Learning through experience: Amaaya’s highlights from the Inevitable? Tour

Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland with Amaaya in the foreground. Photo Credit Von Fox

We’ve recently returned from a fantastic tour of Inevitable? created and performed by our Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company. We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to see the show- we were absolutely blown away by the audience’s reactions and we loved chatting with everyone after the performances and hearing your thoughts:
 
“Showcasing stories from young people with similar lived experiences is SO incredibly important and powerful. Our young people were welcomed into the space and benefitted from all of the access provisions in place, making it a brilliant day out for everyone!”
- Ailís Lord, Comics Youth CIC
 
Touring a show as a young person is an exciting, unique, and memorable experience; it’s something our Ensemble cast looks forward to all year! They get to learn new skills, get an insight into the theatre industry, and meet young people from across the country who are equally passionate about drama and storytelling.

Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland featuring Amaaya. Photo Credit Von Fox

​Amaaya Tadaa played Hazel in Inevitable? a character who comes from a highly successful family but finds herself struggling with the pressure to be perfect and excel at everything she does. Throughout the story, she learns that everyone is on their own path, and she starts to appreciate the things that make her unique.  
 
Amaaya has been a much-loved member of Mortal Fools Youth Theatre and Ensemble Young Company since 2018. At aged 17, she has already gained a wealth of experience in devising and performing in multiple shows, having co-devised and performed in FLUX as an Ensemble Young Company Member, and having additionally co-hosted Fools Fest Tyne Valley 2022.

As well as working on Ensemble Productions she has recently taken on a paid Peer Facilitator role with our Stage 2 Tyne Valley group and is working towards her Gold Arts Award. She is currently studying Musical Theatre at College and has a bright future ahead of her in the Theatre Sector. 
 
Amaaya wanted to share her experience of touring with our Mortal Fools community including what advice she’d give to someone doing their first tour.

Read on to hear from Amaaya!

Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland. Photo Credit Von Fox

What was it like playing Hazel?
 
I was excited to play Hazel because I had been so involved in the character development and I knew that it was going to be quite challenging, but I was ready to polish my acting skills. Although Hazel is very different to me, she is very relatable to many young people because of her vulnerability and the intense pressure she feels to succeed.
 
What was your favourite part of touring?
 
Overall, the experience of the tour was fun and so different to anything I’ve ever done before. My favourite part of the tour was going to the different venues and seeing how the different audiences felt about it especially having conversations about what they took away from it. 
 
What have you learnt from this tour and how has it challenged you?
 
Going on tour makes you understand the behind-the-scenes work and effort that goes into making a theatre show the best it can be every time. For example, for every new venue there are detailed tech run and production schedules to figure out the new space. As I want to go into professional performing arts, I really appreciate learning through practical experience. 
 
How has touring together changed your relationship with your castmates?
 
Going on tour made me appreciate the way the cast supported one another in the run-up to each production and during the performance backstage. 

Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland. Photo Credit Von Fox

Do you have any tips for young actors doing their first tour?
 
This was my second tour and the first time I was a bit nervous. However, I was pleased I did it and I was glad I got a second chance to go on tour with a completely new show. Enjoy it and make the most out of it as it flies by!! 
 
What are you looking forward to in the future with Mortal Fools?
 
Seeing what future Ensemble Young Company shows are about and watching how Mortal Fools keeps on pushing the boundaries as they evolve!! 
 
Thank you, Amaaya!
 
We are so proud of all our cast members who have put in so much hard work to create Inevitable?  and it’s fantastic to see it all pay off.  If you’d like to find out more about Ensemble Young Company, click here.

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Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland. Photo Credit Von Fox

Amaaya is not only a talented performer and deviser with Ensemble Young Company, but she is also a valuable member of the Mortal Fools staff team! She works as a Peer Facilitator for our Tyne Valley Stage 2 Youth Theatre group and uses her experience to support budding theatre makers and create a fun and nurturing environment for them to express themselves.
 
Most recently she has been helping the group learn music-making skills as part of our brand-new project: Sounding Board.
 
Across our youth theatre groups, we have been exploring how we can use music in theatre to tell stories and express ourselves. This has been a wonderful opportunity to develop the skills of our staff and young people and experiment with lyric writing, percussion, movement, and electronic music. This has been in large part enabled by funding from Youth Music, a fantastic organisation that supports young people to make, learn and earn in music.
 
We’re planning events and screenings throughout the summer to showcase all the brilliant work our groups have been creating. Click here to join our mailing list and get the latest updates on our Ensemble and Youth Theatre projects straight to your inbox.​​

Photo of Inevitable? performance at YMCA Northumberland featuring Amaaya. Photo Credit Von Fox