I WILL do it!!

I saw this image a couple weeks ago and thought I just had to add it to my blog! 

This is a perfect summary of my journey with SVG Productions. Some of you may think playwriting is something I’ve just started. Truth is I wrote and produced my first play at the age of seventeen (so yes, a mere few years ago J).

The journey has been a struggle. People I expected to support wouldn’t. Things I expected to happen didn’t. So, like the little person on the bottom step I thought, ‘this vision is too big I won’t do it.’ Why? Because ‘I can’t do it.’ After all I’m only one, little person. But then I dared to verbalise what I was really thinking, ‘I want to do it’ and that led me to an important question, ‘how do I do it?’

Well, once I asked the question that was it. I began researching, looking at practical ways of getting one of my scripts on a ‘proper’ theatre stage. And then I made a little pack with God. I said God, ‘I will try and do it. But I’m only one tiny person so where I fall short, you need to pick up the slack.’ So I took a deep breath and made one little step. And I realised something – God was right there by my side! It was amazing, there I was doing the little I could and there He was holding my hand and compelling me on. And that gave me the courage to declare I CAN DO IT. So I did a little more, and God did a lot more and I did some more and God did even more and now I know without a shadow of a doubt that I WILL DO IT.

Now, I’m not quite at the ‘Yes, I did it’ part yet.  I’ve seen a few of my plays on the big stage and in September they’ll be another one (Life Begins, hence the reason for this blog). But it doesn’t stop there folks, there’s so much more to come. So read this and be encouraged that you too can accomplish whatever it is you set out to achieve.

Keep watching this space and more importantly – purchase your ticket for Life Begins… It’s going to be a fantastic play and if you purchase your ticket before 17^th Aug, you only have to pay £10 for it. Forget bargain – it’s an outright steal! www.svgproductions.co.uk

Fun & Games

Rehearsals have begun in earnest for Life Begins and we are having way too much fun for it to class as ‘work’.

During our first session, Lady Shay Productions www.ladyshayproductions.com turned up to do some promotional filming. You should have seen the look on her face as she heard random excerpts from the script (illustrating the point as to how hearing things out of context can be very dangerous). I'm not sure what impression she got about the type of play we were producing but she’ll be in the audience on opening night for sure! Anyway, there was so much chatting, laughing and cast members rolling around the floor in hysterics that I have no idea what the finished promo will look like.

Then Tolu and I were rehearsing yesterday. I’m using random spaces at the minute as the bill for rehearsal space spiraled out of control on my last production. So we met at a nice little outdoor spot in Canary Wharf which would have been perfect – if not for the British summer. After an hour of battling the wind, we took it inside and sneakily sat outside a small restaurant. It just so happened that one of the waiters, Sean, heard Tolu as she quoted a line of scripture from the script. ‘Oh, I’m a Christian too!’ Sean piped up. He then proceeded to tell us about his church, the services they have, their single events  etc. etc. and took a wad of flyers from us for distribution promising he’d be at the show. Hmm, maybe we should have our next rehearsal on Oxford Street, around 5.30pm on a week day….

Rehearsals continue from tomorrow and I’ll be doing no less than three rehearsals every week up until the show… pray for our strength guys… and keep watching this space for more updates on the making of a great stage production!  


Life Begins runs from 18th - 23rd September each evening at 7.30pm with additional 2.30pm matinees on the Saturday and Sunday. For more information and to book tickets visit www.svgproductions.co.uk  
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Meet The Cast - THE MEN

You've met the ladies, now meet the starring men!
  Uzoma Isichei started acting in primary school plays but didn't get involved with it again for a number of years. However, he auditioned in 2011 for SVG production’s ‘Family Secrets’ and toured with them across the UK, many years later. His professional life couldn’t be much further from the arts – he is a trained business analyst, an ordained minister and his gospel music show comes on Premier Gospel radio regularly. He also works as a stand in artist, taking part in the new James Bond movie ‘Skyfall’.
  Chuma Oraedu loved acting from an early age, but coming from an African household, was unable to initially pursue it as he would have liked, because his parents wanted him to have a solid base before venturing into performing arts. This led to him qualify as a Solicitor (though he suffered countless sleepless nights and grey hairs in the process). He took up sports, competing as an amateur boxer winning the 2009 North East London Championship but had to pull out of the London finals due to a training injury; and he has also done some modeling. Chuma gained his first real acting experience in a television pilot series called "One More Bridge". He was also in an independent film called "Rag Tag" which has won a few awards. He is currently in drama school working to perfect his acting craft. "Life Begins" is Chuma’s first theatre role and he is excited about performing in front of a live audience. His work ethic is "hard work and dedication will always pay off provided you have faith coated in humbleness".

Tosin Ajayi has loved to act for as long as he can remember. Any chance he had he would be on stage. His theatrical side eventually got proper expression when he started work as a Campus Minister with acting students at Imperial College. Since then he has been in several roles ranging from Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream to the dual role of Boss Scheffler/Surgeon Scheffler in the Ugly One. He also recently directed a production of ENRON for the Imperial College Dramatic Society.

You've met the ladies, you've met the men... all that's left to do is to come see the show. TUES 18th - SUN 23rd SEP. For more details, visit http://www.svgproductions.co.uk

Meet The Cast – THE LADIES

One of the most nerve-racking things about putting together a new production is the casting. Will I find the right actors? Will they be committed? Will they work well as a team? Will they understand the vision of SVG? The list of questions go on and on and on…. And really, a lot aren’t fully answered until the show goes live! So, here’s the cast of Life Begins. In addition to their acting abilities, I know they will each bring something unique to the production. We’ve just finished our first read through together and you could really feel the excitement in the room! Lesley-Anne Miller trained in ballet as a child and later in street dance, Jazz, contemporary and latin styles. She worked as a commercial dancer on TV shows such as TOTPs and The Jools Holland Show as backing dancer to artists including Mark Morrison. Lesley-Anne began her drama training as a teenager at The Young Vic Theatre in London and later at Identity Drama School performing in in-house and external showcases in London theatres. Her training includes, Shakespeare and contemporary and modern styles and she toured in the adapted stage version of James Weldon Johnson's God's Trombones with the Jasperian Theatre Company. Lesley-Anne is a member of the Praise and Worship team at Tehillah House of Praise. Sandi Thompson is a Film lecturer and Film commentator who has worked with hundreds of students, teaching Film Appreciation and Film Making for the last 7 years. Sandi was attracted to the creative arts from a very young age, and is currently training to work in story development. Though she is usually found behind the camera, Sandi has recently begun exploring life in front of the camera. She also enjoys photography and blogs and tweets regularly on all things theatre, film and culture. Tolu Stedford has been acting since the age of 10 after earning her first lead in a primary school play. She attended the Young Theatre Company (YTC) at the National Theatre between the ages of 13-16 where she had the opportunity to perform at the Young Vic, Old Vic and the Royal National. This was an amazing and exhilarating experience which included meeting Dame Judy Dench. Following this, Tolu went on to study performing arts at Richmond College. After a 15 year gap, she got married and had children. Although she went through an acting hiatus, Tolu never lost her passion for the arts and recently returned to the industry. Since her return, she performed in a music video (Wiley), Nollywood movies, Commercials (JML, Nikon) and feature films which are due for release this year. Tolu attends Identity Drama School as well as being involved in a number of upcoming projects.

So that's the ladies, next week I’ll introduce you to the men. In the meantime, visit www.svgproductions.co.uk for more details on the show will runs 18th-23rd Sep.

A good man REALLY is hard to find

So, I’m all but through casting for my new show, Life Begins (which incidentally is about a group of single friends – male & female) and am realising that what all my single lady friends have been saying for years is true; a good man REALLY is hard to find! Or 2 in this case, which I need for my lead roles. I filled the female roles with no problems. In fact, you could say I was spoilt for choice. Even now I still have women getting in touch asking if there are any roles. But the men….. I did have the one guy who seemed perfect. He looked right, sounded right, gave all the signals of being interested (maybe a little too keen) and then just disappeared without a trace. Not even as much as a phone call. Can I get a testimony sisters!!! Anyway, there’s a moral to be learnt here. Just as I am not going to give up in my search for my 2 Mr Perfects, neither should you. I will continue searching, praying, seeking and they will show up. AND they will be worth the wait and the effort! In the meantime, I’ll get to work with the wonderful actors I have. More on them individually in another blog. Life Begins runs from 18th – 23rd September 2012 @ The Lost Theatre, London www.losttheatre.co.uk
www.svgproductions.co.uk