To many people, school is often the only way that they are sociable, but it is important to get involved in your local community, and by doing so, you can easily expand your social circle. There are many clubs you can join that give you once in a lifetime opportunities and experiences. For example, the Rose Young Company in Kingston upon Thames, recently gave its members of the upper senior class a fantastic opportunity; To act as a part of Beast Quest, defending Hampton Court Palace from the beasts that the dark wizard Malvel has turned against them. I was a part of this, and it included meeting lots of new people, seeing children be really involved in a story whilst learning about the history of the palace, and endless amounts of fun.

Joe Wilson, a member of the young company who was part of Beast Quest said that being a part of this meant that he was given an opportunity that he gained a lot from. “I got a lot of training in an unusual performance space (Hampton Court Palace) and I also made a lot of friends. It helped to increase my acting skills, taught through directors at the Rose Theatre, as it was a different environment to one I usually perform in. I wanted to do Beast Quest because I knew it would be fun, and it definitely was.”

Joe doesn’t do Drama at College; however, he enjoys it because “Acting allows me to be creative.” He believes that it is important to get involved in community events and opportunities such as this one. “They push you out of your comfort zone and help you develop as a person, and they are also a great way of getting to know loads of new, different people.”

From my own experience, it is something I know I will never forget, it was the most fun I’ve ever had.  Seeing so many children get involved was heart-warming and reminded me why I love acting so much. I met some really great people and my communication and imaginative skills have drastically improved, which has been so helpful to me.

Doing something like drama clubs, gives you so many learning opportunities that you wouldn’t get if you didn’t get involved. It is important that we all try new things because there are many benefits that will come from it.