Sold Out Performance✨

A dream fulfilled.

I had a dream this week that an old spiritual-looking figure looked at me across from an altar and asked (words to the effect of), “why are you doing all this?” I looked them dead in the eye and said, “this is what I’ve always wanted”. And they smiled.

As things have been progressing with our feature film and an upcoming photoshoot that I’m suuuuper excited about, I delivered a sold out solo performance this week at the Cambridge Junction (as part of a larger, and wondrous event called The Haunted that featured incredible artists brought together by powerhouse, Joanna Holland).

My family had flown many miles and friends had endured train failures and hours of travel AND early starts where sleep was sacrificed so that they could see me in action. My dear friends, family and audience members, I AM SO GRATEFUL!

This has been such a journey, and we’re only just getting started. Only now am I having a moment to process my scrapbook full of notes, reflections, pre-show prayers and photos.

Here’s one just for you:

30th March 2025, 17:41

Reverie Premiere

It’s nearly showtime. We’ve had two run throughs today in the space, with lighting and sound. I am very excited. Sometimes a shimmer of fear trickles in but then I remind myself of the text. My character. The context of the piece and the real story behind it, which reconnects me with excitement (fear’s enlightened Girl Next Door amiga who’s living in the moment and knows that THESE ARE THE DAYS).

I think part of me a lot of me is superstitious. Perhaps because I am reliant upon my memory and undefiable magic of the relationships between the audience and performer on stage, which is out of my control. Please memory carry me through! That and the other factors outside of my control.

We’ve put in the work and many, many hours of dedicated preparation. Now relax and enjoy. Trust yourself. Trust the process and let’s give this audience a show to remember. Final words of advice to self from acting Maestro Sanford Meisner:

“If you want to reach every person in the audience, it’s not about being bigger, it’s about going deeper.”

Trust yourself, Louise.
Let’s have some fun…!

Back to now, Sunday 6th 2025.

And what fun we had…

My dad came into my room one morning, a few days after the show and, despite his usual criticism, shared that he couldn’t fault my performance. He said there was a moment about 3/4 of the way through where he looked around the audience and everybody was “transfixed”. He said, “you could have heard a pin drop” everyone was listening to my every word. I love this image of a dimly-lit audience in absolute stillness and just my dad’s head in the back row scanning the room as he takes it all in. My dad hasn’t seen me perform since secondary school so for him to watch me in this professional piece, was something.

We went for a lovely dinner after the show and my mum also shared a moment. In the climax of the piece, my character breaks down and feels her world crashing in. My mum became so involved in the piece, she thought I was genuinely upset and even had the impulse to intervene (imagine!)

Uta Hagen has come up a lot in mine and Stéphanie’s conversations. Here is a small selection of guidance from Uta that has resonated the most for me during this process:

An actor must never be afraid to make a fool of himself.

Acting is not about being someone else, it is about finding yourself within the character.

Great acting is simply being able to fully inhabit the truth of the character in the given moment.

An actor's job is to serve the script and bring it to life, all while remaining true to their own unique interpretation.

More reflections yet to come but I’ll end here for now with a photo of Stéphanie Joalland (director), myself and Joanna Holland (writer, creator of Reverie: A Dream of Autoimmunity) a few hours before curtain time.

Next stop for Reverie: St George’s Theatre, Norfolk as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival in May, Peterborough in June- and hopefully followed by a run in London too!