud voice
And though it’s not exactly flat
She’ll need a little more than that
To earn a living wage
On my knees, Mrs. Worthington
Please, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
Don’t put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
Though they said at the school of acting
She was lovely as Peer Gynt
I fear on the whole
An ingénue role
Would emphasize her squint
She’s a big girl
And though her teeth are fairly good
She’s not the type I ever would
Be eager to engage
No more buts, Mrs. Worthington
Nuts, Mrs. Worthington
Don’t put your daughter on the stage
What a shame and nasty, not nice for you, I bet the memory makes you wince.
You must have been good to get that far.
I always wanted to be a ballerina. But my dad worked as a stage hand in the London Palladium when he was young and saw how the chorus girls got treated and abused so he’d never let me have lessons! I was so jealous of my cousins who did.
But it was probably just as well, I stopped growing at 5ft 2, too short for a ballerina.
