'Wow, I want to do that!'

Was pretty much my immediate thoughts after seeing Passionfish by Trestle Theare ooh, a good 20+ years ago! The masks pulled me straight into their world, this world that was full of soul, pulling at my heart strings and releasing all kinds of emotions I never knew I had bottled up. Boom! I had to see more.

I was quickly an avid follower of mask theatre. I was addicted to it, always hotly anticipating the next show. Theatre had never felt so compelling and delightful. Over the next few years I devoured mask show after mask show. I went off to drama school and despite not exploring mask there, my sights were firmly set on working for Trestle....I went off to France and trained in Commedia dell'Arte, which I enjoyed. However, the full face mask itch was growing and when an opportunity to audition for Island with Trestle came up, I leapt at the chance. Amazingly I got the job. It really was a dream come true.

Fast forward several years, involving non mask theatre tours across UK and Europe, devising new plays and also having 2 children, I discovered Vamos. Boy, oh boy, did they completely relight my fire. You know when a play is great when not only do you talk about it all night, you then continue to talk about it and discuss it with friends for days, weeks, well a blinkin' long time after. I was hooked, I followed their Facebook page, I yearned for their next show, I needed my Vamos fix.

Last year I took a group of friends to see The Best Thing at The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle under Lyme. 'You have to see this company.  Whatever the show is, it will be amazing'. At the end of the play, tears poured down our cheeks, Vamos had done it again, through sublime storytelling and phenomenal mask work, our emotions had been well and truly wrung out. It was not just that though, for me also, it was the absolute realisation that I needed to perform in mask again.

Fast forward a few months, and my friend emails me to say Vamos is casting for the re-tour of The Best Thing. Tingles went up and down my spine; immediately I was onto their website and looking at the casting details and suddenly I had fired off an email to be considered for casting. It's just an email, they will get loads.

I got a reply, I got a casting (a mask workshop will be fun), I got a recall (ooh could this happen)... then I only went and got the bloody job! (Excuse my language).

Words cannot express what I felt. Mask made me love storytelling and theatre all those years ago. Now, I thank masks for bringing me back out of my shell and I am so grateful and proud to be sharing The Best Thing with yet more people. I am passionate about full face mask theatre. Rehearsing this show has been such a joy. Masks bring out the clarity of my work, they pull on my emotions and push me to listen to the heart beat of the characters I play and make sure that the audience experience my character's journey as I do.

Thanks, Vamos. Thank you to the masks. Cut the words and let the masks take you on a rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you wanting more.

Hannah