Josh Mason
Golly! Ten years of Stagecoach! Who’d have thunk it!? Seven years worth of Sunday mornings for me! And what glorious Sunday mornings they were! In hindsight 10am was an early start on a weekend, especially taking into account the thirty minute drive - as a university student ‘lie-ins’ have since become an all too important feature of, well, every day! But, of course, it was absolutely worth missing errrr.. Sunday School!?
So much did I relish the Stagecoach experience, that I immersed myself in it at every opportunity - the fun-filled Derbyshire trips, and of course the spectacularly impromptu Summer workshops, whereat the performance preparation was squeezed into just five days - phew! It was these ‘workshops’ I think, that I enjoyed most of all, though that is not to belittle the impact of the main school. To see a performance grow from Trudy’s (known as Mrs. Hindmarsh for the first few years) spark of inspiration, to an actual performance in so short a time was little short of miraculous. Even now, just the names of the shows conjour a feeling of anticipation, and a certain mourning for the end of such happy times. ‘There’ll be Bluebirds’ I think was the first, in which I was thrilled to play a ‘posh’, somewhat ‘nerdy’ kid with a liking for sociology, if memory serve - alas, the first instance of many in which I was patently type-cast! (By mutual agreement, I hasten to add!). Spattered throughout were innumerable acts with my contemporary Daniel, who I believe, is still embroiled in the throws of Stagecoach, and I daresay, preparation for the much anticipated 10th anniversary performance! Examples include the all time favourite - ‘The Galloping Major’, ‘Don’t bring LuLu’, our infamous ‘March of the Toreador’ and many more to boot!
Arguably somewhat removed from the theatrical world, I currently study History and Classics in Durham. But my acting days are far from behind me, and my RSC ambitions by no means diminished. I’ll be playing Buckingham and Richmond in ‘Richard III’ at Arc in Stockton from the 17th-21st of July and Raleigh in ‘Journey’s End’ in September, with the local Arden Theatre Company (Not that I’m using this contribution as a plug - heaven forbid! - just though somebody might be interested!?)
I must congratulate Trudy on an extraordinary achievement in bringing such pleasure to thousands of people over the past decade, one of whom I am thrilled to be! My thanks and congratulations go also to those who have aided her in this feat - all of the teachers - Rob, Sue, Deborah, Phil, Kate, Miriam - to name but a few (specifically those who at one time or another taught me), and of course Jeff who we all liked a great deal!
With love, thanks and all the best for another ten years,
Josh Mason
p.s. I enclose a picture of yours truly, on the unlikely off-chance that you may have forgotten who I am, and for those who never had the pleasure of meeting me! (Yes, I’m still the same modest chap I always was!)
July 4th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Wonderful to hear from you Josh - forget you? Do we forget to breathe!!?? I share some of your lovely memories but I don`t ever remember being called “Mrs Hindmarsh”. It must have taken me a while to shake off my mainstream teacher coat. I have heard magnificent things about your Malvolio and I keep promising myself that I`ll come to see an Arden Production - I believe that they are always sell-outs! I`m going to do it this time. See you there and the anniversary show hopefully.
Trudy