The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe In Review - Jasper Simmons - Head Boy

In January 2020, A Christmas Carol closed its curtain after four excellent performances and nobody could have foreseen what would come next; after two years of uncertainty, zoom calls and Covid tests the call was put out to some of the best young actors Richmond Upon Thames has to offer, Step On Stage Youth Theatre was back with, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Rehearsals soon began; several games of Wah, Yee’Haw and Splat started most Sunday mornings with a bang but quickly the hard work began, blocking, singing, characterization and line learning, however there was never a moment devoid of laughter, fun and friendship. The relationships forged in those four months will remain for years to come, never has a group of young people been so supportive, encouraging and genuinely kind to each other. 

​After the Christmas break, the cast was joined by an army of parent costume designers, student stage crew, lighting and sound designers, set builders and many, many more. To be back in Hampton Hill Theatre after so long was really an emotional experience. Rehearsals restarted with even more vigor and enthusiasm, polishing details, refining moments and getting used to the grand theatre space. Over that week, spending so much time together, transformed our cast into the family it is. 

​Opening night. Four months of rehearsals behind us, we now had to stand on that stage and give it our all and that we did. From the singing to the acting, the costumes to the set, everything was perfect, but nothing in life is so easy, behind the scenes there were tears, bumps, bruises, nosebleeds, lost axes and lots of racing heartbeats, yet everyone pulled together to support their friends and younger actors. 

It would be remiss to say that all this just happened overnight, hundreds of hours were spent to put this performance together, especially by Emma, our director and pianist and Scarlett, not only the assistant director but the stage manager, props buyer, smoke machine operator and genuine friend to all. Late nights, countless phone calls and emails, prop making, costume designing and supporting, they never stopped and for that we all really want to thank them for everything. 

There is no way to describe the feeling of being on stage, doing what you love with the people you love. The audience applauding you, taking your bow and celebrating your success with those who got you through the tough times is something truly special and a memory we will treasure forever. 

​And after that final performance, that last song, that last round of applause, the tears began. Not tears of sadness, but incomparable joy at your passion, your hard work and perseverance.  The feeling of it all being over is an odd emotion but one that will never leave my mind. 

​I found it difficult to leave the theatre on Saturday Night, it felt like an ending but it was only the beginning of a new chapter, however cliché, that week was when I was at my happiest and its fleeting nature makes it even more special. To end, a thank you to everyone who made it happen, cast, crew, audience, theatre and the friends I made along the way, thank you or everything, I will always view wardrobes with a new joy in my heart.