Sophie's Silver Lining Fund

Had a very enjoyable time the other night meeting some other folk associated with Sophie's Silver Lining Fund. SSLF is a charity set up by Cherry and Stephen Large, in memory of their daughter, Sophie, who lost her life in a car accident, aged 19, in 1998. They help actors and singers with bursaries towards vocational training. I was lucky enough to get one of those when I was at Guildhall a few years back, and in a funny way, I think knowing they were sponsoring me really helped to spur me on when the pressure was beginning to mount! Cherry and Stephen are some of the most enthusiastic and supportive people you could hope to meet, so it's a real pleasure to still be in touch with them and the charity.

Most of the people at this particular get together were actors, which makes a nice change for me. I love the theatre, and the buzz associated with it - it's different to the buzz you get with music, and there's definitely a vitality unique to that scene. Of course, as someone looking from the outside, I'm sure there are things I might find less pleasant if I was in it. Interestingly, it seems most of the people who've been supported by SSLF have gone on to do lots of work, some having set up their own theatre companies. There are a few productions coming up in the next year, so no doubt if I get to them, there'll be some blogs here about it.