Normally I am guarded about my family – like a lot of people we keep ourselves to ourselves and don’t do much social media. But I want to make an exception this week about my daughter Tamsin.
Like her sister, Tammy grew up in Theatretrain. She was in the first ever large-scale production and many after it. She sang solos at the Royal Albert Hall and other theatres and always on merit. It was probably a disadvantage for her to have a dad who ran the company, I did her no special favours. But as she grew up Tammy did get to go away with us to perform in Europe at festivals and youth encounters. A big part of her life was the National Youth Theatre where among many other things she was vocal captain and performer at the Olympic Handover Ceremony at the end of Beijing Olympic Games. Remember the red London bus?
Then the day came when she wanted to go into the business. She was lucky enough to get a scholarship to go to Arts Educational School (now called Tring Park) and later on to the Royal Academy of Music on their music theatre course.
“Good and bad luck plays a part in everyone’s life and some months after her mum passed away, I took her to Belgium.”
Good and bad luck plays a part in everyone’s life and some months after her mum passed away, I took her to Belgium. And there she heard the news she was recalled to be in Les Misérables – a show she ended up playing in for three years, many times going on to play Madame Thenardier. She luckily found other parts as well to build a career, all the time remaining a Theatretrain acting teacher.
“So opening preview night on Saturday saw Tammy playing the lead. Things like that don’t come along too often in the theatre world but when they do all your experience comes to bear and you focus and get on with it.”
Most recently she become part of the cast of the National Theatre’s Hex a new musical based on the Sleeping Beauty story and good/bad luck intervened again. In rehearsals she hurt her calf in a dance routine, and it looked like she would have to pull out of some of the dance numbers. Then last week she was suddenly told that the leading actress had tested positive and had to quarantine for 10 days. So opening preview night on Saturday saw Tammy playing the lead. Things like that don’t come along too often in the theatre world but when they do all your experience comes to bear and you focus and get on with it. She did a great job and got a hug from the director.
“Get out there and be so swell you’ll make me hate you.”
Two years ago, Tammy played Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street – the grand actress who breaks her leg and can’t go on. She utters those immortal words to the understudy, “Get out there and be so swell you’ll make me hate you.” I know Tammy wouldn’t think like that because she is an ensemble player, she cares about the show as much as her ego, but it is funny how the ups and downs of your life help define who you are.
Good luck Tammy for the rest of the run.
Theatretrain – a nationwide provider of weekend theatre schools for young people aged 3 -18, specialise in weekly classes in acting, singing, and dancing. An emphasis is placed on learning valuable life skills such as confidence, empathy, courage resilience. If you know of a child who loves to dance, act and sing or could do with a little confidence boost why not visit www.theatretrain.co.uk to find out what our Performing Arts classes can offer your child at one of our 80 locations across the UK, and give your child a head start in life.
