Over the last couple of years I’ve grown fond of acting. My mother has a friend who is an actress, so whenever there is a new play coming out at the theatre, I’m definitely not missing it. Once the play starts, all the actors and actresses enter a whole different world where they have other names, newly shaped personalities and interesting background stories. It’s quite magical really. And it’s even more exciting if they take part in more than just one play. It’s like they’re living multiple lives. Who wouldn’t want to experience something as fascinating as this?
I haven’t heard of Noel Streatfeild until I found some of her books in a bookshop. Ballet Shoes, Circus Shoes, Tennis Shoes and Theatre Shoes, they were all standing on the bookshelf next to each other. I didn’t know which book was the first one in the series, so I decided to start off with Theatre Shoes, the one who actually caught my attention in the first place.
The story is about three siblings, Sorrel, Mark and Holly Forbes. Their mother died when Holly was just a baby. When the World War II begins, their father rejoins the Navy and sends his children to their grandfather, from Guernsey to England, in a village called Martins. It’s not an easy life for the Forbes children and it only gets worse when their father is reportedly missing in the Navy and their grandfather dies. There’s nothing left for them to do than to move to their Grandmother’s large, but shabby house in London with Hannah, a caring woman and a close friend. Before coming to London, the children meet the Bishop of Martins, who tells them everything about their family:
“ ‘Very lucky children to have had such a mother, but she was even more interesting than you know. She was a Warren. Adeline Warren.’
He said Adeline Warren as if it was something that tasted good. Holly said:
‘We knew her name was Adeline. Daddy called her “Addie”.’
‘But you didn’t know she was a Warren, or what the name Warren means. The Warrens are one of the oldest and one of the most distinguished theatrical families in this country. (…) Her father was an actor, her mother was, and still is, an actress. Her brothers and sisters are all on the stage. So were her grandparents and great-grandparents. So was she for just one year. Lovely Adeline Warren!’ ” (page 9)
It is a huge surprise for the three Forbes children to discover that their family is entirely made out of famous and talented actors and actresses. As soon as they arrive in London, Grandmother sends them to Madame Fidolia’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. They are supposed to work really hard and follow in the family footsteps. They are the center of attention right from the start as they each receive a scholarship from the Fossil sisters, Pauline, Petrova and Posy, who were beloved students at the Academy some time ago. Pauline is an actress and Posy, a dancer. As for Petrova, she is flying planes, proving that she is mechanically minded, unlike her sisters who are artists.
At first the siblings feel uncomfortable in this new world of theatre they’ve suddenly been thrown into. Everybody expects the best from the three of them since they clearly have the Warren blood in their veins. Sorrel, Mark and Holly struggle through the unfamiliar acting, dancing and singing classes. They gradually get used to their new life and reveal their hidden talents. Sorrel acts a small role in a show, although she has never been interested in acting and even has trouble in the beginners’ dancing class. She is anxious most of the time and afraid that she won’t fit in with the others:
“The acting class (…) was taken by a Miss Jay and she tried very hard to be nice to Sorrel, but Sorrel wished she would leave her alone. The children who were going to perform to the soldiers seemed so terribly efficient, she knew she could never be in the least like them, and all she wanted was to be left quietly in a corner watching…” (page 112)
Mark turns out to be a delightful singer with a charming voice. When it comes to acting, he can easily play any character due to his brave attitude and vivid imagination. As for dancing, he considers it useless for a boy who has other plans for the future:
“… but none of it matters very much, you know, because I’m not going to be an actor, I’m going to be a sailor like my father. Really, I hope to be an admiral, so all this dancing and stuff isn’t any use to me.” (page 123)
Holly is a suitable dancer and a spot-on comedian who does great imitations. Being the youngest one among the Forbes siblings, she doesn’t care about her looks as much as Sorrel and Mark do. The only thing that bothers her is that she carries around a cheap brown parcel and doesn’t have an attaché case like all the other students:
“It was while she was filling up the time that she saw Miranda’s locker was ajar and, idly opening the door, saw the attaché case lying in the locker looking very abandoned because there was nothing else in the locker at all. Holly looked at the attaché case. What a difference it would make if it were hers!” (page 320)
The first Christmas in London is spent with Grandmother and other members of the large Warren family. Sorrel, Mark and Holly meet their cousins, Miranda and Miriam. Miriam is friendly and loves dancing more than anything. Miranda, despite being a wonderful actress, is arrogant and thinks she always deserves the lead roles. She is also difficult to talk to, therefore Sorrel and the others remain distant. When a new play is prepared, Miranda gets a swollen head and becomes selfish. Madame notices her rude attitude, so she teacher her a lesson and asks Sorrel to take her place in the show. Sorrel doesn’t miss this great opportunity and in the end she realizes that she enjoys the feeling of being on the stage and acting.
Time passes by and Sorrel blossoms and gains more confidence every day. The best moment in her life is probably when she is given the role of Ariel in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. Her performance causes a lot of interest among the critics:
“It is difficult for anyone to be a success in a part of Shakespeare’s because there are so many people who love all Shakespeare’s work and have strong ideas how his parts should be played. There were a large number of people to be just angry because Ariel was played by a child. (…). As well there were a large number who wrote nicely: ‘Silvery-voiced little Sorrel Forbes.’ ‘Little Miss Forbes spoke Ariel’s lines in a way that is a lesson to far more experienced actors.’ ‘Sorrel Forbes, as Ariel, gave a quicksilver performance, and her childish pipe, together with her weird blue make-up, gave an ethereal effect which was curiously moving.’ ” (pages 424-425)
Mark does everything he can to leave the Academy and become a sailor. Although the teachers keep telling him he has an amazing voice, he stubbornly ignores them and decides to go back to his old school, the Wilton House. As for Holly, her scholarship is given to Miriam, the more dedicated dancer. She doesn’t mind this change that much, as she knows she is more interested in acting and comedy.
At the end of the story, the children’s father returns on Christmas Day. The scene is pictured amazingly well and it’s impossible not to smile or shed some tears of joy while reading the following words:
“Such a lot of talking went on. Luckily, their father had been able to gossip to Uncle Mose on the train or he would never have sorted out the jumble about The Babes in the Wood, Wilton House, the dame in the pantomime and the Fossils; but as he knew it already, he was able to sit on the bed amongst them and tell them with absolute truth that he was proud of them all and thought every arrangement was splendid.” (page 447)
The book is clearly all about the Forbes children, but in my opinion I think it’s more focused on Sorrel’s journey from a struggling beginner to a lovely star actress. The readers will definitely notice how much Sorrel changes throughout the story. Her first days at the Academy are complete torture. She can’t deal with her anxiety and constantly worries that she will never live up to everybody’s high expectations. Once she starts the acting classes, she becomes a different person. Acting does not only offer you the pleasure of being on the stage. In time it boosts your confidence and helps you overcome your fear and worries much easier. Sorrel actually reminds me of my younger sister, Miriam. Last summer she was offered a spot in an upcoming play at the national theatre in my town. There were many mixed emotions of excitement and fear, many questions which mostly sounded as this one: “What if people don’t like the way I perform?” All these worries vanished as soon as the first show was over and the public clapped and cheered for her and the other actors. It was definitely a delightful experience. Since then Miriam has had more self-confidence.
I just love it when a fictional character reminds me of a family member or a close friend. I look upon the character differently and understand it better. Theatre Shoes made me want to perform more and spend unique moments on the stage. It’s fun being part of the exciting world of theatre… So why not discover it through Sorrel’s eyes?
Comments
Post a Comment