Au Revoir

I had coffee with Philippe this morning. It was great. We spoke about school and teaching (as I will be doing a bit of teaching next year) and my life and my future. He gave me some career advice - I need to stay open to many things. Actor. Director. Writer. Teacher. Try everything. Don’t narrow my options at all. Give it all a go. And he said for me to be careful of my ‘pretentious tendency’ especially as a teacher because if your students smell that you think you are higher than them or you think you know more than them you can get eaten alive. Of course teachers often do know more - that’s why they’re teaching - but learning doesn’t need to be shared in an egotistical way. Share a bit of information here and let people explore it. And bit by bit as a group we will discover something together. And together is the key. Don’t make it out like I’ve already discovered everything. I was also able to say thank you to him for the two years at school - for changing my life - for helping me find some really special things about myself - and for profoundly shaping me as an artist.

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I went to the first year Greek Tragedy autocourse showing which was great. A big long class but fantastic to see really strong, engaging, and unconventional dramatic acting. When it works it can be so so beautiful.

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Tonight’s final Clown show was fantastic! A really great feeling in the theatre. And lots and lots of laughter! Hannah and I really nailed our ‘faxes’ number for the first time. We had a lot of pleasure and were really showing our happiness with our stupid idea. And it worked! Steph and I had a brilliant night hosting together as Monsieur and Madame Loyale as well. We were playing around, improvising, and putting each other in the shit (she got me SO good!) and generally just had a lot of fun and really good complicité. We found a nice little storyline about us breaking up - which led nicely into me ‘moving house’ with Ping Pong. And everybody was good.   So it was a nice celebratory ending to actually a fantastic workshop. It’s not all the time that a group clicks like we did, and ‘gets clown’ like we did. So I feel lucky to have been in this group of people. It was not to plan - I would have completed Clown a year ago with my original class - but because of life and glandular fever it worked out this way...and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome! 

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So rather suddenly that is the end of my two years training at École Philippe Gaulier. Just like that! It sneaks up on you! Thank you to all of those who supported me on this journey: The New Zealand France Friendship Fund, The Todd Trust, The Heritage Trust. To family and friends and loved ones. To all those who I have worked with at school, to Philippe and Michiko, and to the people of France. Without a doubt I’ve had the two best years of my life here. I’ve grown and changed, met fantastic people and had incredible experiences. Now is a new adventure for me where I will go out into the ‘real world’ again and pave my way forward. It’s going to be a challenge - to continue to do what I want to do and work the way I want to work - but I’m determined to do it. I have had an amazing opportunity to discover a new theatre - something that many people would love to do but don’t always get the chance - so I feel like I have a responsibility to share my learning. This blog is part of that. And I will share my learning in many other ways for the rest of my life I’m sure. I feel free. I feel like an artist. I feel ready to give a lot. To share my humanity and help others share theirs as well. What a gift. So this wonderful adventure has come to an end, but a new one is just beginning...