Promise Me This.

I want to mention the fact that I am now stoping giving a shit with peoples thoughts.

Ziltch.

Nothing.

If you do what you want, and others have an opinion..

F*** them.

You know what to do.

So do it.

.....

I want to promise myself something, and if you want to also, go for it.

.....

Nivana, Please promise me this.

You have had a marvellous starting in the Arts.

You started Drama because you felt it was an escape route,

It was an escape route from a poisonous relationship.

And in fact, that made you more determined than ever to be on stage.

If it wasn't for your GCSE Drama teacher, you would not be where you are now.

She made you feel like you had a purpose in life.

You come to school, alone, and know that if you followed the crowd, you would never get there.

So you would go straight to the Theatre and instantly, the smell of herbal tea would hit your nose,

You're home.

The back up of your love for the theatre,

your GCSE performing arts teacher who let you push your limits with performing the obscure.

You're going to get there.

In GCSE English, your teacher would give essay work to others,

and give you to design a stage set for An Inspector Calls.

You were f***ing awesome with English.

You always loved Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet specifically.

You loved it so much that you did your friend's essay about Mercutio,

Ironically, she got a higher grade than you.

But you did it.

Why don't you go back and do English again?

You broke out of the normality and decided to do A Level Performing Arts at South Devon College.

You hated the coursework.

You've always hated coursework.

But going further, you pushed through it.

You pushed through that poisonous relationship and grabbed that adrenaline you craved

from the stage.

You started contemporary dance.

"I can't dance." You would say.

Your dance teacher told you different and proved she was right.

You would be at the front and smile.

That was what love felt to you.

You were happy and confident.

Singing was not at all your forte, but your physicality was loved and used.

You're Musical Theatre teachers would make you get up and dance,

they said to you

"Dance like no one is watching"..

For years I would be in my room, creating moves

and only in University did I show off my free style movements.

And it began,

your pride and joy,

CONFLICT.

Your intelligence of the 1940's would soon pay off.

And it did.

A performance that hit home.

But you knew you were part of it.

And your teachers let your love for History and authenticity help develop it.

You and I loved that performance.

If it wasn't for your drama teacher, you were taught about theatre practitioners,

and the more obscure, the better.

She gave your University group the performance The Tempest,

and instantly, you wanted Caliban.

You got it.

And you did it.

You brought physicality back.

Another teacher, your University teacher taught you a lot,

from finding work to creating your own work.

But she moulded you to become the person you are today.

She supported through your hardest of times,

and your best of times,

and if it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have done what you have.

Nivana, because of these people, you have become the person you are today.

You teach others what they taught you.

They taught you to grow up and mature.

They taught you to go out and do performance.

They taught you to do what you love.

And now you have stopped?

Promise me this Nivana,

if fate made you meet these wonderful people...

Why are you giving up now?

Walk on.

Do it.

To these people,

Thank you so much.