My youngest son James has quit his top Cambridge drama group
for golf. I was hoping he had a promising thespian life ahead of him, having played many lead roles and even appeared on TV.
This morning I dropped him off at his golf club to play a junior tournament. He asked me to drop him off at 9am (even though it starts at 11.30am), a thick fog engulfed the course and the car park was already beginning to fill up.
James is meticulous about what he wears there. He asked me to buy him a pair of pinstriped trousers for Christmas – to wear playing golf. These are what he is wearing today. Last night I had to wash his little green towel with his club logo on, having washed it only last week, so it was immaculate. This is used to wipe off any mud on his clubs, one which cost him £180 of his own money to buy, money which he earned from his TV work.
This photo was taken for James’ acting portfolio just before Christmas to be sent to leading theatrical agents. However, James begrudged spending all day every Saturday at his drama group, he yearned to be outside playing golf instead. It’s his life, and his choice, I had to listen to his views and desires.
Hopefully, it’s not a total abandonment of theatre life as James will audition on Saturday for a role in a production of Oliver at Cambridge Corn Exchange – he once played a brilliant Artful Dodger. He does have talent and I don’t want to see it wasted, watching him on stage gives me – and others – so much pleasure.
As I left James at the golf club, (which only costs £75 annual junior membership for free admission all year), he told me how the ambulance had been called there yesterday when he had been practising. An elderly man had been walloped on the face by a speeding golf ball and he did not look a pretty sight. I will try not to worry about that happening to James.
P.S. How could I have forgotten to have mentioned that James is appearing in his school’s production of 42nd Street later this month, they always out on first-class entertainment.
How very disappointing!
WW, that’s how I felt too, but how can you force a 15-year-old boy to continue going along if he no longer wishes to? He has a passion for golf and this is what gives him much happiness.
well acting is something you can do at any age, so perhaps he might go back to it at a later stage?
Couldnt he do both?
Acting is much more hit than miss. My cousin who everyone said would find work because of his gifts now manages a call centre. He found himself lined up in auditions against hundreds who could do the same as him.
Golf, on the other hand, may not offer a secure career path in its own right but by heck it will endear him to his bosses and give his prospects a social boost. Golfing skills can be the difference between being chosen for a job or not.
there is plenty of money in it!!
I had one of these. Junior golfers, that is, not Thespians. He belonged to a fabulous private club near us as a junior member and spent many years there until he left for graduate school in another city. He even ended up working in the pro shop and practically lived at the golf course. It was great for him and since he was very shy it helped this too for he had to deal with all the members.
I can add that there is a young man in our village who is a superb singer and actor and started doing it professionally when he left school. He joined a touring theatre group which put on shows in schools. I would travel miles to see him, he is so good. However, he has given it up due to lack of security and has applied to join the police force. Another loss of talent.
However, there is another talented thespian down the road from me who is a brilliant actor and singer and is so far making it pay, having performed on cruise ships and is now performing in a show in Cologne. Which reminds me, I suggested to his mother that we go over there one weekend to see the show, I must remind her about this.
I can’t lie and say I am not disappointed about James’ decision, I am, but he needed to have a stronger commitment and passion to make it succeed. And all that passion is used on the golf course.
I collected James from the golf course at 6pm and he had his best score ever and was thrilled. His practice obviously paid off. He was unscathed too and came home in one piece, as well as was being well fed there. It cost £4 for the whole day, including a hot meal, what great value. He wants to go back and play again today.
He is also practising hard for Oliver. For the audition, he will have to sing one song of his choice from the musical which will be Consider Yourself, as well as demonstrate his dancing skills. No problem there. He knows the competition will be tough and really wants to be offered a part. One day he would love to play Fagin. I always wanted him to play Oliver as James is blond with blue eyes, but it is really the least interesting part, the baddies are the roles that are much meatier and more fun.
Hope he gets the part and you never know – he might go back to acting later in life.
Probably for the best, you don’t see as many successful golfers in ‘rehab’ as you do showbiz bods.
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