It's over and done with - a personal view

WE DID IT!!

We have done what we set out to do - to put on Sunshine on Leith in Perth, Scotland.

It took us 4 or 5 months of rehearsals and I wasn't certain if we'd pull it off. But we did...and what a hell of a ride it was.

There were times when I though about just jacking it all in, such was the intensity of the rehearsals (to my mind at least). But I'm glad I didn't because the outcome exceeded my wildest expectations.

Every single performance was sold out. Every single performance the audience was on their feet, singing and dancing. Every single performance we got a standing ovation, most of them a 100% standing ovation.

I surprised myself with my performance. I had a great time with my lines and my solo singing, even better with the ensemble singing.

And the final performance was fantastic. The crowd loved it. And there was another 100% standing ovation. Bu this time it was accompanied by a wall of sound, so loud was the cheering and clapping.

I must admit that I teared up at that point and couldn't sing the final lines of the finale. I guess it's like that when you come to the end of a short but intense period of action with a groups of friends that you've come to regard as family. And yes, I regard all of the cast as friends.

Oh - and the crew and the band. You're all part of the great Ad-Lib family and without you we would not have succeeded in what we set out to do.

Final thanks must go to our director Victoria Rice. Without her relentless drive and enthusiasm Sunshine on Leith would not have happened. I want to thank her on behalf of the entire cast, crew and band for what she has done. I also want to personally thank her for taking a chance on me, believing in me, for the roles that she cast me in.

See you all next Thursday :-)