Day 13: Theatre

We're all different, of course. But frankly I don't think I can remember my life *without* the theatre in it. As a small child I attended a dance school that put on a show every year in our local theatre, and I can still remember the smell of the makeup, the sound of giggles echoing down stairwells, the hushed anticipation of waiting in the wings, and looking out into the darkened auditorium, simultaneously trying to remember my steps and spot the little red light of my mum's camcorder.

At age 11 I gave up dance lessons but moved swiftly into amateur dramatics, performing in pantomimes and musicals from Jack and the Beanstalk to Oliver! - at least one show every year, and more when I started GCSE Drama. The latter was a total accident of fate: with a grand total of 8 of us wanting to take religious studies, the school decided it wasn't viable and made us all pick something else. I remember mumbling to my head of year, "Drama. I'll do Drama", with little thought. But in the end it boosted my appreciation of plays, my confidence (most importantly) and (maybe even) my social skills (...a little). It careered me from Shakespearean comedies to absurdist drama and back again, to the point where I continued Theatre Studies through to A Level. Not bad for what was essentially a complete accident. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on ancient comedies and now integrate drama into my teaching of English literature in my day job, as well as getting to the theatre whenever I can: in my pre-child days, I would often go to London for the weekend, travelling in early on a Saturday morning, catching a matinée and then an evening performance, before going to yet another matinée on Sunday, right before travelling home. I'm now the proud owner of an NTAtHome subscription and couldn't imagine my life without the thrill of the auditorium.

For some of you, though, the thought of the theatre - whether watching others on stage or going on it yourself - may well fill you with boredom, terror, or both. Whatever your feelings, we want to see them in your poem today.

Word prompts

wings

heartbeat

rustle

velvet

paralyse

Remember, our prompts are only suggestions; you can find your inspiration wherever your muse leads you. Please visit the other participants' work, share the hashtag #OctPoWriMo on social media, and share your link in the comments below. Let us know how this journey into poetry is going for you.