Jordan Burton (2000 – 2011)
The first show I remember doing was a summer school with you and Colin at St George’s West when I was 7. If I remember rightly it was “The Me Nobody Knows” and from that point on this Performing Lark was in my blood. 11 years and somewhere in the region of 22 main and end of year performances later and I didn’t want to leave! I made so many good friends and had the time of my life. Each week we got to have a laugh whilst learning the plays. We were never short of interesting parts to play, from Auntie May to the Pythoness and everything in between. If it wasn’t for First Bite, Colin, Rebecca and all the people I’ve met during my time, I’d never have become the person I am today. The biggest honours I had were Rebecca letting me come back and help with the Juniors every Thursday, when they were doing Hiawatha, a play I knew well from my own days. It was wonderful seeing the kids grow from week to week and that First Bite meant as much to them as it did to me and letting me come and perform once more in Amore Complicato, I was flattered I got to return to the stage once more with a group that made me who I am.
One thing that always sticks out in my mind is during the rehearsals we’d been told under no circumstances to laugh when the big reveal of a certain character happened. On the first show things went slightly awry and the cot used ended up going through the wars all the while we were giggling at the pandemonium before us.
One of my favourite plays during my time with First Bite was Agamemnon. “I AM HERE!” Seemingly being my legacy among the group, still hearing it now, 7 years on. I enjoyed Agamemnon as it was a different kind of character for me, I was used to being funny and now I had a serious part, and for those who know me, I’m not the most serious of people.
First Bite means the world to me, it helped me in so many ways and I learnt so much from it. It will always have a place in my heart, as will Rebecca and Colin, who became like family.
