Well yesterday was a challenging one.
So one of our actors ended up in a car accident the night due to some people leaping across the road in front of her car. Actor and car end up in a major wreck, actor having to exit car through its roof. (Car is no more).
Actor was dinged up , picked up from thier location by one of our team because we said there’s no way in they could get getting the train. and we had to drag them to a&e to be inspected.

Rest of us got to venue to set up
So meantime actor is having to stay in a&e to be put in plaster. So other actor goes on to cover the role with announcement.

Actor makes it back in time for second scene they are in. They had to go back, post show, for further scans and inspections as there may be more injuries

So a huge thank you to Dave and Lisa for looking after our other actor. Quite a challenging day to conclude the Midsummers tour- a huge well done to everyone for forging though with smiles, love and care for one another ​

​It's been 7 years in the making but we finally did it.
I learned about Laura Jury and the The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company, Brixham shortly after I arrived in the UK. I was instantly impressed by the drive, tenacity, and sheer determination of this female theatrical powerhouse. Laura has made a way out of literally no way to build and brand her theatre company. As a mixed-race, woman of colour, she has beaten back the odds of owning a theatre company in an area of England that is certainly not known for it's diversity, inclusion, or tolerance of "others". With little to no money, and very little public funds, Laura has raised money for her company in creative ways like having car boot sales, selling on Ebay, sweets sales, and anything her creative mind can think of to finance her projects. I have sat back and watched and admired her progression, her work, her work ethic over the years, in awe of all that she has been able to accomplish.
It is definitely a labour of love, but by no means should one mistake this for being a low-rent production company. The costumes alone will show you that. The talented performers in her group will show you that too. Many members of the company are neurodivergent, autistic, and other challenges, which none of it deflects from their incredible on-stage performances.
So, after 7 years, Laura and I combined forces as I was able to host her latest production, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at The Birmingham Black Box. She and her company drove 3.5 hours to get to Birmingham, ran a full tech/dress rehearsal, set the stage, and then performed the 3 hour show before driving the 3.5 hour return journey! The synergy was palpable as these performers gave it their absolute all in front of a delightfully enthusiastic audience.
There are already talks about our next collaborative effort and I'm very excited about the prospects. Let me tell you all, it's not easy being a Black woman/woman of colour in business, especially in theatre. But somehow, we're doing it and we're making lots of progress in the area of inclusion for all people to participate in the arts. I feel so privileged to call Laura my friend, she has helped me in ways I can't disclose here, but she's been a rock in my life's progression. Stay tuned to see what we come up with next! Sending lots of love to this outstanding group.