Hey, it’s not a dreaded Monday as it’s Creation Theatre blog time! I’m pretty sure that you were looking forward to it all week! All the joys of Mondays are below….
Anyway, it’s one of the volunteers (Josie) talking, taking over the whole blogging thing from Lucy or Maddy for one week. I started volunteering in the summer of 2016 after attending Creation’s Drama Club since 2012 and LOVED it since! The first show I have ushered is A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the non-static one that you, Clapham and Oxford wanderers, MUST watch this summer!). If you are in Clapham, it is open right now and finishes on 30 June before it moves to beloved Oxford, so get booking!
If you saw this A Midsummer Night’s Dream (aka Dream) production last summer, you probably saw me sitting suspiciously next to a random car park at 9pm wearing a purple raincoat….yes, I’m that weird! Besides, I’m so excited for you to come to see this again (and myself too!). The best thing about this play is that the audience get so up-close and personal to the actors (which some people I know wouldn’t like the idea). However, it really does help me to know what the actors are saying. You probably noticed that I’m profoundly deaf from birth, so it’s really hard to see accessible theatre like this to my level of understanding. However, due to the actors being up-close and having smaller audiences, it makes it easier to see what Bottom and Flute (and the Wall) were practicing to perform and the conflicts between the lovers!
Volunteering means that I’m able to see as many shows as I like, trying to pick up what they say without going penniless! Volunteering also grows my confidence in interacting with other people with similar interests – I also have had a great laugh making new friends. I have also noticed some change in my health and well-being since I have joined Creation volunteering for better, maybe because I cycle to shows after show, but mainly because I have got that rewarding feeling that boosts my well-being and alertness (however bear in mind that I’m still not a morning person…).
The Christmas show Snow White and Other Tales from the Brothers Grimm was where Creation started to be awestruck by how much time I went to help. I got to wear some very nice aprons, enjoy some free popcorn and hang out over Christmas with some of the wonderful people from the Creation Team! One of the funniest moment as an usher is when someone asked me for an espresso; due to my lack of knowledge of coffee, I thought that the machine was broken as the cup was not filled. That was when I have learnt what an espresso is…. The show itself was warm, comforting and stunning by the fact the transitions were so fast and smooth. My favourite bit has got to be singing afterward like this ‘You look like a fish-a, and you’ll make a nice dish-a!’ and the mini Rumpstilstkien costume which was worn by Simon (if I have spelt that right). When you become an usher, prepare for songs to be probably stuck in your mind for months! (Six months time and still going…)
Due to my interest in Photography, I went EVEN further with helping Creation by taking photos of 1984 (I recently performed it during Drama Club as Walton). And the photos did make to Creation’s Instagram account. Have a look and follow: @creationtheatre on Instagram, they’d love to say hello and reply to your messages!
Currently I’m also a Drama Club supply teacher for drama clubs in Oxford. I haven’t done much in this as I have only recently started in a desperate need for work! Hopefully, I’ll start in September, and to experience the children’s joy of acting and performing sounds alone exciting!
Due to that I’m talking about me volunteering for shows, what I really would recommend you is to volunteer a night or two (or maybe LOADS); either way it certainly makes a huge difference. Originally I was considering just a day but it then lead to many nights due to the rewarding experience I have had in the Creation Theatre atmosphere which is quite something else.
That’s all from me! Looking forward to seeing you this summer whether you will be enjoying the trip down the rabbit hole with Alice or at a treasure hunt for the couples or just having some fancy drinks in the University Parks!
– Josie
