Networks Blog Stories Nr. 20: Sara Ballesta

Networks Blog Story Nr. 20 is about Sara Ballesta! She has participated in an amazing 19 shows, not only as an actress but also as the "sound-and-lights-girl", and as such she has played an essential part in Networks Theatre. Right now Sara is rehearsing for one of the main parts in the next Networks show When I Was Me. So where will it end...? ;)

1. What’s your name? Sara

2. Do you have a Networks name? Sarah

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 19 (including the ones in which I've done the lights)

4. Name them! Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, Scrooge.com, Robin Hood and the Abba Silver Disc, Ocean Blue, Cinderella, Make a Wish, Robin Hood the Prince Strikes Back, My School Musical, Snow White, Odysseus, The Scarecrow Girl, Remembrance, Dick Whittington, Frankenstein, The Three Princesses in Waiting, Distant Thunder, A Christmas Carol, Psychedelic Cool.

5. What was your first show? Peter Pan

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? I remember in the first rehearsal of Peter Pan you asked us our telephone numbers; I got very nervous and I started to think of the numbers in English, but when I had learnt them all by heart, you jumped me and asked my sister... shit!


7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? My scariest memory of Nick was last year in Dick Whittington, in the dress rehearsal of Tuesday (with audience). I was doing the lights and I had to use a new CD that Nick had recorded with new tracks. When we were about to finish the show I realized the new CD didn’t have the final tracks, luckily I could easily solve the mistake by changing the CD for another that had all the tracks; apparently, the audience didn’t realize, but (of course) Nick did, and after the audience had left he started shouting "I told you to check the CD!!!" I wanted to explain to him that I didn’t have time to check the whole disc, but he carried on "well, it’s not my fault, it’s not my problem" (I hate it when he says that) I was feeling too bad to say a word so I just went home as soon as I could. But anyway, I know he also felt bad, after all, because the following day he was too nice to me.

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Robin Hood (both)

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? There are loads; but, well, I remember when we were doing Odysseus at Teatro Circo; at the end of the last show, Nick came up to the stage saying, with tears in his eyes, "I’m very proud of you". That’s a nice memory.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? The best ones have already been sent and if I now have to start to look for a photo I will never choose one. N.B. Thanks! That means I had to choose them! ;) So there´s Sara doing the sound and lights and Sara in Snow White.

11. Are there any ideas you’d like to give Nick when he’s planning productions. Stories or subjects that you think might make good shows? Not to use the "show inside a show" plot for a few years!

12. Finally can you sum up Networks Theatre in just one word? Bittersweet