SPOTLIGHT ON... REBECCA DYER
- theatrereviews
- May 21
- 4 min read
We recently talked to theatre advocate and performance teacher Rebecca Dyer...
Q. Where in Lincolnshire are you based, and what was your first ever live performance that you participated in?
"I currently live in Dunholme, and Perform Lincs is based in Lincoln itself. All of our classes and our first concert ‘A Night at the Musicals’ will take place at the Blue Room, a beautiful space located at the Lawn."
Q. What was it that first drew you to the Lincoln theatre/arts scene? What do you think the city/area does well for local artists/performers and could things be improved?
"I have grown up as a part of the Lincoln theatre scene, I remember being 6 years old and desperate to join the Theatre Royal School of Performing Arts! I went to a few of the performing arts schools around Lincoln as a child, and have performed on the Lincoln stages since the age of 7. It’s now very exciting to be coming back to it!
The fact that there are multiple theatres and performance spaces around Lincoln is wonderful, particularly for a small city. For those that want to be a part of a production, there are opportunities there, but I believe there could be more. There are so many classes and opportunities for children to learn and develop musical theatre, singing and dancing skills, we want there to be more for adults too. The area has so much talent, I believe there could be more professional opportunities created too."
Q. Give me three words that describe what theatre means to you.
"Joy, love, freedom."
Q. You've worked across stage and TV... What particular stand-out projects and productions can you share with us?
"My first ever professional show was 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln. I was 7 years old, playing Dosey the Dwarf and I fell in love with performing. I think this was when I decided that performing is what I wanted to dedicate my life to. My most recent show was 'Dick Whittington' at the Artrix in Bromsgrove; this was my first title character and lead part and something I am incredibly proud of.
The coolest project I have worked on would be the music video for Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jets’!"
Q. That is very cool! Can you share your fondest, or a particularly strong, on-stage/backstage memory?
"During my run as Dick Whittington, myself and a few of the principal cast members went to visit the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. The panto had been recorded to then be shown in the hospital for families to be able to get together and watch a panto for Christmas. We then went to do a meet-and-greet with those families. If was one of the most heartbreaking moments but also the most rewarding."
Q. What's the most challenging thing about working in this industry, right now?
"That’s a tricky question, I think that really depends on where you are at with your work. If you’re starting out or you’re trying to get work, just getting auditions and self-tapes can be tough. If you’re lucky enough to have the auditions then dealing with rejection can be a hard pill to swallow, and if you land the job then the workload can be fairly big! But it’s definitely a rollercoaster; there are challenges, but the rewards are so great! If you love performing then it does all feel worth it when it pays off!"
Q. Perform Lincs... it's really taking off! What makes it so unique and why is there such an appetite for it?
"While Lincoln does have opportunities for adults to perform, there were no weekly musical theatre classes to learn to combine singing and harmonies with a dance routine, some people love musical theatre but have no desire to be on stage at the present, if at all, so a class like ours is perfect for them!
We also cater for different abilities, so if you’re a beginner or intermediate level we already have the classes on our timetable!"
Q. Talk me through the show on 23rd May at the Blue Room. What can audiences expect?
"We’re very excited for the show! The cast consists of four performers, all of whom have grown up in Lincolnshire, myself included, and have since gone off perform professionally. We’re all going to be back in our hometown for ‘A Night at the Musicals’, which will include solos, duets, trios and quartets of some famous show tunes, and some tunes that are beautiful but more unknown! We have some gorgeous harmonies and songs that we have been working very hard on and can’t wait to share with our audience!"
Q. You're already doing a fantastic job. Can I ask what the overall ambition is for the project, and what other creative work is in the pipeline for you?
Thank you, we would love to see Perform Lincs really grow, not just in what classes we can offer, but in creating professional opportunities for performers, particularly Lincolnshire based talent. We have such an abundance of talent here, we should celebrate that and keep the arts scene growing in Lincoln.
In terms of creative work for me, that’s on hold at the moment as I’ve dedicated myself to Perform Lincs! Although, I would love to do another panto this Christmas!
Q. Back to 'Perform Lincs', could you give me one popular song title that describes the 'Perform Lincs' experience and journey thus far?
"I don’t think just one song title could sum it up! It’s been such an amazing whirlwind - so have two (but from the same musical)… 'Journey to the Past' and 'In My Dreams' (Anastasia).
Coming back to our roots have been incredibly heartwarming and rewarding, and we are fulfilling a dream."
Tickets for the Perform Lincs showcase (Saturday 23rd May, 7.30pm at The Blue Room in Lincoln) can be purchased via the link below.
For more information on 'Perform Lincs', please visit the website below.
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