A Belfast actor said it was a “magical feeling” to hear the news that theaters could have live shows later this month.
The CEO announced a tentative June 21 date to return to live theater for the first time in 15 months.
Vicki Allen has worked professionally as an actress in Belfast for 19 years.
Speaking on Belfast Live, he said, “Basically, I wasn’t in a very good school and I was the only one who wanted to do an A-Level role, so I went and took a three-year performing arts course. Then I got a job working in a theater and educational show that toured in Europe.
“When I got home, I got involved with a local theater company and moved from job to job and didn’t really stop.”
Theaters and other art objects closed in March 2020 and were unable to open the entire pandemic, leading to a difficult year for the Northern Ireland industry.
“It was weird – before Kovida I was participating in a program called ‘Play Machine’, which was a six month course run by the Tinderbox Theater Company.
“It’s about training as a performance artist to strengthen your skills in creating stage, collaborating with others, and performing on stage.
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“We were really tough in the second year and started rehearsing for the show at the end of the semester, then the pandemic got worse and everything fell asleep,” he explained.
Vicki’s tutorials and performances were then taken to Zoom online, and while she said it didn’t match the experience of being on stage, she recognized the resilience of the entire industry in times of uncertainty.
Vicki continued, “We were able to create this show for a group of actors who were trying to do a zoom show called ‘Lucid’ – I remember seeing the news at the time and it was all very negative and depressing, but I still managed he-she. craic via Zoom and it was a nice escape from reality.
“When you’re a stage actor, you love the energy, the excitement, and the liveliness of the audience, which you can’t get anywhere else, because you can’t even talk about Zoom at the same time as everyone else.
“The work that the pandemic has brought digital has been amazing – it has kept people busy at a time when many people were in a dark place because they weren’t sure what their jobs would be and when their next job would be.”
Upon hearing the news of theaters reopening on June 21 in Northern Ireland, Vicki explained, “This is exactly what we need to hear.”
“I think everyone wants to go to the theater: I just finished a show with the Kabosh Theater Company and we couldn’t afford a live audience.
“The work to be released for real live performances in the coming months will be outstanding and the support from everyone, not only the actors, but also the screenwriters, stage directors and directors, is amazing,” he said.
For the future of post-pandemic art, Vicki said she is happy to be back on stage and hopes for the future of live theater in Northern Ireland.
“Lots of other doors open and it’s nice to see – at the end of the tunnel the light gets brighter, which is very exciting.
“I have a feeling that everything will be fine.”
Source: Belfastlive
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