Then Came The People (Part 2)

On the whole if I am passionate about something I am very assertive to that cause. Like at the theatre, if Gareth wants chocolate ice cream, he gets chocolate ice cream... there simply is no compromise. On the other hand If I don't really care too much for something it is incredibly hard to motivate me. As you would have gathered by now I am very passionate about theatre and drama and hence I am determined to get what I want out of it, at all costs. I met somebody very much like this, with a passion for drama and theatre, and possibly even chocolate ice cream. I must find this last fact out for you and report back to you all some time. Her name is Janet and I met her at the acting classes which I am in the process of telling you all about.

Janet is a very loud character, you sure as hell know when she is around... but thats a good thing as she is a huge motivator and has been an immense amount of support to me in the short time that I have known her. I don't think I really started speaking to her until the second or third week, as it took me a little while to come out of my shell. I am nowhere near as self confident as she is, thats for sure! The fact that we both have simular aims and aspirations in life meant that we understood what each other wanted out of drama, this helped a lot ecspecially after class when we were discussing things thatwe had learned and been doing that day. So in a sense I guess we kinda pace one another, as we both try and achieve what we aim for in life. Its like a rivalry... but a very friendly one and we are always there to pick one another up and help when we need it.

I think what made us click most was our go and get attitude. The sad fact of life is unless you are very lucky opportunities don't land on your doorstep like that pint of milk in the morning when you wake up. You have to fight to achieve things in life, and continually push yourself. Thats what we both do, and as well as pushing ourselves we push one another. Throughout the course we often had time to reflect and discuss one an others performances which would allow us to better ourselves at what we did, or at least we could laugh and joke about how crap we were at certian tasks!

Yesterday I was on the phone to Janet and she told me about a course she was going to do over the summer, and asked if I would be interested in doing it with her. The thought of doing anything which had the words "intensive" and "summer" in the title seemed a bad idea. After all its the time of year for relaxation, having fun and doing all those things you really shouldn't. The course was in musical theatre. I love drama but singing really isn't something I enjoy all that much. Of the three disciplines, it is clearly my weakest, so it goes without saying that I found this most off putting. I mean really... who wants to hear me sing? Its dreadful i promise you! The more we talked about the course the more it sounded a challenge, but at the same time I was starting to like the sound of this challenge! Janet's power of persuasion were really working well! My standards must be slipping as getting me to do anything I am initially against requires that person to bribe me with chocolate, or on the other hand just get me extremley drunk, then I agree to anything... yes ANYTHING!

I have a feeling that whilst me and Janet won't be doing everything together we will be working alongside each other for a long time to come. We also see a fair amount of one another outside of class. Again its that go get attitude... we don't ponder for weeks over doing something, we simply get on with doing it. I convinced her to go see three of my favorite shows. Avenue Q, Billy Elliot and Jersey Boys. I say convinced... it didn't really take much work on my part as she was keen to see all of the shows. All three shows were great, Janet loved them which was a huge relief as nothing is worse than when you recomend a show to someone and that person doesn't really enjoy it having seen it on your rave review.

Thats made me realise, I haven't told you about Jersey Boys yet. Its a rags to riches tale, telling the true story of the rise to fame of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Hailing from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey, the story sails through the bands lives of crime, mafia links and their turbulant ride to international stardom. The stage show is so well done, with a storyline that encapsulates you from start to end and music that is more contagious than swine flu, its simply outstanding! When i first went to see Jersey Boys I didn't realise how many of the bands hits I actually knew. I wasn't convinced that I would like the show all that much but went out that afternoon loving it. Since then I have been a further three times, one of these times being with Janet. She too loved the show, but like me is very open minded when it comes to theatre so it is somewhat expected!

Jersey Boys is definitely a show you should see in the West End, even if you have some reservations give it a shot, i'm sure you won't regret it. Ryan Molly is a fantastic Frankie Valli and you can see why he has won awards for this role. His voice is spot on and in my opinion better than his Broadway counterparts. The cast are simply fantastic, the theatre is one of the best in London and the show has been written and performed in a way that you cant help but fall in love with it and want to see it again aand again and again!

So thats a bit about Janet and indeed the Jersey Boys, stay tuned for more blog updates later in the week. Please please please leave comments, I have had a lot of positive feedback so far so keep it coming because I really do appreciate it!

G xxx