The first Acting job of my new career has now come to an end. And, as was to be expected, normal life came screaming back in to focus – hence the delay in posting this. The break has, however, allowed me time to reflect on the project.
First and foremost I must stress what a highly enjoyable, if tiring, couple of days it was – after all it has been quite a few years since I spent whole days on my feet. It was a great pleasure to work with Director, Hannah de Quincey; actress Clare Barrett who provided the wonderful voices and puppetry of the King and Queen of the Sea; and all the students that performed superbly on the various tasks the adventurers were set.
I had a degree of self-doubt going into the project but Wulf’s Quest has really boosted my confidence. I now know I can still engage with an audience, develop a role and stay in the moment (even with some rather spirited 12 year olds). But most of all it emphasised how much I enjoyed it.
One of the aforementioned 12 year olds – I believe he called himself ‘Puke’ – asked me during one of the performances whether I enjoyed what I was doing. Obviously Wulf didn’t know any different – he was just doing what an Anglo Saxon king does. But, internally I was screaming YES, YES, YES!!! It is what I love doing and I want to do it more.
I am still applying for a wide range of things, trying to find my next project – just need to keep driving and hopefully something will come along soon!
William Baylis 