Congratulations, celebrations and the student social scene

Although life at Southampton has most recently been fairly hectic in terms of workload, career planning, and theatrical commitments aplenty (with rehearsals stepping up a notch for the Student Union Theatre Group’s production of Romeo & Juliet, which lands in the Nuffield Theatre this very week!), there’s another side you often hear about before you go to  university, and with good reason: the very active, varied and enjoyable social scene!

My Group Design Project wrapped up this week after the final project presentations and showcasing at the Turner Sims Concert Hall (the presentation weirdly somehow felt like another performance to prepare for!). Now it’s time to take stock of the year so far, do a bit of planning for the weeks and months ahead, and set some new goals for the rest of 2015 and my time at university.

While the semester’s new modules are still in that early stage where you’re being gradually eased into subjects, and content is a little more introductory in nature, you tend to be given a brief respite from the coursework assignments around the corner while settling in to the new term. This therefore makes it the perfect time to celebrate a first term well done by meeting up with friends, relaxing a little more, and generally appreciating one another’s slightly less library-centred calendars, at least for the time being!

Plus, while Romeo & Juliet rehearsals have been happening so regularly recently, it’s been great to be able to go along with the cast and crew to the Students' Union pub, The Stag’s, on a few occasions. After a productive session of Shakespeare or two, it’s the perfect way of getting to know one another better (rather than our Veronian characters!) and cementing the natural camaraderie that arises through being members of the same cast, particularly when you’re all struggling with a text which is at times quite baffling in terms of language – it’s good to reassure one another you’re not the only one!

The pub itself, The Stag’s, is a fantastically vibrant and homely place where not only are prices suitably cheap (and therefore great for living on a student budget!), but also the variety of options are perfectly tailored to the student market. For example, they’ve just introduced toasties to the menu, with plenty of options in terms of fillings; the annual ale festival offers plenty of tantalising selections local to Hampshire, and the atmosphere around when there’s a football game being shown is second-to-none, as I found out last summer during the World Cup!

Aside from The Stag’s, the University’s Highfield Campus also offers a communal restaurant, the well-stocked Jubilee Sports Hall and Gymnasium, the awesome Students’ Union café (with some of the friendliest staff you will ever meet!), bars, a nightclub, a cinema, many sports halls and multi-purpose spaces aplenty - and that’s just scratching the surface! The best thing, though, is that there really is a social space for absolutely everyone to visit, regardless of how you fancy spending your time (catering for activities both alcoholic and non-so!) – so it’s very easy to end up adopting them as a home from home as a result!

On another social front, I’ve also recently been lucky enough to attend the Daily Echo Curtain Calls, the self-titled ‘Oscars of the South’ which are always a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the amateur dramatic scene in the South.

This time around I went along to the glitzy ceremony to celebrate the achievements of my incredibly talented housemate of four years, Robyn, who had received a well-deserved (and unexpected - by her, at least!) nod for Best Actress in a Musical, and I also attended wearing the Presidential hat of the musical theatre society SUSU Showstoppers, to support its other nominated members.

A few of us at the Curtain Call Awards Ceremony 2015, a great occasion!

A nominee myself last year for Best Director of a Drama with my favourite production, ‘Equus’, I knew a fantastic evening lay in store for everyone, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. There was a vivacious atmosphere, stunning decorations and entertainment, a great disco and, best of all, a sumptuous three-course dinner that positively tickled the taste buds - a mile away from the beans on toast I’d been wolfing down before rehearsals every day!

In terms of the awards themselves, it was another hugely successful year as two members of the society, Ruthie and Scarlett, emerged with the coveted ‘Best Choreographer’ award, along with a member of our sister society, Theatre Group, who won “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.” Congratulations and celebrations all round!

So while my second and final semester here is slowly but surely gearing up into full swing, Southampton life seems to have retained its ability to never have a dull moment, and I couldn’t be enjoying it more!

Robin