Well, the last train departed a week ago, and with the first week of Beetlejuice tech done, I've finally had a moment to reflect on what has been one hell of a journey with Starlight Express ✨
I went into this show knowing it would be a fun job, but what I didn't expect was for it to become a year of growth, gratitude and the kind of friendships you don't see coming. What started out as 3 weeks depping turned into a year of magical madness - and it still hasn't quite sunk in that's it over! 🛼
I wouldn't have had half as good a time without my incredible wardrobe team, who - through laughs, split crotches, temperamental inflatables, last minute miracles, and everything in between - made the chaos feel like home and coming to work a dream, despite the literal blood, sweat and tears...👀
I’ll miss the craziness of dressing space trains on wheels for a living (not something you get to say every day) and all the little, ordinary moments that somehow become the most important. I'm forever grateful for the memories we made and the people who made it so special 💫
420 shows later..we really did the damn thing!
@starlightexpress , over and out!✌🏼
Thank you Asher for taking part in this video idea and challenge! You can say Neurofibromatosis! My question is can all of you??
May is NF1 awareness month! NF1 stands for Neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic condition that I have. NF1 is a genetic condition, 50% of people with it had it passed down from a parent and the other 50% were a spontaneous mutation. As a condition it is more common then Cystic Fibrosis , Huntingtons disease and Muscular Dystrophy combined yet many many people have never heard of it including doctors
NF1 causes tumours to grow on nerve endings meaning they can grow anywhere in or on the body. People with NF1 typically have 6 or more cafe-au-lait marks whitch are flat brown patches on the skin (like birthmarks). NF1 can cause many many other issues from brain tumours, scoliosis, learning difficulties, bone issues, high blood pressure, confidence issues often due to tumours, increased risk of most cancers.
The main ways my NF1 affects me is having a brain tumour, fibromas (small pea sized tumours in/on skin) bad eyesight (from my brain tumour) Hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain) mobility issues, scoliosis, social and emotional difficulties…
But having NF1 isn’t all bad through the amazing work that the @childhoodtumourtrust do from zoom sessions, to kids and adult camps, to theme park days out and giving advice they make living with NF1 less lonely and scary, they give us all friends who can just get it and understand. I am also honoured to be a Youth Ambassador for this amazing charity who give so so much to people living with NF1.
So in honour of NF awareness month we like to get different famous people to say or try and say Neurofibromatosis… I asked a cast member at @starlightexpress weather they and some other cast members could get involved as we all know by now how obsessed I am with starlight! (Even though it has very very sadly closed now). Today it’s the turn of @asherforthh who played Green arrow in year 1 (June 24- May 25) and Electra in the year 2 cast (from June 25 to May 26)
#nfwarrior #childhoodtumourtrust #mayisneurofibromatosisawarenessmonth #starlightexpresslondon #icansayneurofibromatosis
Here we are; the final megamix roundup
(tagged a few at random sorry guys<33)
Before I go on a stupidly long rant; if this is off beat, it’s instagrams fault 😛, and if the sound gets muted, it’s also instagrams fault (The OG audio was memories by Conan Gray if it does end up vanishing tho hahaha)
Anyways; firstly, a massive thank you to the cast, the crew, every front of house and backstage member, everyone in the company, the list goes on. This show would not have been possible without the help of every single one of you guys and you’ve all been INCREDIBLE. Thank you for working tirelessly each day for the crowd’s benefit; we’re all extremely extremely grateful.
Before starlight I didn’t really leave the house, and soon enough, starlight became the only thing that I’d leave the house *for*. The show I discovered online one day that ended up being the only thing that’d get me through the week; those 2.5 hours of joy each weekend that quickly turned into half a year of double-show-Sundays. Thus was born the 31 trips with the original cast that solidified the fact that I really did love this show.
Then the cast changed, and while I wasn’t well enough to see the show *as* often, the joy still continued through each visit; and joy, honestly, is an understatement. This show meant everything to me. *means* everything to me still.
It sounds stupid, cause at the end of the day, yeah, it’s a show about trains. But those trains bought acceptance, change, and the chance to pursue an entirely fresh start. Most importantly they brought representation, for me and for so many people.
To have a show be so accessible, so huge, so well known, with characters that me and my friends could all see ourselves in has meant more than words will ever be able to describe. No show after this one will ever compare to how safe I felt in that auditorium, and amongst that cast and crowd. Seriously, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. These 61 visits will be in my mind forever.
Wishing everyone the BEST of luck for whatever’s next 🤍
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“It’s not just okay to be different, let’s celebrate being different.”
#starlightexpress
Starlight express means everything to me. And it would’ve never been possible without its cast. When I first saw the show, I saw the first year cast, and I have so much love for them, but the majority of time spend in the starlight auditorium for me was spend watching this cast. The cast that carried us through countless injuries, cover changes, swing losses, emergency covers and then through the most incredible last week of shows I’ve ever seen. So to celebrate them, here are some photos from the very last show.
I have already put out thank you’s for specific members of this cast. But to the entire cast. Thank you. Thank you so much for creating a show and an environment that so many could love so much. Characters that I and others were able to relate to, and hold so so closely to our hearts. I feel such a huge amount of love for the characters of this show, so huge I feel frustrated trying to put the feeling into words as words do not describe it. They don’t describe the way I see Rusty in the deep depths of my soul and secrets, how I relate to what Dinah’s goes through as it has echoed in my own life many times, how my struggle with a chronic illness is reflected in the sleepiness but determination of Belle, and so much more.
Every show, every improvised moment in the corner of the stage, and every interaction I have got and watched during this shows run is not forgotten. I cherish every single moment, every second, that I spent in that theatre, watching that cast. I cannot thank any of them enough for the complete joy they have brought me. I can’t wait to follow along with each of their journeys and see what every one of these incredible people do next. But they all started, for me, in starlight. So they will always be made of starlight. And whenever I see them, all I’ll be able to see is that shine. The shine that sparkles just as the lights dim and the stage is bathed in that blue.
“When the night is darkest. Open up your mind.”
Bye bye starlight express, thank you, for everything. ✨
Starlight Express has changed my life for the better. The first time I saw the show I had no idea what it was about. Fast forward 16 months and 160 shows and it’s literally consumed my life.
When I first saw the show I wasn’t in a good place, was grieving, low, depressed and felt little to no joy. This show pulled me out of that place, and for just those could have hours whilst sat in the theatre, I felt a childlike joy I had not experienced in years, and couldn’t help but smile. This show brought my smile back.
The first 10 months of me seeing the show were mostly spent by myself, quietly appreciating the show, loving every second, and fully embracing the solo trip life. But then came along the best group of people I could have asked for, and all of a sudden my experience of Starlight changed completely. I now had the best group of friends I could ask for, and spending time with them was genuinely one of the best parts. They pulled me out of my shell… and boy do they wish they could shut me up and shove me back in it 😂😂🫶🏻🫶🏻
I had to include a page for the incredible theatre staff who have also made this the best year! Their kindness is always very much appreciated and this lil Fatty in a Fleece would not have enjoyed this as much without them 💜
This cast has been utterly incredible, the talent, the versatility, the determination of these guys is just unbelievable. But not only that, they are the kindest group of people! I cannot wait to see what each and every person in this incredible cast does next! 💜
To every fan, friend, staff member, cast member… thankyou from the bottom of my heart for accepting me, for making this one of the most enjoyable times of my life, and for most of all bringing Happy Holly back.
This took me ages to post, because I didn’t quite know what to say or how to convey how grateful I am for this show.
It’s not just ok to be different. Let’s celebrate being different 🤍
Couple of pics with my lovely Starlight Express cast⭐️ 🛼🛼⭐️.
Litteraly best time of my life 🙂☺️☺️🤭 Cannot believe its over...🥲🥲🥲
#lifegoals #musicaltheatre #musical #happyme #music
