What it's REALLY like to be in a West End Show | Georgie Ashford 

Very much agree and relate to this Zara!

The longest run I’ve done was a month but ya I agree when a show is rehearsed for months and only do a few performances it’s a bit disappointing. Most of the time like at my college it’s the auditorium that has to be used for other purposes and that’s why we only get a few performances.

I was exactly the same! The longest I had ever done a show in a row was one week! It’s such a shock to the system xx

@@GeorgieAshford I went from doing 3 weekends of amateur shows to my first contract for a four month run, on the road. When I got home that first time, I wanted to burn the clothes I had been living in, I was so sick of them. Funny what you miss. 🙃

i realize I am pretty randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to stream newly released series online?

Haha thank you!

It make such a difference doesn’t it! Dairy has such a bad effect on my voice x

I'm not on the West End (yet!) but I swallowed my tongue during a semi-professional school production of Grease. I played Rizzo and during Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee, my tongue got caught in my throat and I missed almost a whole line of the song. Worst of all, it was on the night it was being filmed, so this mistake ended up on the DVD! Needless to say, it was gutwrenchingly embarassing, but in a way I'm glad it happened because it taught me what performers have to do when stuff like that happens - JUST KEEP GOING! Pretend it never happened. Drawing attention to it will make the audience care more about it than they need to. No reasonable, rational audience will hold this stuff against you. You're human, after all! These things happen to all performers at least once in their career. You can't learn without making mistakes. When it comes to preventing this stuff, it helps to: Stay hydrated to avoid tongue-swallowing or choking. Avoid drinking to much or too quickly to avoid hiccups. Avoid spicy or acidic foods to prevent reflux (which can induce vomiting - thankfully this has never happened to me). Take anti-acids in the case where you have eaten spicy or acidic foods. Avoid dairy to stop vocal cords from clogging up, which can also cause choking. Drink peppermint tea about 2hrs before showtime (not any later than that as it can give you jitters) to avoid yawning - it acts as a little pick-me-up. Get enough sleep to further prevent yawning. Avoid caffeine and sugar to prevent energy dips. I've implemented all this stuff into my everyday life, even though I'm not currently employed. I still like to stay in good condition because it makes adjusting to "rehearsal/show-mode" a lot easier when the time comes. You'll notice that all the "natural bodily functions" you mentioned can (and usually are) all caused by fatigue. So sticking to a good sleep schedule, avoiding alcohol, sugar and caffeine, and taking rests when needed will all ensure you're on top-form! I hope this provided some insight on the matter. ☺

Aw thank you! 🤗 hugs right back x

Aw thank you! 💖💖💖

I agree. Rehearsal continues long into the run of the show, this is why so many lead performers change and develop their performance from night #1 to night #100! Many people are unaware of this, and young actors and performers end up sorely disappointed when they don't just have to turn up at 6pm for pre-show. You're still under contract to work a full-time job, after all.

Generally, any food containing dairy is best avoided on the day of a show because dairy has a tendency to thicken the natural lubricant of your vocal folds. When this thickens, you'll end up clearing your throat very often throughout the show, which causes abrasions to form on the vocal cords, resulting in raspiness and vocal strain. If this is done on a continuous basis, these abrasions may turn into scar tissue/nodules, which usually require surgery and can be career-ending. Best to just avoid dairy on show days in the first place, in my opinion!

Yes, but the amount of energy that goes into a show is more than the energy someone working an office job would have to dedicate to that time. Equally, it is *exactly the same thing* for 8 shows a week, for months. At something like an office job, you get some variety in precisely what you do still.