My name is Sheryl Ganpot, I am 15 years old and am currently studying at Phoenix high school. Right now I'm experiencing work for the first time here at the Bush Theatre. I think working here is great; I have met a lot of new and interesting people, and although there's a lot to do, the staff have always found time to animate and interest me, making me feel like part of their company.
Last Thursday I got came to watch one of the Bush Theatre's performances; Little Gem with my friend Neda, to understand more about the company I was working for. We reached the theatre just in the nick of time (thank god). As we entered the theatre, it was dark and exciting. There were three seats all lined up on stage in the spotlight and the audience were waiting for the actresses to enter the stage.
The setting of the stage effectively stayed the same throughout the whole performance and the three actresses, playing Grandmother, Mother and Daughter of the same family, couldn't have been any more perfectly cast. They spoke about their life and what they experience and although the performance was simple, delivered in monologues, the script went from upsetting to funny in a flash, keeping me fully engaged throughout the whole performance, it was so amazing, that I didn't want it to end.
Ever since I was young, I always wanted to work in the media industry, as I love films, and the production process involved. I've always wanted to work behind the scenes (post production) or behind a stage, on the technical side of things. Such as setting up the lighting, sound etc. However my dream job would be to fill the shoes of a director.
A couple of weeks ago, I attended an inspiration week, at channel 4, which gave me an insight of what directors go through when working, I learned how to set up a camera on a tripod and film footage, then edit it on a programme called Final cut pro. I am so excited that my work experience placement has allowed me to find out more about the role of a director.
Tuesday the 11th of May
After my second full day at the Bush Theatre, which involved attending a company meeting with all staff members, I left the office to watch the Lyric Theatre's current production: A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky.
I managed to reach there 30 minutes before it started, as I didn't want to make the same mistake as last time, (turning up last minute). As I entered the theatre with my good friend Neda, we collected our tickets and went up the stairs to the entrance of the theatre. As we entered, we searched, in the dimmed lights, for our seats, finally finding them, and squeezing past many audience members, we sat down, and made ourselves at home.
Having been offered the chance to watch the rehearsals for the production during my work experience at the Lyric, actually seeing the full production come together was a unique journey. A couple of minutes through the play, I could tell everyone was enjoying themselves and I thought that there was a positive ambience in the auditorium.
Thursday 13th May
Today I got to spend a day with the Production Department at the Bush Theatre. I was set the challenge of sourcing props for the upcoming production, Like A Fishbone. This included researching prices for props and different style options. Afterwards, I also got to attend a production meeting, which saw the Director meeting with the technical team to discussed how the show would be staged in the space.
Friday 14th May
Today is the 14th of May, which is a Friday, meaning my last day working here at the Bush Theatre. Right now, I can strongly say that I have had an amazing time over the past week I have spent here, from working in many different sectors of the company and learning so much new skills which I can take back with me to help me in my future. I also loved working alongside Anthea Williams (the Associate Director of bushfutures), Sade Banks and Lucy McCann, as they are wonderful women that I admire and get along with very well. As well as enjoying working here, I have also faced challenges such as answering and making phone calls. This has helped me in my communication skills as well as confidence when making phone calls. I know that as soon as I leave the front doors of the Bush, I am definitely going to miss this place, and I hope that I can return some point in my life to revisit the past memories I've had here.
