“Through a First Years Eyes”
You walk into Newtons, a new apple, up two flights of stairs and into Training with Thelma. Somewhere along the line Thelma mentions that you have to participate in the First Years’ Concert and you think: you want me to WHAT?
Accountants doing drama? That’s like KFC selling McDonalds, but hey, if you have to do it, you have to do it.
At first everybody has their own idea of what the show should be. As the days crawled by, discussions dwelled on a theme instead of progressing to planning and repetition. Somewhere deep in my gut I got this feeling that this is going to be the biggest fiasco ever.
Then Helensha suggested a News Cast and everyone was in agreement. As lunches were spent on planning and evenings were spent on drafting the show slowly came together. Little by little you got pulled out of your comfort zone, pushing yourself to be more than you thought you could be. Nico refused to do a talking role and yet he ended up in a cross-dressing role of a teacher in the Newtons advertisement. Alongside him Chantelle, Leonie and Sané starred as school kids having to give apple idioms.
Helensha became the dry news caster called Riana Cruywagen. Martinus revealed his slightly disturbing crazy side by being the blind sign language interpreter called Stevie Wonders. Wayne was in charge of audio and visual.
Tanya hosted her own quiz show called: Ask the Audience with Joelene, Thembakazi, Duminque and Carlin assisted with the scoring. One phone call to the audience and it became a huge hit. The most memorable moment was when Sharidon answered the phone with: This is Sharidon, unfortunately I am not available.
Next up was the dance number, a slightly chaotic interpretation of Grease but great fun all the same.
The show ended with Wayne doing the witty weather cast for the Newtons building, but the best was yet to come. As a finale we showed images from our Random Act of Kindness. It was Nico’s brilliant idea and Tanya’s planning that enabled us to give a hundred loafs of bread away to hungry people. We also challenged the Second Years to do their own Random Act of Kindness which, by date of publication, is yet to happen (wink, wink, nudge nudge).
By the time it was over, in spite of our differences, we had somehow become a team. Then the partying began.
..and the next morning I woke up with a bad headache and a screaming alarm clock. That morning was the first morning I really started to feel at home at Newtons and suddenly I realized what made the show worthwhile.
Written by Martinus de Beer
