30 years, what an achievement!
It’s hard for me to put into words what Theatretrain means to me. I started when I was eleven, at the request of my mum (thanks mum). I knew I wanted to be a performer, but the thought of actually performing for anyone terrified me. Even speaking in class used to make me shake with nerves.
A schoolmate of mine told me about this thing called Theatretrain, and I was talked into going along for a trial. I went along, slightly begrudgingly. The idea of anything extracurricular made me equally nervous because I was not a social creature. I didn’t do well in school, and I didn’t have a lot of friends.
I vividly remember my first day and how nervous and awkward I was, and questioning whether I wanted to come back. Was this just too far out of my comfort zone? Well, yes it probably was, but sometimes you have to push yourself out of that zone of safety, and part of me obviously knew that because I made the decision to push through it and thank goodness I did.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that my decision to join Theatretrain was a pivotal moment in shaping who I became and indeed who I am now. The next few years were the happiest of my life. Whatever else was going on during the week, it didn’t matter because Saturday would always come around.
I made some wonderful friends and created some of my fondest memories. My last show was License to Thrill at the Royal Albert Hall, and I was lucky enough to sing the last solo of the show “Live and Let Die”, which remains my proudest achievement and is the perfect book end to my Theatretrain story. Just a few years before that, I could not have imagined singing in front of all those people, but here I was.
I would recommend Theatretrain to any young person looking to better themselves in any way, but especially if they want to be a performer or a creator of any kind. I owe so much to Kevin and the crew for everything they have done and the opportunities they give to young people, so thank you and here’s to the next 30 years!
What a story, thanks Dan! We’d love to share more Theatretrain stories for the nostalgia series! Send your story and photos to contentmanager@theatretrain.co.uk. Alternatively, you can also go ahead and share your Theatretrain Story on Instagram or Facebook using #TheatretrainStory – just remember to tag us @theatretrain_official on Instagram or @theatretrain on Facebook.
You can also check out last weeks Theatretrain story from Amy in Coventry.
