Things have been pretty busy at our school, ICAT. We have had a cracking  graduate production of Boeing Boeing, a busy time with our London school and a fantastic week with our course advisor, legendary theatre director Mike Alfreds.

As usual, over a season of heavy work, a pattern emerges. We begin to observe issues that weave through every class.

After 10 weeks of rehearsal our 2nd years opened their show ‘Boeing Boeing’. What had been an energised, bold, hilarious and playful rehearsal period became a cautious, slightly deflated performance on opening night.
Rather knocked by the experience, the cast wandered into the theatre the next day with dutiful resignation. Where had the spark gone? How had we managed to lose the seemingly endless stream of ideas and inspiration that flowed so beautifully through rehearsal?
After much discussion and several clunky attempts to revitalise things before the next audience turned up, I struck a vein.
What I suddenly began to smell….was apology.

A distinct lack of self belief had crept upon the company. As if they werent good enough or didn’t have the right to be doing this. It struck me how insane it was for these gifted and passionate people to spend time and money on training with us if they didn’t feel worthy of carrying it through to fruition.

The missing ingredient was clear to me. They lacked what I would call fierce intentionality. The deep rooted, unmovable and committed decision to make a career of this regardless of their background or opportunities to date.
Every single ‘successful’ artist has made this decision somewhere along the way consciously or subconciously and I would wager that little to no ground will be gained without it.
Upon realising this, the group made a decision to leap together into what was the most breathtaking display of moment by moment play and daring I have seen in a long time. An incredible evening.
Granting themselves permission to be there was all it took.
To you, the artist.