10. Write a letter to someone you’ve not seen or spoken to in at least two years
- - -
Hello Toc! I don't have a clue if you remember me or not; it has been a while, and you have taught many people… I also hope you're still shaping people's artistic lives at the college, mainly because it means this letter will get to you, but also because you're good at what you do.
I'm Ivan - one of your students back in 2004/2005. For my final project I made a bunch of signs, including a very big one that said 'Cup of Tea'… I was fresh out of school and your course opened my eyes to a whole world of new possibilities. I felt that you were perhaps a bit disappointed in my choice to go to Royal Holloway to do a Drama & Theatre Studies degree. And then even more disappointed when you bumped into me a year later, still at the college, this time doing a music course worth roughly half a GCSE whilst I 'made it with the band'.
Well, I eventually did go to university, and with my Art Foundation in my back pocket I had some of the best years ever. After watching a show by a Belgian company called Ontroerend Goed that completely destroyed everything I thought theatre was (in a good way) I ended up being part of a company called non zero one that does stuff I would like to think you'd enjoy. Our final project was a participatory audio performance that ended up being commissioned by the Barbican (which was nice). We've been ridiculously lucky (thanks to the extremely ambitious people I have attached myself to); since then we have performed on the roof of the National Theatre and back again at the Barbican. Which leads me to this letter. The new show we are developing is looking at themes of commitment, and for the past month we have all committed to complete a series of 28 tasks. Today I have to write a letter to someone I've not seen or spoken to in at least two years, and you were the first person I thought of.
So, hello!
I just want to say thank you for a wonderfully unforgettable year of work and play. And sorry that I never did an Art degree. I'd like to think that when I'm older and have the time, I'll go back and actually learn to draw hands and feet… maybe.
Anyway, it'd be lovely to have a pint with you one day. I really should also come up and see my parents more often (I'm living in London). Actually, I'm up in Liverpool on Thursday 3rd October. If you're around. I'll be performing an hour of comedy as part of the festival. I didn't mention that, did I? I'm kind of a comedian too. I'm part of a double act called Max and Ivan, and we've done alright, we won the Foster's Comedy Award (formerly Perrier) in Edinburgh a couple of years ago, and we were taken to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year. As I said, I've been very lucky. Anyway, if you want tickets to what I'm sure will be a sparsely attended show, then give me a shout. I'll pop some non-archaic ways of contacting me below…
Thanks for reading all of this.
Ivan.
