{"id":7059,"date":"2024-11-19T10:46:38","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T10:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=7059"},"modified":"2025-06-02T16:26:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:26:22","slug":"maggie-livermore-acting-diary-the-show-must-go-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/young-performers\/maggie-livermore-acting-diary-the-show-must-go-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Diary of a Young Performer: The Show Must Go On"},"content":{"rendered":"

Young performer Maggie Livermore shares her experience performing in \u2018Till the Stars Come Down\u2019 at the National Theatre and how she dealt with unexpected events.<\/span><\/h2>\n

With <\/span>press and opening night<\/span><\/a> over, the run of <\/span>Till the Stars Come Down <\/span><\/i>officially began, and young performer Maggie Livermore loved every moment of it. Maggie played \u2018Sarah\u2019 in the Olivier Award-nominated play, which was on at the National Theatre from 24 January to 16 March 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

This role was Maggie\u2019s debut performance on stage, and she kept a diary about all the events she encountered and the thoughts she had during this amazing experience. Maggie\u2019s diary is an insightful and informative look into the realities of performing in a production as a young performer and will no doubt help guide other young performers during their own stage debut journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>the second instalment of Maggie\u2019s diary<\/span><\/a>, rehearsals ended and press and opening nights were a success. In the last part of this three-part series, we\u2019ll see how Maggie deals with the unexpected actions and reactions of the audience, last-minute calls and cancellations, and surprise guests. Whatever happens, the show must go on!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what she shared:<\/span><\/p>\n

4 February 2024: Fun Routines<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve come up with my own \u2018Sarah\u2019 dance. We know the soundtrack inside out and every time Britney comes on (and I\u2019m not on stage that night as \u2018Sarah\u2019), I dance along backstage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ruby Stokes (\u2018Leanne\u2019) and I have come up with our own sister\u2019s handshake. We do it every night before going on stage. I\u2019m going to miss her so much once the show is over.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The whole cast warms up and pats their backs with the mantra, \u201cI\u2019ve got your back.\u201d We don\u2019t always get the chance to join in due to licensing. As I\u2019m a child actor, I\u2019m only allowed to work a certain number of hours. The chaperones keep us in our dressing room and we normally have the voice coaches come to help us warm up our voices.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 February 2024: Break a\u2026 Tooth?<\/h3>\n

Seconds before my entrance for the show, one of my teeth suddenly fell out! Luckily my character\u2019s dad ‘John\u2019 (Derek Riddell) was holding a glass of water and I could quickly gulp some down to flush out the blood in my mouth. Gigi, my chaperone, made sure to hold onto my tooth before I ran on. I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ll have a visit from the tooth fairy tonight!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, if I have friends or family in to see the show, I go for dinner on the South Bank. I think the South Bank is the prettiest place in all of London and the best place to work. There\u2019s so much choice: pizza, pasta, noodles \u2013 whatever floats your boat! So far, I\u2019ve had noodles from Wagamama probably 10 times (and I\u2019d gladly go for more)! I\u2019m so grateful that my mum and dad can take me to the show every day. They tend to sit in the National Theatre or Pret and work.<\/span><\/p>\n

13 February 2024: A Last Minute Call<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m at my granny\u2019s house when we get a call from the Stage Manager to say that I need to get into London as one of the other \u2018Sarah\u2019 is ill. I quickly grab dinner, and Dad and I jump on the train.<\/span><\/p>\n

We travelled back from Marylebone, and I was thrilled when I spotted a <\/span>Till the Stars Come Down<\/span><\/i> poster on a wall by the escalator at the train station!<\/span><\/p>\n

I love my dressing room. I\u2019ve decorated it with the cards and gifts I\u2019ve received from friends and family who have come to see the show. And I have a pet \u2013 there\u2019s a resident mouse living in my dressing room. She\u2019s the cutest little thing! I want to hold her, but Mum and Dad won\u2019t let me. I suspect the chaperones wouldn\u2019t let me either. It\u2019s probably for the best!<\/span><\/p>\n

17 February 2024: A Funny Response<\/h3>\n

I find it really interesting how different audiences react to the play. Tonight, we had an amazing audience. We normally get a lot of laughs, particularly Lorraine Ashbourne as \u2018Aunty Carol\u2019. \u2018Sarah\u2019 does get some laughs, too, but tonight, they found everything hilarious. I mean <\/span>everything<\/span><\/i>! Even things that we didn\u2019t think were funny. It\u2019s a lovely reaction, of course, but it took some getting used to as we had to wait in between saying our lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that at the end of the show, at the stage door, there are often people waiting to see the actors? The first time it happened, it really threw me! I didn\u2019t know where to sign my autograph. Gigi helped by finding my photo in the programme so that I could sign it properly. So far, I have signed a fair number of programmes! It feels unreal, and I want to soak it all up and never forget this feeling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Audience members often come up to congratulate me on the show, ask me questions or comment on the show itself. It\u2019s always very positive. Again, I feel incredibly lucky for this opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

20 February 2024: Surprise Cancellation<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, the play had to be cancelled tonight because someone was ill. I was sad as I had lots of friends coming to see me. One of my teachers had bought me flowers and dropped them off to me anyway later that evening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope my fellow cast member feels better soon!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

24 February 2024: The Actor and the Audience<\/h3>\n

We had another fantastic audience tonight. They were very vocal, which is always nice. I suppose that\u2019s the thing about plays \u2013 it\u2019s all in real time and you never know what’s going to happen. There was a group of teenagers in and they were so engaged with the play. At one point, one of them shouted, \u201cLiar!\u201d to Ruby really loudly. That person was so involved in the story that they felt compelled to comment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been thinking about this, and it\u2019s incredible that a piece of theatre can stir such strong emotions<\/span> from an audience. As I\u2019ve said before, the reactions to the play differ, but generally, audience members will sing and clap along with Marek.\u00a0 They cheer when \u2018Aunty Carol\u2019 does her dance. There\u2019s an audible gasp when \u2018Leanne\u2019 kisses \u2018Marek\u2019. Some audiences will cheer on \u2018Grandad Tony\u2019s\u2019 Tarzan. And some audiences are generally very quiet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an actor, you must be prepared for it all.\u00a0 You never know what response you\u2019re going to get and I love that about theatre. It\u2019s a living experience, and one show is never the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

28 February 2024: My Agent Attends<\/h3>\n

My agent, Andrew, came to see the show. I was a little nervous because I wanted to make sure I do well. Andrew and I had an orange juice beforehand in the Underbelly \u2013 the place next to the stage door. After the show, he came to congratulate me. He absolutely loved the play!<\/span><\/p>\n

29 February 2024: Running Late<\/h3>\n

We got to the stage door as normal and waited for the chaperones to turn up. It was getting close to the start of the show and they were nowhere to be seen and we hadn\u2019t heard anything either. There had been train delays that day, so we guessed it would be linked to this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, we heard from Gigi and Georgia (the chaperones) who had been held on their train underground going into London Bridge. As they were going to be late, Dad got to walk with me backstage. I was honestly so excited to show him where we go, where we wait backstage and our dressing room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Maggie with co-stars Lorraine Ashbourne and Derek Riddell \/ Image credit: Georgia Griffin<\/em><\/p>\n

1 March 2024: Swearing in Front of My Teachers<\/h3>\n

Five of my teachers from school came to see the show tonight! I was so excited, but I was also nervous because I do say the F-word\u2026 Luckily, they\u2019d been warned. After the show, they came to the stage door and said they loved it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The principal of my dance school, Lauren, also came to see the show and loved it. She said she was so proud of me.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 March 2024: Don\u2019t Touch the Gravy!<\/h3>\n

Tonight, the weirdest thing happened. An audience member reached forward and put their hand in the gravy. We all noticed it, and I was a little thrown but had to keep going. What an odd thing to do!<\/span><\/p>\n

Ellie Samuels, who used to work at Spotlight, came to see the show tonight. She\u2019s been so supportive. I mentioned that I was keeping a rehearsal and performance diary and she liked the idea of sharing this with other young performers!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6 March 2024: Double Show Days<\/h3>\n

Elspeth Morrison, voice coach extraordinaire, came to see the show tonight. She helped me with the accent before the audition and is generally a lovely person. I can really recommend this type of help if you\u2019re feeling a bit unsure about a certain accent. My dad\u2019s family are all Scousers \u2013 so not quite the right Northern accent in this case!<\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday is double show day, and I often hang out with Gigi and the other standby \u2018Sarah\u2019. We went for a walk along the South Bank. We always visit Pret for a Caramel Frappuccino and then, after, we either paint or do some kind of activity backstage. The chaperones are very good at coming up with different activities to keep us occupied.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

7 March 2024: The Headteacher\u2019s Here<\/h3>\n

The headteacher of my school came to see the show tonight. She sat in the front row, so I could see her very, very clearly! It caught me off guard initially, though once I\u2019m in the show, the audience tends to fade away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She said afterwards that she was proud of me. I\u2019m so lucky to have such a supportive school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

9 March 2024: Drinking All the Juice<\/h3>\n

I was so thirsty tonight and slightly distracted. I was casually sipping my orange juice that I\u2019m supposed to drink in the play, and suddenly realised too late that I\u2019d finished it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, Gigi was able to get me a refill just before I had to go on. Note to self: remember not to drink the props!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

12 March 2024: Olivier Award Nominations<\/h3>\n

We found out that <\/span>Till the Stars Come Down<\/span><\/i> has been nominated for two Olivier Awards for Best New Play and Best Supporting Actress! Holy moly! I\u2019m so unbelievably proud to be a part of this incredible show with this amazing cast.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes we have a touch tour in the theatre. Members of the public come in and we show them the costumes and props. I can\u2019t join in, but I like watching people\u2019s reactions to the props \u2013 especially the food. The fake food looks so real! We did have real food initially, but it was changed. Oh, and all food is vegan. I can\u2019t say it\u2019s that tasty, but luckily, I only eat a packet of crisps.<\/span><\/p>\n

15 March 2024: The Last Show<\/h3>\n

Today was incredibly emotional. I received the most beautiful gift from my character\u2019s mum, \u2018Hazel\u2019 (Lucy Black) \u2013 new shiny slides for my hair. In the play, my character keeps bugging \u2018Hazel\u2019 about slides for her hair. I already have a bow, so I never get sliders for my hair.<\/span><\/p>\n

All the cast made me feel so special. The staff director, Stepan Mysko von Schultze, came to see me, which was lovely. He\u2019s been so fantastic throughout this process and I\u2019m so grateful for his direction and support. He gave me the loveliest space-themed notepad! He said that he used to take lots of notes when he was my age and he would love for me to write down all my grand ideas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I joined in the whole cast warm-up and received lovely hugs from everyone. I felt so happy to be part of this group of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

It went brilliantly \u2013 the energy was electric and on another level. During curtain call, it suddenly hit me that this would be my last time on stage. I couldn\u2019t stop the tears from falling. Lovely Lisa McGrillis (\u2018Maggie\u2019) hugged me and made sure I was okay afterwards. I came off stage and the tears wouldn\u2019t stop!<\/span><\/p>\n

Once I was at the stage door, so many people came up to congratulate me on the show. I had more hugs from the cast: Sin\u00e9ad Matthews, Lisa McGrillis, Ruby Stokes, Marc Wootton, Lorraine Ashbourne, and Alan Williams. Alan was quite emotional too and spoke with my parents, saying how proud they must be. What a lovely man.<\/span><\/p>\n

Danny Mays came to see the show and was speaking with Marc and Marc said, \u201cWasn\u2019t Maggie wonderful?\u201d and Danny agreed and gave me a high five. So cool! Samantha Morton also came backstage and congratulated the cast on the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

I had lots of stuff to bring home, including a <\/span>Till the Stars Come Down<\/span><\/i> poster that the whole cast signed. It\u2019s been the most amazing experience, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for me next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Maggie, for letting us join you on this fantastic experience and sharing your thoughts with us every step of the way.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Take a look at our website for more <\/span><\/i>tips and advice for young performers<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span><\/i>their parents<\/span><\/i><\/a>, including:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n