We’re all heading to see our Senior Account Manager, Rachel , grace the stage this week in Duets at the Carriageworks. Read all about her love of the spotlight in her very first TK blog…
Some children dream of being rock stars. Some astronauts. Others authors. Me? I always wanted to be on the stage. Fast forward a couple of decades and it’s less ‘name up in lights’ and more ‘name in a nice gold foil finish on a TK business card.’
Don’t get me wrong, I love the buzz of agency life and the big characters you get to work with on a daily basis, not to mention the adrenaline rush and excitement when a fantastic creative campaign comes to life. But my love of the stage has not disappeared.
So I thought I would take action (the ‘lights, camera…’ sort) and a few months ago I auditioned for a play, – a modern comedy/drama about love, loss and laughter, not too far removed from my daily existence! Cast as a dizzy, hedonistic soon-to-be-divorcée on a cocktail-fuelled evening in Spain with her soon-to-be ex-husband, it was a part made for me, and over the past couple of weeks I have been rehearsing hard for the opening night.
All this “am-dramania†has reminded me that, even though my childhood dreams of an acting career never materialised, they have actually stood me in good stead, helping me in my marketing career. Here’s a few examples of where they’ve come in useful:
- Presentations
To some a nemesis, to me a chance to satisfy some of that performance hunger.
- People skills
The huge range of characters you collide with in an amateur dramatic environment can be overwhelming. From the 90 year-old five times divorced women with a penchant for whisky to that almost-famous Sunday Times journalist who mined theatre groups for unsuspecting young and impressionable females. Interacting with these people has given me the skills I need to communicate with anyone and everyone.
- Confidence
There is nothing more scary than that moment before going on stage – you know you are about to bare your soul to the world and quite likely forget your lines and therefore be subject to a more-than-excruciating period of panic. Overcoming this fear has only reinforced me to face the trials of everyday working life.
So, my advice to others would be, whether your childhood dream was to be a rock star, author, astronaut or celebrity chef, pick it back up and go for it – you never know what it might teach you and where it could lead!
If you’d like to come and support Rachel in her next theatrical production, Duets by Peter Quilter is being stated this week at the Carriageworks Theatre. Starting at 7:30pm, performances will take place on Thursday 25th October to Saturday 27th October. To book tickets, click !
