As always, during my mad run around routine of a life that I have grown accustomed to I realised it has been almost a year since I wrote in this blog. Having neglected it for so long, I feel it is only fair to fill you in on this past year and all my life has been. And yes as ever, it will be in a list form.
Let's start at the beginning....
CorpTV
My last blog post surrounded the loss of my old job at The Botanical pub in Sheffield. Luckily for me, I found myself another job. And not just any old job, but one which made almost every student who knew jealous. I became the face of CorpTV, a YouTube channel for Corporation nightclub. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of losing their dignities (and probably a white pair of shoes) in this building, I can describe it in three words : black, dark, black. It is full of metal mosher rocker loving madheads and it was my job to walk around with a camera and speak to these intoxicated glorious people. Occasionally I would give away tickets for anything from football matches to three day festival VIP passes and due to their intoxicated state, the footage was always hilarious. One guy famously licked the floor of the club, which makes any new pair of shoes instantly ruined for Sheffield Wednesday tickets, eurgh. Bet he regretted that in the morning. Over 30 of these videos are on their YouTube channel, CorpSheffield and almost every Monday video (along with some Saturday ones) star yours truly. I also began interviewing bands, something which I found out I LOVED and am very proud of. In fact, another nights video ended up going viral on Reddit and received over 30 thousand views. Not bad for a club in the middle of Yorkshire eh! This job was something I had a lot of fun with and am extremely proud of doing, but also it was my first paid camera work and that is something even more exciting.
Champs Sports Bar
As well as the fun and frolics of Corporation, I also began working at another bar. This time in the heart of Hillsborough. Champs was a new opening and so the staff team instantly became like family. I wish I could say it was a dream job, but no bar job ever is. It was however somewhere I was happy to spend my summer, saving up the money to educate myself more and ensure I would never again have to work a minimum wage job. I also got the chance to work with a wonderful manager again, previous runner of The Botanical and all round lad Matt Burgess, who taught me that no matter how much people can moan at me, I will still never eat bacon.
Final Show
Alongside working two jobs, I had my dissertation to get through. I know what you're thinking, how did I not burn out?! The truth was I never let my jobs affect my university studies. They became my number one priority and my job was the bottom of the list when it came to that. No compromises were ever made and for that I am actually proud. Too many students find themselves without money and have to surrender their education for a bank balance that's not in the red. It's sad, but it happens too often. I consider myself lucky enough to have found stability during my degree, but it's not a risk I would willingly take again.
Anyway, once again I digress. Part of the appeal of my course four years ago was the option to not do a written dissertation. Yes I was good at writing, in fact my highest ever mark from my degree was on a piece of written reflection. However, I am an actor and as an actor, I would like my crowning glory of my degree to be a piece of acting. Call me crazy but I went with my heart. However, now I had to find a play I could fall in love with, which showcased my abilities and fit into a very specific criteria AS WELL AS making sure I could also find three other people who would love it enough to also give up their lives to make it perfect. Not an easy task. Throughout the first three months of 2014, that was my life. And I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't the most exhausting, tiresome and strictest discipline I have ever given myself. Especially consider the piece I ended up performing was of a sensitive and deeply emotional nature. The piece was based on a play called Extremities by William Mastrosimone and told the story of a woman who is attacked and almost raped by a stranger in her own home. However she takes control of the situation, overcoming her attacker and tying him up, attempting to bring herself to kill him. Her two house mates also play a large part, with each woman representing a different side of the legal system against rape cases. And of course, because I like a challenge, I was the rape victim. I am not ashamed to say I did this piece, even if it may be considered traumatic and offensive to some, because it taught me a great deal about a subject I knew nothing about as well as giving me a moment of true realisation on stage. Every rehearsal would result in aching muscles, bruises and broken voices but at the end of the two shows, I have never been more prouder of my performance and my group. It is true what people say about a dissertation almost killing you and in my case it was very much true as I ended up splitting my lip open during the first show, resulting in me spitting blood all over the stage for the next hour. Despite all that, it still stands as my greatest achievement and something I will never forget.
Sheffield Hallam University
Which brings me nicely to my next point, the end of my degree. After three years as student rep, I finally worked myself up and hit my peak at the right time. I will brag about this for the rest of my life, but I gained a 70 or higher in every module in final year, graduating with a 75.2%. FUCKING YES. (Sorry Mum) I cried when I got my marks back, not just because I knew Id achieved the highest boundary but because it validated all I had given up to attain it. I never went out drinking in final year, I went to bed early, I barely ate and all those sunny days weren't spent in the sun but in my room writing essay after essay, perfecting my spelling and grammar and ensuring I didn't miss marks for silly errors. Throughout my life as a drama student, my writing has always pulled me back from achieving the best marks. My As in practicals were always dragged down by my B or Cs in coursework and it sucked. But now I could stand and say proudly that only half of my final year modules were focused on acting and even then, my written still mattered. I am yet to graduate, as for some reason it doesn't happen till November at Sheffield Hallam, however I am still on cloud nine. Leah Gray First BA Hons Performance for Stage and Screen. Yeah bitch.
121 Pomona Street
And as one journey ended, so did another. Now I was no longer a student, that also meant I could no longer live in my student house. This was particularly hard for me as not only had that place been my home for two years, but it was also home to four of my closest friends. Its not a secret that I loved my house mates and so having to see each of us disperse was hard. In fact, when Charmaine moved away, I sat on her bed and cried for an hour. Joe, Abi, Nathaniel and Charmaine changed me as a person, they taught me humour, respect, love and understanding and all of them will stay in my life for as long as I am breathing. My summer was then spent living in the attic room of an Indian family at the opposite end of Sheffield. Why? Well it was cheap and I needed to save every penny I could get. Plus they were lovely and although I couldn't find myself feeling as comfortable as 121 Pomona, I still lived there with relative content. I firmly believe had I not lived in such a cheap place throughout summer I wouldn't find myself as financially stable as I am now. Thumbs up all round for that choice.
Chester
And so we are back to present day. And the biggest shock of all, I am no longer in Sheffield. The love of my life heart of everything beautiful Yorkshire city is no longer my home. I do not have a job. But what I do have is a secured place on a Performance Practise Masters course at The University of Chester, a new home in the city, three new house mates and enough money to pay tuition (which I saved up for a year for), rent and comfortable living expenses. Right now I am in a place where my head is clear. Summer was one of the most difficult times of my life, I sacrificed almost everything I had in my life to make this move and I doubted my choices for over a month, but now I am here I feel happy. Sometimes you have to give up your love, whether that is your relationship, the city you called home for three years or a wonderful job. But you give them up to pursue a different kind of dream. One where I am surrounded by theatre, acting and academia. And as for all I gave up, I still speak to my house mates on a regular basis, my videos are still on YouTube for all to see and my love... we're still friends and I would never say never. I hope that in a short amount of time, I can look back and remember this moment. Because this is truly the first time my independent thoughts that become reality. I saved a ridiculous amount of money, hunted down the perfect course in the perfect city and now I'm here. Bring it fucking on.
