My experience with MTS so far...

Hi my name is Shakira! I am a second year Drama and Theatre student who has quite recently joined MTS. Before university I wasn’t a very confident performer, and had little experience in performing as a soloist, but enjoyed being a part of shows and being amongst like-minded people.

So, when I moved to university the obvious plan was to get involved in everything Musical Theatre. I went to the society fair and signed up for MTS, but when auditions were announced I was too scared to go and audition. I even prepared a song, I was going to sing ‘Mama Who Bore Me’ from Spring Awakening, but instead took a nap after my class and slept through the auditions.

Once the auditions were over, I felt that I couldn’t really join MTS. I didn’t know anybody and I wasn’t confident with performing so I wasn’t really missing out, so I decided that I wouldn’t join up at all and unfortunately I didn’t end up seeing any of the shows that year.

During summer term I had heard from a friend outside of university that he had gone to see a production of ‘Spring Awakening’, that someone in it had the most amazing voice and went to Royal Holloway - his name was Stephen. I didn’t know how this person was but assumed they were from MTS. So I spoke to a good friend of mine who I went to college with, Becky Maddocks - she had recently joined MTS. I asked her about this guy. She said she knew him and that he was going to be President of MTS for the next academic year.

The next time we were in the SU, she introduced me to him and I (unfortunately) told him that I sang. Which meant from hereafter, whenever I bumped into him he would ask me if I was planning to join MTS. I probably replied with something like, ‘I don’t really perform anymore’, which is what I usually said to anyone who asked me to perform anything (I’m such a great drama student!).

Eventually, I heard about MTS’ Autumn show, ‘Bring It On’ and often thought about auditioning over the summer.

When term started back in September, the amount of people telling me that I should audition was overwhelming and I usually told them that I was thinking about it, but really I was quite set against it. The first audition date came, I didn’t go, and that evening I went to Medicine where (of course) I bumped into Stephen again. I told him that I hadn’t gone to the audition and I wasn’t planning on going the next day either. But eventually he convinced me to audition.

Unbelievably to me, I get a recall and was then cast in the role as Danielle!

I was so nervous for such a long time into rehearsals, I didn’t know most of the cast and crew and I hadn’t done anything to do with Musical Theatre for over a year. But everyone I met in MTS was so lovely and made me feel so welcome! Throughout rehearsals I gained a lot of confidence in myself, especially in my acting which was always my weaker and less confident area.

And best of all I made some amazing friends!

Once I was a part of the show, everything became a whirlwind! I was lucky enough that after applying for what I thought was the opportunity to direct a few numbers for the Christmas Concert, I was given the chance to be the Artistic Director, taking control of direction for the whole show. Whilst I began to think about this, whilst still in rehearsals for ‘Bring It On’, I saw a post for someone looking for a director for an MTS bid. This person was Giorgio Schipani, who I had met maybe a few time before. I immediately messaged him saying I was interested but first I wanted to know the show. When he told me he wanted to do Spring Awakening, my first thought was I have to be a part of this. I tried to convince him I was the right person to direct, and to my surprise he wanted me.

I than had what was probably the most nerve-racking, scary and exciting month of my life. I was planning what I wanted to do for the Christmas Concert, helping put together a bid team and creating the bid, whilst in the final rehearsals and eventually performing ‘Bring It On’.

But, it was all totally worth it, because I will now be a part of MTS’s production of Spring Awakening, and I couldn’t be more excited to work on it with my amazing production team, Eve Lee, Emma Nylund, Danai Stameni, Anna-Maria Triea, Becky Maddocks, Rhŷs James, James Butler, Jennie Brunskill and Giorgio Schipani.

It has been an unbelievable experience. It makes me regret not joining MTS early, but I do think I joined it at the just right time for me, because since joining I have been given so many opportunities and feel so lucky.

I have to say to anybody unsure about auditioning for or joining MTS, just do it, you really have nothing to lose. You will have so much fun, make so many great friends and will have the most amazing experiences and opportunities.

Also to every person who pushed me to audition, it would take me forever to name everyone, THANK YOU!