THEATRE – MY SUBCONSCIOUS LOVE
For me theatre has always been a subconscious love – from watching show after show to getting more involved in theatre at university than in my actual degree. The arts is something I have always gravitated towards. I suppose it was inevitable after the five-year-old me fell under the spell of the RSC’s production of Romeo and Juliet that I would end up jumping at the chance to work on a Shakespeare play.
I graduated from Durham University in 2017 with a degree in English Literature, but if hours of dedication dictated our degrees I would definitely have a BA in theatre! I did more than 20 shows at Durham, was president of one of the largest theatre companies within the uni and was lucky enough to attend NSDF and the Edinburgh Fringe off the back of that.
After graduating, I moved to Sydney, Australia and found a wonderful job in advertising and marketing. Much as I loved the city and the lifestyle, the 9-5 job left little time for my love of drama and after two years it was time to come home and get back into what I loved.
I applied for post grads in Direction but I needed something to satisfy my hunger for theatre while I wait to hear back from them. A job at the Bristol Hippodrome was a step in the right direction but it was Wells Theatre Festival that truly caught my imagination. I couldn’t believe that I’m in the smallest city in England and there is such a passionate group of people working to bring shows to the community. I knew I wanted to get involved in any way possible. Being able to Assistant Direct ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, our community play, and having the chance to learn from Ros Johnson, has been a privilege.
Not only is the festival a great way to bring shows we would never normally have access to into the community, but it has also shown me how much talent there is here! From actors to marketers and costume makers, this festival has such a strong cohort of people – who wouldn’t want to get involved?
Zephy Losey
