It might seem a little audacious of me to be offering advice for navigating the Cambridge theatre scene when I’d only describe my involvement as some consistent dabbling. However, all too quickly, my time here is coming to an end, and I would like to leave something behind to future theatre enthusiasts. When I look back on my time, and my respectable handful of Camdram credits, I am pleased to report that I am mainly reminded of the fun I have had. Therefore, this is what I feel most qualified to give advice upon, and I hereby offer you my top tips for retaining your whimsy and peace of mind in the fast-paced and often stressful world of Camdram.

Get comfortable saying no

This especially applies to anyone who is in a peripheral role and mainly there to have fun rather than pour their very lifeblood into the production (not that you would admit this to the director, of course). Remembering that you are under no obligation to do anything – that you are not a professional, you are not under contract, and you are not getting paid – is amazingly liberating. Once you have established this, you can remember that you’re doing this all for the love of the game, which will give you a much more positive attitude, reminding you why you actually want to be involved. While not an excuse to be disrespectful or unreliable, this will allow you to keep a healthy detachment from the chaos at the heart of any production, empowering you to say things like: no I don’t think it’s necessary for me to be in rehearsals all day again tomorrow, and it’s my friend’s birthday, so I’m afraid I won’t be doing that.

“You can remember that you’re doing this all for the love of the game”

And, amazingly, nobody can do anything about this because (and please imagine I’m whispering this) any fellow student who is in a position of power over you, like a director or producer, only has entirely made-up power based on your goodwill and voluntary co-operation. Naturally, don’t seek to undermine this goodwill, but you are allowed to protect your peace. Perhaps this doesn’t seem radical, and I’m just a people-pleaser, but it was an important realisation for me. Similarly: you don’t have to accept any role you’re offered just because it feels rude to say no, or because you think it comes with kudos. Check you actually want to do it. People say no all the time, I promise.

Don’t live in fear of rejection or judgement

This one is difficult, but very important for having fun. It is also, like my first point, closely related to remembering that, in the most wonderful and beautiful way, none of this really matters in the grand scheme of things. It only matters in relation to you, the people choosing to be involved. You, alone, get to decide what is important and what isn’t. I would strongly advise deciding that having fun, making memories and growing as a person are what counts (and, ideally, creating something you can be proud of).

“When you look back, you will want to find happy memories, not just five-star reviews”

However, receiving yet another rejection email from a show doesn’t matter (practise telling yourself how little that show matters until it sticks, and then go on a walk or eat some cake). Making a hash of things by mistake in the audition room, or even on stage, doesn’t matter. Agreeing to try out an accent or a whacky costume that you later regret doesn’t matter. With no disrespect at all to this publication, receiving a bad review doesn’t really matter. With all of this in mind, go ahead and try out anything you feel like doing. Other people will decide for themselves whether you’re any good and that (you guessed it) doesn’t really matter.

Prioritise the people

I’ll admit that this is something I wish I’d been better at myself. Hopefully, any show you are involved in will make an effort to organise socials. As a particular species of extroverted introvert (or vice-versa) who can’t live without the constant company of her friends but does find meeting new people quite intimidating and tiring, I tended to skip these in favour of curling up at home with a film and my pre-chosen circle of favourite people. While far from a poor use of time, this did mean I didn’t manage to make real friends on the shows I worked on. Theatre is great for expanding your horizons and allowing you to meet people outside of your college or course. Prioritise making connections with people as you work on a show, rather than just focusing on the practicalities. That way, you might have someone to muck about with during lulls in rehearsals, and to commiserate with when the post-show blues hits.

Without wishing to be the stereotypical wistful, teary-eyed finalist constantly ruminating on the fleeting nature of youth, it does all go by so quickly. When you look back, you will want to find happy memories, not just five-star reviews. Now that my wisdom has been imparted, I retire to my rocking chair and urge you to go forth and have fun with theatre.