Glitzy smiles and hair in curls

As frantic preparations are

Abundant back behind the curtain,

Costume ladies pinning hems

And one young girl in tears, worrying

That she’ll forget her lines or fall off stage.

Out front the audience is filing in

Excited, clutching programmes and plastic cups

Shushing children as the lights go down,

It’s time for action, no rehearsing now,

The music starts and out they step

Those shiny, perfect theatre kids.

I went to watch a local youth group perform Grease last night and it was fabulous. They were all amateurs – although I suspect a few of them will be off to drama school when they finish school and college.

I do love Grease, and I think anyone could perform it and I’d enjoy it. But these guys were so professional in their delivery and it really makes me happy to see kids like that, getting involved with something that really pushes them as human beings. I see so many teenagers who can’t sit through a 45 minute lesson and the only thing they ‘do’ outside of school is sit and watch TikTok.

I know that a lot of it is down to parenting and kids need to have these interests modelled and encouraged, otherwise how is a kid supposed to know what opportunites are out there? But, oh how I wish that they were all into something the way that those theatre kids were into their performing last night. Well done all.

Much Love

Rachel xx