Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club actor and director Nikki Pontin talks about her return to the stage with Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads.
Acting and theatre has been a huge part of my life since l was a child, but the last time l graced the stage was as Titania in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream 13 years ago when my twins were tiny, and l swore l had retired from acting. Plus, Titania was an amazing role to bow out on!
I had two more rounds of directing after that, one for a touring production of ‘Talking Heads’, and another with my self-penned play ‘2 Glasses and a Bottle of Red’ for Square One Productions, but as my career took off, l couldn’t commit to rehearsals because l was either travelling or simply too busy! So, when l saw that The Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club was having a social reading for Talking Heads l thought it was a great opportunity to dip my toe back in without committing to a full-time production. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened and l enjoyed myself far too much, l didn’t realise how much my creative side was missing an outlet, although several people might already say l am a ‘dramatic’ person.
I remember first reading ‘Her Big Chance’ 25 years ago and I immediately wished l could play the role. Lesley is just so innocent and excitable. She is passionate about self-improvement as a person and as an actress and always wants to do her best. What makes the role so fun is the intimacy and openness with the audience and through her storytelling they get a real insight into her life and the situations she finds herself in, sometimes with more clarity and awareness than Lesley herself. She is the type of person you want to root for but also wonder what on earth she is going to say next.
With the show being a monologue, the hardest part was learning the lines, which to my surprise was not as hard as expected, and l was fortunate to be able to fit rehearsals around work and family. l knew l probably wouldn’t get this opportunity again so l couldn’t stop myself saying yes when asked if l would like to take part. We were fortunate to have three wonderful stories and two other very talented actors to bring Graham and Irene to life. The thing l love about Alan Bennett is that you can always relate to the text, he is a master of observation, and even though some of the dialogue is dated in terms of references, they still apply today. I couldn’t wait to take part in this amazing production.