Drama Queen...Who Me?

28th May 2019 

To those who are no longer with me, 

I love the stage. I have a bottomless undeniable love for it and my god I miss it so freaking much. I remember writing my first ever personal statement and realising just how much drama I had done over the years. Let me see if I can recall: 

• Mary in the Nursery Nativity- Side Note: I totally dropped my baby Jesus (a doll, thank the lord) on his head and ran off with the Shepherd's.

• Munchkin, Flying Monkey and Emerald City Person in maybe year four's production of The Wizard of Oz? I don't know exactly what year, it was primary school, a loooong time ago. 

• Doc in the year five production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I had the highest Hi-Ho you ever did hear. 

• A Dinner Lady in my year six leavers play. Which we don't talk about, my whole class are still scorned by the fact we had to do an actual play rather than a leavers 'concert' like every other year before us. Me and my friends had our dance routine ready to go. I promise I'm not bitter.... Much. 

• Trixie Martin '1st place in the school poetry competition and captain of the upper forth.' in the first Act of Daisy Pulls It Off in year ten and part of the first year of my Performing Arts option. This is a role I will always be proud of as I went from Monica Smithers, a secondary character to Trixie, a main character and had to learn a whole acts lines in one week as the girl originally cast as Trixie never learnt her lines!!

• Lucy Houghton in Bad Reception. Another year ten performing arts option play. Loved it. It was great. I was a prim and proper school girl who made friends with the school's troubled girl after a stint of looking after the school’s student reception. It. Was. Awesome. 

• Tinkerbell in Peter Pan Panto first year of college. Oh, that was a dream. It was amazing. Words cannot describe how much I loved that role. Even if I did fall off the stage during the only evening performance of the week in front of my parents, grandmother and brother. So worth it. I would shimmy my way back into that inappropriately short green dress any day. 

• Duchess Marjorie Blenkinsopp in the end of year murder mystery. Didn't die, didn't do it. That is all. 

• Lead in the We Will Rock you portion of our final college show Musical Madness. It was musical show spanning the ages. 

Let me see if I can remember this correctly. Musical Madness was a mashup of Le Mis, Hair, Grease, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chicago, Mamma Mia, Sister Act, We Will Rock You. Don't quote me on that. It has been six years. All I can remember with clarity is being the lead GaGa Girl turned Bohemian for the four songs from the musical We Will Rock You. It was epic. So epic that we took that show to Cyprus for two weeks, delivering workshops in the UK Military base's schools out there before performing for them. Best two weeks of my life which concluded with the news that I would be leaving college with a Triple Distinction Star (D*D*D*(BTEC) A*A*A*(Equivalent)) in Performing Arts. 

There have been other shows I have been involved in over the years, a couple of sponsored shows, one that holds one of my fondest memories to date, which deserves a post of its own so it shall get one. I did three years of Rock Challenge in secondary school. It was a competition involving the telling of a story through dance. My school came first in the regional finals every year we entered. Those are some memories.

Drama has always been a part of my life. Ask my mum and she'll tell you that I got the 'terrible two's' at one and have yet to grow out of them. After my triumph at college, I went to Edge Hill University but only did my first year (that's a different story for a different post) and when I came home, I took part in my local theatre company's production of A Miracle on 34th Street. I was only a member of the ensemble, which for me, was crushing, I will be the first to admit that I am a diva when it comes to me and the stage, but, surprisingly for me, I loved it! I discovered that I could have a very small part in a show and still have just as much fun. Looking back now, it's a good thing that I was ensemble, I wasn't suited for any of the leads. 

That was the last production I took part in back in 2016 I believe, could very well have been 2015. I cannot describe how I feel about not setting foot on stage is so long. It hurts. When I came to University last September, I toyed with the idea of joining both the drama and musical theatre societies, and I would have loved too, except for the lack of funds and joining both was going to cost me near on £100, and as a first year student, I just didn't have the cash to throw at the stage and I regret it immensely. 

As soon as the societies registration opens this September, I will be on it. I hope to be working over the summer so fingers crossed I'll be able to get my fix of the stage this coming academic year. This Drama Queen cannot freaking wait. 

So, that is what you've missed. 

Love, always

Tiffany Jade

Xo. 

Myself as Duchess Marjorie Victoria Blenkinsopp
 in 2012

Myself at Tinkerbell & my friend Megan as Nanna
in 2011.