Hi, I’m Kira. I have been a part of The Anglian Players (TAP) for about a year now and I run the website, the newsletter and quite often do photography and social media work as well as creating the programmes for the plays and pantomimes we put on.
During the course of this past year, I have learnt so much about acting, and about other aspects of amateur dramatics. Previously to joining, my last experience in acting was being backstage at The Little Shop of Horrors when I was in year 8 which was so much fun, but as I was in school, the teachers worked on a lot and told us what to do on stage and who would be moving things, when timings were etc.
As part of The Anglian Players, the direction of who does what is up to the director with some input from the actors in regards to what they are comfortable doing. So as I have been slowly going from working production, front of house and being a swing actress (this is an understudy of sorts, but can do multiple roles to cover when people are unavailable), to actually being on stage as Princess Sancha in Puss in Boots, I have learnt that positioning of your character and how you look at each other is extremely important.
Becoming your character can be a lot of work, especially if you are new to acting, or just stepping back into it after a break away. Stage fright is common, nerves happen regardless of how experienced you are on stage. Every person that I have worked with on and off stage through the past year has dealt with nerves, and deals with it in their own way. Some people are great at improv, some are great at scripted performances. Each actor/actress has their own strengths and weaknesses, and our group works to improve the weaknesses and showcase the strengths of each person.
My role in this group I feel is small, though I am often reassured that I am a vital part of the group due to my experience in events, writing and music. Since joining in early 2025, my mental health has greatly improved, with having friends that I talk to on a regular basis, and we go and do things outside of TAP. I have no end of support from the group with my health, personal issues and even just someone to rant at if I’m getting annoyed at things.Â
Conflict is normal, and happens when people have differing opinions, which can often take place in a group of creative people like ours. However, we pride ourselves on how we deal with conflicts, and try our best to not cause issues that affect our plays or events that we put on, as our group is important to every one of us and we wish to put out the best we can do regardless of any personal issues.
I wholeheartedly recommend joining, as I have had the best year being part of The Anglian Players. You are constantly learning, constantly doing something that you enjoy and you learn to work as a team with everyone around you. Every rehearsal is full of laughter, and I have not left a single meeting, a single rehearsal without having a smile on my face.
So it doesn’t matter what you want to do in amateur dramatics, our group is welcoming to everyone. We are always looking for people who are able to help with set design, props and costumes. Regardless of your talent and your experience, our group is welcome to everyone. If you are too far away, you can also become a patron, for which you will get a free ticket to the plays and pantomimes as well as a free programme!