I am sure that none of us could have predicted what has happened in 2020, when we all headed into January 1st with fireworks and glasses of champagne.  This year has been life changing, in so many ways.  A shared experience that has left, not a single one of us unaffected.  Every industry has been uprooted by the effects of lock-downs across the world, not least the world of the performing arts. 

Just before lock down, 20 parents and students went to see the nationally acclaimed production of the multi award winning book, The Kite Runner, which was performed at The Richmond Theatre.  Only a few days we went into lock down, not knowing when we would go to the theatre again. Nearly 6 months later - and we still do not know when the theatres will be back open.  The production is based on Khaled Hosseini's book, adapted by Matthew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft.  

Having spoken to lots of students, one of the things they are greatly missing is a trip to the theatre.  The arts are such a vital part of our lives and our childrens lives.  They enrich our lives, transport us to different worlds, educate us on different cultures and beliefs, inspire us creatively and so much more.  I know my own son will greatly miss all the theatre trips we usually go on at Christmas, and we certainly felt very sad about not visiting a musical in the summer holidays which is a family tradition.   What is perhaps is even sadder is seeing the news regarding the problems that the theatres and arts venues are facing, as well as the devastating effect this has all had on all those employed in arts venues and industries across the country.  

The Kite Runner was absolutely fantastic and I think, we all felt, very privileged to have seen it.  Head girl, Jessica and Deputy head, Amelia, have written a lovely review of their experience of seeing the production.

The play is set out in a different but fascinating way as the set and the staging were very unique. One thing that we found very clever was that the actor playing Amir (David Ahmad) never went off of the stage. He played two roles on stage - one as Amir in the present day and the other as Amir in the past. When he was playing present day Amir, he would be looking back at his life and explaining all of the main events. This made it clear to the audience  what was happening.   The versatility of this actor was fantastic.

​Another thing we found interesting was the staging. This is because it was split in a lot of the scenes showing two places/scenes at the same time. For example, in one scene, the stage was split using just the lighting to show the USA and Afghanistan. This was very creative and one of our favourite parts of the show.   The changes between locations was seamless and we particuarly liked the use of colour to show the culture as well as the use of the kites. 

Overall, we found the play heartwarming and amazing. It also showed us what life is like for some people which made us realise how lucky we are. We would definitely recommend this play to you as you won’t be disappointed! ​

​Being in a Christmas Carol was exciting, fun and just a great experience. This was my second production with Step on stage and every year they get better and better.  

We started rehearsals back in September when we found out our parts and received the script. I got the part of Mrs Cratchit and a narrator and I was so excited to start. 

During October, November and December, we were rehearsing and learning our lines. I loved rehearsals because we would start with a warmup game to get our energy up. After, we would sing around the piano and then start blocking and going over and over scenes! It was very tiring and a lot of hard work but by the end of December the difference from October when we started was amazing. By December, I was getting more and more excited and all I wanted to do was get up onto the stage and perform! During the Christmas break, all I could think about was the shows. I was ecstatic!

It was now show week in January and the shows were in about a week. This was my 2nd production with Step On Stage so I had experienced show week before and, believe me, it’s amazing. The whole experience of, not just performing, but also behind the scenes and looking after the younger kids in the cast and building the set - everything is just incredible. We had full days of rehearsals and I loved it!

The first couple of days of show week, we weren’t allowed in the actual theatre because the parents and teachers were building the set. Mine and my friends parents were helping build the set which meant that after rehearsals we went and helped. It was a lot of hard work but the set looked brilliant once it was finished. I think that was the point that we all realised that the shows were about to happen! ​

The next days were the technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals. By this point we were so excited but we knew that we had to concentrate because the tech was very important as it was all the sound and lights. The costumes were also amazing! My mum and my friends mum were helping to do the costumes and they turned out really good! There were LOTS of costumes and costume changes during the show for some people as they were playing many parts and they were getting quite worried and stressed but it was fine in the end. It was quite stressful for our teachers as they had lots of work to do but, in the end, it was worth all the stress. The first time we did a run through of the whole show with lights,  sounds and costumes it was amazing because we could really see the difference between December and now. The whole cast and teachers were just so happy with the outcome and were so excited to start the shows!

Did you know that before Queen Victoria‘s reign started in 1837 nobody in Britain had heard of Santa Claus or Christmas Crackers? No Christmas cards were sent and most people did not have holidays from work. By the end of the Victorian era it was considered to be the biggest and most important annual celebration in the Victorian calendar. Many of the Victorian Christmas traditions are still in use now. In fact, Charles Dickens is credited with spreading many of the Christmas traditions in Victorian times. His book, A Christmas Carol, was very popular and it influenced how Victorian families approached the celebration of Christmas.
 
The Christmas Tree
Many people think that Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband) was responsible for shaping how Christmas was celebrated by British Victorian families. He was born in Germany. In Germany evergreen trees were traditionally brought into the home at Christmas time and decorated (with candles, sweets and fruit). In 1848 the royal family were pictured celebrating Christmas around such a decorated tree, and the fashion for Christmas trees spread very quickly from this point on
                                                  

Victorian Christmas Dinner
In northern England roast beef was the traditional fayre for Christmas dinner while in London and the south, goose was favourite. Many poor people made do with rabbit. On the other hand, the Christmas Day menu for Queen Victoria and family in 1840 included both beef and of course a royal roast swan or two.
The first Victorian mince pies were made of meat (a recipe that dates from Tudor times), but the mince pies made later in the nineteenth century didn’t contain meat and were pretty much like the ones we enjoy today.
 
Although some Victorian families celebrated Christmas with roast goose or beef, it was in Victorian times that roast turkey became the main part of the Christmas dinner. By the end of the Victorian period, most families would roast a turkey for Christmas.        

We interviewed our director Emma Louise McCauley Tinniswood to find out a little bit more about our upcoming production of Goodnight Mr Tom.  Emma has been teaching, directing, writing and producing for 20 years and is artistic director and founder of Step On Stage.
 
Why did you choose to do Goodnight Mr Tom?
I’ve always loved the book Goodnight Mr Tom, and especially the movie with John Thaw. I’m fascinated by stories set in World War Two, probably because of the things that my mum, who was a little girl in the war, and my grandma told me.  I really enjoy stories set in this period, but that aren’t solely focussed on the war but explore life at the time instead.  This has also been the inspiration for my own writing.  I love the relationships and friendship between Mr Tom and William and the other villagers.  I think there’s an important lesson about how children and adults can both learn from each other.

What is your favourite thing about working with young people?
I love working with young people because of their enthusiasm, passion and energy.  I love bouncing ideas and we have some good laughs in lessons and rehearsals.  It's great to see students getting involved and excited over projects.  I love the theatre and history and I am very passionate about sharing this love with others.  I think the theatre and arts are a great way to teach history.

How did you set the play?
There are a lot of scenes in this play in a lot of different locations, so trying to find a set that works and a set that can change very quickly has been a challenge.  Also, with an ensemble cast playing different roles planning out the costumes and quick costume changes is always a bit of a challenge too.  We therefore opted to have a set which could turn into several locations quickly and easily.  We then add chairs, tables and simple props to suggest the location along with the lighting design to create a sense of time and place. 

What is your favourite part of the play?
It got to be when William says, ‘I love you Dad’, this gets me every time.  But I also love the moments when William develops his friendships with the other children and adults, as these are probably the first relationships and friendships that he has ever had.   I think it's particularly poignant in the scene with his surprise birthday party, you can see how genuinely happy he is, but also how overwhelming it is as well.

Why did you choose to include ensemble sections?
I love ensemble theatre and I really like the work that can be created through a whole company working together in an ensemble way.  I’ve always been interested in Greek theatre and their use of the chorus.  I enjoy the work that develops and the ideas that can be created when a group work together and I often will see shows at the theatre specifically for ensemble work.  There’s so much scope for the images that can be created on stage, as well as the scenes and the world that can be created.  I very much enjoy productions which have ensemble casts and I tend to use them in the productions that I direct, but also in the plays that I write as well.  I recently saw Medea at The National Theatre which I loved, as well as a play called Common which had a big ensemble.  But it can also be a challenge, working with so many people all the time.

How did you decide to do the costume?
Myself and the costume designer, Trudie, have spent a lot of time looking at pictures of the period, cottages and villages over the last few months.  As the majority of actors play lots of different roles, we need to find a costume that can easily be changed, for multiple characters and quick changes.  So many have a basic costume that we then add different coats, jackets, hats, scarves and bags to.  We wanted to make it historically as accurate as possible, so we are using some lovely vintage pieces from the 1930’s and 1940’s as well, including a real 140’s gas mask and a real 1940’s haversack for Mr Tom.  Its fun searching ebay but also raiding charity shops and getting pieces specially made. 

Why did you decide to double cast the production?
I wanted to double cast some parts to allow for more people to have the opportunity of taking on a larger role, but also in case of illness then we had cover for the principal roles.
 
We also asked Emma about her work in the theatre since leaving University!

Emma started dancing when she was 3 at the Elmhurst School of Dancing.  She has spent her life involved in the arts ever since – dancing, music and theatre.   She studied Drama and Music at Royal Holloway University as well as the Central School of Speech and drama.  She is a qualified teacher and also has a Masters degree in History - so life is never dull! 

She founded Step On Stage in 2005 and the youth theatre company in 2008.  Emma has over 20 years of experience working in theatre as a teacher, director, producer and performer and has directed over 150 youth theatre productions including Annie Get Your Gun, The Merchant of Venice, Oliver, Alice In Wonderland, The Waterbabies, Look Back In Anger, My Mother Said I Never Should, Little Shop of Horrors and Romeo and Juliet, to name just a few.  Emma also writes for theatre has several published monologues and duologues, including pieces for LAMDA.  She writes regularly for youth theatre and Step On Stage Productions have performed her plays for examinations as well as the Leatherhead and Woking Drama Festivals.  The plays are often inspired by historical events or time periods.  Emma is currently working on a collection of monologues and duologues for young performers, and two new plays – Hope set in WW2 and Sing Little Cuckoo about the life of Nellie Bly.

When Emma is not in the theatre she is doing historical research, researching genealogy and house histories, writing articles for history societies and publications as well as travelling and taking thousands of photographs for her travel blog.

by Scarlett, Hope, Andrew and Jasmine - SHAZ Marketing 

Many students have continued onto Drama school including the Arts Educational School, Italia Conti, The Brit School, Central School of Speech and Drama and have also gained scholarships to local schools including St Catherine’s, LEH, Surbiton High School and Priorsfield.  Many students have also worked in theatre, Film, TV, Commercials and Dance performances with students performing at Sadlers Wells, Richmond Theatre and the Royal opera House.  A number of cast members were also involved in the recent film 'Patrick'. 

My grandmother and I love going to the West End to watch musicals. This summer we saw 42nd Street, on the first day of opening, and a little later we saw Kinky Boots.  Over Christmas we saw School of Rock, the Musical. Even though these shows are all in the West End, and are musicals, they are not the classical Andrew Lloyd Webber shows you would normally associate with a West End show.



​I really enjoyed 42nd Street. It is a good old school show but so wonderful to watch. I loved all of the songs and the story line but most of all I enjoyed the tap dancing. The speed and precision was amazing – I was mesmerised. Later in my tap class we started to learn one of the dances, as my tap teacher had been to a master class with the choreographer. How fortunate was I to be learning one of the actual numbers!

Kinky Boots... What a show! It was really funny to see all the men in bright red, knee-high, high-heels dancing and prancing on the stage. Not something you see every day. The characters are unlike other shows I have seen and the plot is so unique.  I loved all of the songs as they are very upbeat probably because Cyndi Lauper, an 80’s pop singer, wrote the score. If you love fashion, especially shoes, music and a sense of fun, I would recommend a visit. As all the reviews have said ‘There’s no business like shoe business’.

​School of Rock, the Musical is very similar to the film but you appreciate the talent of the children when you sit so close to them. It was really fascinating to know, and see, all of the children were playing their instruments. There were electric guitars, bass, keyboard and drums not to mention the singing – all such high standard. All actors gave 150% and really got into the ‘rock’ spirit. You left the theatre upbeat and wanting more. As if you had actually been at a concert. It is definitely in my top 5! 

13 year old Francesca attend weekly Musical Theatre and Tap classes as well as Dance and Acting summer schools.  She's been a member of Step on Stage for 2 years now. 

Alex is 14 years old and attends Drama classes at Step On Stage.  In the past she has also been a member of our Musical Theatre department and she also regularly performs as part of our youth theatre.  Alex wrote this piece early in September.

Summer has been and gone. Being bored because you had nothing to do, to now being bored because you find the class hard; having all the time in the world, to now having to cram a week’s worth of homework into one night; spending all night on your phone, to wishing you had got more sleep. These are the pros and cons that our generation struggle with on the first couple of weeks back to school.

Most of us would have spent our 6 weeks of holidays going abroad or having fun with friends or even staring aimlessly into space contemplating life.  But not me. I decided to fill my spare time with old school, retro films as well as new blockbusters. Yes that’s right. I had a 6 week movie marathon! The thing I like most about movies isn’t the actors playing the characters - as half of the old school ones I didn’t even recognise, but it is the stories which actually haven’t changed over time. There is still the one hero or the girl next door or the funny naughty boy and the high school drop-out. In fact that you don’t even have to watch a film in English to cry (that may have happened to me)! 

But what fascinates me the most, is when you watch a film that is an adaptation of a book you have read. These films are normally, in my opinion, one of the best as you already have in your mind what the characters will look like and you feel a strong connection with them but now you have a personality and a voice to go with it. This is also how I like to choose my favourite actors - the ones who can play multiple roles but who play them the way they were supposed to be, or at least how I imagined them to be.

One of my favourite childhood books, Wonder, is about to premier in the UK soon. The enthusiasm amongst my friends that their childhood hero, Auggie, can be loved by future generations as he is firmly immortalised in film is enormous. Jacob Tremblay, who is starring as August, now has over 1 million Instagram followers just because people were amazed at how someone so young can act better than they ever imagined. Another example is one of my other all time favourite books, To Kill A Mockingbird. The film is in black and white but watching it now, teleports you right there and it almost makes it worse seeing poor Tom Robinson. These are two examples of when ‘page to picture’ has succeeded but we all know the horror stories of when a book you truly enjoyed has been made into a film which didn’t get the message across the way it should have been. I mean, we have all angrily tweeted a director or at least seen the tweets!
​
What I am trying to say is that not only is acting itself an art but the production of a film and keeping the audience intrigued is so much more interesting than everyone makes out. From a teen in this day and age who loves watching Dirty Dancing and The Breakfast Club but does enjoy a modern rom-com, I can confidently write that there is a secret to getting a ‘page into a picture’ and it only is a certain few can do it well …