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Something New

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Edited by Rebecca Strachan, Monday, 19 Feb 2024, 17:53

After a thoroughly rotten couple of months, I'm happy to report that I performed in my first ever musical last week (Disney's The Little Mermaid), and feel much better for it! I'd never had the confidence to try amdram, but my friend Ami encouraged me to join her and audition, and I'm eternally glad I did. What a lovely little family I've found in this talented and welcoming cast 🥰 We received a great response in the theatre, and at the meet and greets afterwards! 

I mentioned previously that I chose to audition for TLM over Evita as it was a smaller part - I ended up being a maid in multiple scenes in act 2, a human princess, a fish spinning green poi for under the sea, and singing various harmonies and other bits and pieces in several other songs, in addition to my mersister songs! Arista was obviously my favourite, with a beautiful red mermaid tail and long, elaborately styled auburn hair (her hair colour was changed to suit me better, vs matching the cartoon exactly). I hope this is only the beginning of my theatrical adventures, because I've thoroughly enjoyed this experience! 


I had a freak accident about 3 weeks before the show during aerial training - the professionals I've seen believe I fractured a rib. I've had to stop my aerial acrobatics training and drop out of my March competition as a result - I'm frustrated, but perhaps this is my body forcing me to slow down as I'd definitely taken on too much this year. I'm pleased to have survived the show in spite of the injury, and that I managed most of the choreography as well.

It has been very intense, rehearsing for TLM alongside full time work, DE300, and another show I successfully auditioned for in January! The Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society is doing a revue in May, after my final project report is handed in. As well as being in the ensemble for songs ranging from Somebody to Love to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, I'm playing Cosette in the finale song, "One Day More" from Les Misérables - it's my favourite musical and a dream role, even if only for a song! 

I'm excited to see what projects the future might bring. In some ways I'm sad that it's taken me nearly 36 years to find the confidence to do this - but at least I'm here now. And it's given me just the boost I needed to keep on plodding with DE300. My research proposal has been approved, and once my final coding edits are accepted I can finally begin data collection. Wish me luck. Just a few more months to go.

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Becca

New adventures!

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Edited by Rebecca Strachan, Saturday, 16 Sept 2023, 12:12

Today's post is a deviation from my study-related posts, because I have some 🎶musical updates!🎶

While embarking on my independent research project for DE300, I'll also be learning to skate around in heelys while preparing for a production of Disney's The Little Mermaid! My friend Ami was already cast as a mersister and encouraged me to try out for it as well. I opted to audition for this over EVITA (which I feel a little guilty about, having been specifically asked to audition for it), but it feels like the right choice for me. This role also felt more manageable than trying to take on Eva (who sings in almost everything) - particularly when I'm not familiar with the musical at all!
I successfully auditioned for the role of Arista (one of the mersisters) earlier this month. I've met quite a few of the cast members already, and they are all absolutely lovely and very experienced. I'm sure I can learn a lot from them as I prepare to make my acting debut! (I need to go and work on my American accent... 🤣) 

An actress sits within in a blue frame, with a cartoon mermaid image in the corner (Arista)

I'm also working on putting together a set list to start rehearsing for a covers band project I'm hoping to get off the ground in the near future, and continue to go to karaoke whenever I can (I may not be able to go as often due to TLM rehearsals, but at least I'll still be singing!). My long-time friend Sharon visited me from the Netherlands this week, and she came along to karaoke with me! We recorded songs together over the internet since our teens, and it was lovely to sing with her in public for the first time. My musical projects all stopped during the COVID years, and it's nice to be back at it, and creating again 💜

Oh, I also wrote a song last month (for the first time in a while!) and submitted it to the UK Songwriting Contest. I didn't make the semi-finals, but got a commended entry certificate in 2 categories and rated 5 stars (out of 5) by the professional judging panel. Not bad for something I wrote and recorded in less than a day! 😊

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