My daughter Tammy took this video that gives an impression of the scale of our 100th show yesterday.
The Theatretrain students were superb, no rehearsal and straight into two shows. They gave a voice to the world they live in. Who says the arts don’t play a part in changing people’s thinking? I’d say these performances will resonate in the minds of the participants and their parents for many years.
The joy and excitement offstage was palpable before and after the event. I never tire of being inside the hall when the performers enter. Nothing prepares them for the shock of seeing the immensity of the space for the first time. Their glory is over the day as they make that space their own. By being part of a team they raise their game because so is everyone else. Their confidence surges when they hear the applause and in turn this feeds their sense of purpose and sharpens their performance.
Congratulations to the 1500 performers and all the creatives and company directors behind the scenes who made it happen.
We might live in uncertain and testing times and the kids may have been affected by the pandemic but if the evidence of my eyes is to be believed this next generation of young people will step up to the challenges of the world with passionate eyes and self belief.
I also pay tribute to two people who played a big part in the show. The remarkable and irrepressible Robert Hyman, conductor extraordinaire who held the choir in thrall to his eyes and baton and Jason Kew who for over 2O years has stage managed these large scale productions ensuring that the technical team at the Royal Albert are on the same page as the performers. They were both integral to the success of the day.
Here’s to the next hundred!
