When I was about 7 years old I watched The Sound of Music for the first time. Julie Andrews, as Maria von Trapp, just blew me away. Her singing, her acting, just her whole joyful presence on screen. I wanted to be her. I wanted to act. I wanted to sing. I wanted grand experiences and wild romances. So I asked my parents if I could go to acting lessons. I went along to this class one Saturday morning. I remember being so excited for it but then ultimately so disheartened. All of the other girls there were so “girly” - slight, pretty, long hair, wearing skirts and dresses. So not me! I didn’t fit and I knew enough about myself to know that I would never fit that particular image. My dream of being an actor one day seemed impossible. Fast forward 40 years (university, public sector career, marriage and a further degree) and I once again attended a Saturday morning class - this time with my son on a “bring our parent to Stagecoach” morning. We sang, we learnt a dance routine and we played some silly acting games. I LOVED IT … and I just knew that I had to pursue the dream again. 4 years on from that morning, I am now a professionally-trained, Spotlight-accredited actor, working hard to develop a portfolio career of voice, stage and screen work. I am so pleased I gave myself this second chance.