... the hardest and most beautiful thing I have ever been a part of

Songs for Southport

Question... what do you think when you hear... Special Achievement Award?

Personally I’ve always thought about ‘longevity’ ... in this case, people who have served and been involved in amateur theatre forever!  People like our 2024 winner, Annie Dickinson, or Mary Forbes who won a couple of years ago, legends here in NODA North West District 6.

But this year, I hadn’t received any nominations from my societies for this award, so, I decided to go completely against tradition and ‘focus on what it said on the tin’ ...   

‘SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD’!

But, when I thought about ‘what I was thinking’... I really wasn’t sure if I should or if I wanted to take us all back to the incident that not only rocked Southport, but the country as a whole!

This incident, and the loss of those ‘three young angels’ had sent shock waves across the nation, but it was in Southport where it had been felt the most.

Out of that tragedy there came hope in many forms, but one particular occurrence, and one particular event, said so much and gave so much hope to others and affected me and many others in a really ‘positive way’.

Southport Dramatic Club Youth Section were due to stage their summer musical at Southport Little Theatre just a few weeks after the incident. As a group of young people, they approached the production team and their society to advise them, that they didn’t want to carry and stage their musical, it just didn’t feel appropriate. However, those same young actors, showing great maturity and compassion, said they didn’t want to waste an opportunity to ‘ACHIEVE’ something meaningful for the suffering people of Southport. Their aim - to forge a bond strong to help and support this broken, fragile community that had been unexpectedly plunged into darkness.

From that meaningful aim, the concert Songs For Southport was born! In just three weeks, this young group of actors, supported by their directors, mds, choreographers, old cast members, chaperones, stage crew and their band met and created a genuinely meaningful and emotional concert that touched the hearts of so many, including mine!

I was invited to attend the concert, the atmosphere was different, as you can imagine pre show.  I was told that I didn’t need to produce a show report, but after the show I felt it a necessity. Things needed to be said about these amazingly talented, compassionate and considerate young people and their aims and outcomes!  I didn’t get chance to speak with them after the show, but I was able to visit the pit where I found the MD and some of his musicians in floods of tears - it was that kind of evening!

When it came to write my show report, I got really stuck on how to end it meaningfully, that was until I came across a social media post from a cast member, which was perfect for what I wanted to say. I made contact with the 18 year old author and asked permission to use it, which she granted and which I’d like to share her wonderful words with you now...

“This has been the hardest and most beautiful thing I have ever been a part of, and I could not be prouder of the cast and production team for setting aside something already so special, and crafting something so different, with the same tenacity, thought and love, in only three weeks.

I said at the time, I would be so proud to be a part of something, however small, that gives people the ability to find a glimmer of light of what seems like eternal darkness and I feel like for what it’s worth, we have absolutely achieved this.

At times like this, you have to find solace and hope in what you love and we have to push forwards as a community, in solidarity, that fiercely sings out: our voices will not be silenced.

Do not let actions full of hate stop actions full of love.

Sing louder, dance harder and shine brighter.

I could not have asked for a better cast. The compassion, intelligence and connection between everyone formed in such a short space of time was truly incredible.

Thank you all for trusting the process and sticking at it.

I will cherish this week forever.”

Emily Bloom

18 years