In celebration of our upcoming production, The Best Thing - about growing up and family connections, - we've asked the team to share some of the secrets of their own childhood. We love the results!
Rachael Savage (director) and Marissa Gunter (actor)
The Best Thing about me is....
Rachael: I'm a mum and it makes sense of my world
Marissa: My jaw line......I'm pretty tough too, I'll look after you
What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?
Rachael: I wanted to be an actor but didn't admit it for years as I was too shy.
Marissa: I wanted to be in the Olympics, specifically to compete in the Heptathlon. I won sports person of the year in my final year of primary school, much to the annoyance of all the boys.
What was the first single you bought? And in what format?
Rachael: John Lennon's 'Imagine', on vinyl of course. It would be one of my Desert Island Discs.
Marissa: Either 'Who let the dogs out?' by Baha Men, or, 'It wasn't me' by Shaggy on CD - very high calibre stuff. This was all before my love affair with Busted really took off, who incidentally have just got back together!
What was your most cringe worthy childhood outfit?
Rachael: A wedding outfit matching with my big sister (to intensify humiliation) for Auntie Stella and Uncle Kevin's wedding. We were dressed in bottle green, itchy, ankle length frocks. We looked utterly ridiculous and both felt daft; we weren't even bridesmaids. I was a Tom Boy and was most comfy in my 'bovver boots.'
Marissa: From what I can remember my clothes were fairly safe and were worn without any major cause for embarrassment. Most of my 'cringe' moments came from dance costumes and what comes to mind is my fourteen year old self being caught in a Jabberwocky costume, a skin tight hooded green catsuit complete with its own set of wings. I was trying on the costume when I heard my older brother's friend being let into the house and invited into the living room to wait. I was horrified, I looked at my Mum for help, 'Just act natural', she said........ it didn't work, he focussed in on the costume and indeed my despair.
What were you most scared of as a child?
Rachael: Sharks...well 'Jaws'. As the youngest of four, I probably watched stuff that was too old for me. I was too afraid to go the toilet- I thought I'd get my arse bitten. I also used to forget to turn off my bed warmer, and had recurring nightmares about Miss Havisham burning to death...nice.
Marissa: The fear of being left alone. I would lie in bed thinking that because I am the youngest in the family, I would be the last one to die so one day I would be left all alone. As I got older my social circle increased, as did my rationality; now I lie in bed very smug indeed, basking in the knowledge that I will be the last to join the beige brigade and suffer from any creaking bones.
What was your favourite childhood holiday?
Rachael: We borrowed my Nan's car and crammed four kids in the back and went to a little house in Northern France (it was our first holiday in a house, not a tent). My big, bad, right wing brother (who I adore) got a fishing hook stuck in his leg and had to use my CND badge to take it out. God we laughed.
Marissa: BREAN! Ah, caravan holidays to Brean. Very fond memories of being buried in the sand, jumping off sand dunes (pitifully trying to compete with my big brothers) playing the 1p/2p arcade games, and general Gunter shenanigans. Our Nan would always come to stay for the second week of the holiday and she would always bring two of everything, plenty of toilet roll, sandwiches to the site, her own butter knife YET the one year, she forgot all of her clothes; I have never laughed so much in my life.
The Best Thing about me as a child was...
Rachael: I wasn't expected. My mum carried twins without knowing it. She called my big sister to say that she had another brother. Catherine was cross. Mum called back minutes later to say that she had a baby sister. Catherine was chuffed.
Marissa: My plasticine face, getting stuck in and wanting to be one of the boys.
Watch out for more childbood secrets over the coming weeks!
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