I am currently living in London finishing up a year the the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. It has been an incredibly nurtitious year, I have learned so much and been exposed to ideas and methods and avenues of acting I never knew existed. It is a Classically based course so there has been a lot of focus on text and language and voice and breath, the more technical side of things.

Although British in heritage and raised on Vancouver Island (the world capital of relaxed) I would very comfortably say that I am passionate person with absolutely no stiff upper lip and a love of expressing emotion. Learning the techniques of acting and the finer points that can take an amatuer to a professional, that can help you to recreate the magic night after night whether you have had a fight with your lover right before the curtain goes up or the most boring day pushing peas across your plate is of immense value. I have come to understand that the perfect blend of skill and soul is needed to inhabit the potential of performance. I have learned the most this year however from actually going to the theater, London's famed West End and the smaller edgier spaces seeing people in action. Just last week at Stratford I saw four productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company that just about blew me out of my seat, talk about telling the story with skill and soul! And they have been doing the same shows for 2 years!

But last night I received one of the most profoundly disappointing theatrical experiences of my life. A good friend from 'the island' as its known to fellow British Columbians, coerced me into going to Les Miserables for her birthday. I was not looking forward to it at first but then thought, "this is one of the most fanous and powerful musical shows of all time, and I am seeing it on a Saturday night in the west end of London. This is should be good, in fact this should be DAMN good", and preceeded to prepare my self for a soul stirring event. I knew the songs a bit and my friend and I hummed them to eachother on the double decker bus and on the underground on the way to the show.

From the minute the orchestra began I smelled STALE in the air. Whether you love musicals or hate them, there is usually a tummy wrenching feeling inspired when 30 musicians pipe up together to begin the evening. NOTHING, not even the faintest goosebump. This trend continued throughout the show. Not one person grabbed me out of my seat and shone. Words were lost, the story was clear but not coloured with anything real. I didn't beleive any of the action on stage and didnt feel like the performers did either. I could almost hear them thinking "well this is crap tonight".

Even with the power of an orchestra behind them and hundreds of people who had paid A LOT of dollars, yen, pounds, pesos, travelers cheques and air miles to attend the cast couldn't get their teeth or their hearts in deep enough to make anything I would call truly magical. And I appreciate the fact that these people are tired and probably sick of the same songs night after night... but suck it up and do your job. And your job it to make me feel something, to make me beleive. All you have to do is listen to the words you are singing and you should feel someting, they wern't in the moment, they wern't listening to themselves and each other.

I am not one to rant, I am not one to critisize, but this had to be said. And it had to be said because in some twisted way it is inspiring. Here is my logoc: if this is the "top" level of world performance then GO young performers! Yes, the competition is fierce but I promise you, there are more talented people on Vancouver Island, who are right now questioning their gifts, than there were on that stage last night. We can do this, the skills are oh so important, but its those who have the soul and the passion for bringing it to the table that are going to hit it hard and make big beautiful statements on stage.

And as for Les Mis, c'est la vie!