Unconfirmed Reports

I have just finished my first real go at amateur theatre. This was something I had been wanting to do for a long time, but perhaps in part had not had the confidence to get involved in. I performed (acting, plus a tiny bit of singing and dancing) in the OUP Christmas Show - which is a yearly mix of musical comedy and good old fashioned pantomime, put on by the Press’s dramatic society.

Like so many other things in Oxford, this is something that has been carrying on for years uncountabe, with all sorts of minor rituals and traditions attached. I do like the feeling of being part of something long continuous. And I enjoyed the acting more than I had dared imagine: the feeling of taking on a persona, and making it come alive to the point where people in the audience are convinced of that persona, is for me like all the good things in life brought to a sharper point of focus. Being someone else - especially someone absurd and ridiculous - is extremely liberating.

I don’t even think it’s just “fun”, either. I think that in acting you don’t just become “someone else”, but also explore parts of yourself. I think it can bring self-understanding, by offering you a legitimised context in which you can experiment with your own personality, your face, your gestures, your attitude and comportment.

What I’m trying to say is, I played a pirate. My best line was “gheeyaaargh” (that brought the house down every time).

I feel I am hooked. Now I want more, more, MORE!!!