Chantal's story

A friend told me that SPID was looking for people to be in their show on a local council estate and it got me interested.

Most shows happen on theatres and stages but when I want along I was really surprised. The improvisations they got me to do happened outside and in the estate itself.  It seemed really unusual. The show was called Sixteen and the people involved were a totally mixed bunch of different ages, backgrounds and experiences. I stopped being nervous as soon as rehearsals started because everyone was open and supportive. We were all treated like professionals, which was great, and we learned a lot from each other.

Being in Sixteen was loads of fun. I played this local hoody and I got to really mess with people's heads when they turned up to watch. It took them ages to work out I was part of the performance. At first they thought I was this trouble maker hanging out to give them grief.

The best bit was breaking in at the play's tensest moment. Sixteen's set in this squat and the squat's under siege and me and some others got to go charging in there like we mean business and move all the furniture around. It was extra fun because the audience sat on sofas and mattresses with wheels so it was like a ride.

I was really proud to have been in the show. I was pleased at how popular it was, often with people who don't usually like theatre. They said it felt real and exciting rather than being all stuffy and snooty. 

There were 20 shows in all and the Gate theatre did the marketing and it was a proper job. It's really prepared me for making a career out of acting. I'm definitely going to keep working with SPID.

S.P.I.D. (Specially Produced Innovatively Directed) is an award winning company who uses drama to regenerate neglected spaces. SPID focuses on London council estates, creating site specific projects which build stronger communities by engaging people with their environment.  Sixteen http://spidtheatre.blogspot.com/search/label/Sixteen was a professional show which was funded by London Councils as part of a program to get council estate residents involved in the arts.