"It was my life - and not being able to perform for 18 months was a real downer." Anna Neary is reflecting on the personal impact of the pandemic. "It was my hobby, but it was also my social life - most of my friends were involved in amateur theatre."
Indeed, over the past few years Anna has appeared in productions in Andover and Newbury, as well as Basingstoke.
"But suddenly all that was taken away. It was awful, I hated it! In lockdown you thought, 'will we ever get that back again'?"
Anna Neary
Now though, happier times have returned, with Anna currently rehearsing the female lead role of Jovie in Elf - the Musical, heading to the Haymarket Theatre in November.
"It's wonderful to be with people who've missed theatre as much as you have. It's made me even more passionate about performing. BATS was one of the first groups to get the ball rolling again, and Elf is an amazing show to come back with."
Elf - The Musical is based on the hugely popular Christmas film starring Will Ferrell as Santa's oversized, incompetent elf Buddy, who's unaware he's actually a human.
The stage show adds some spectacularly festive song and dance numbers which bring together Buddy, played by Craig Saunders, with Anna's character Jovie.
"She's a girl who hasn't had the best time in life, and hasn't had her chance with romance. I've acted with Craig before and it's been fun to bounce off each other. Jovie is more of a 'real' character while Buddy is quite over the top!"
Rhianon Mone
At Thursday night's performance, the roles of Buddy and Jovie will be played by James Young and Rhianon Mone. BATS took the decision to double cast the lead roles as a contingency plan in case Covid hit the cast, but also to give two other talented performers the chance to lead the show.
“I’ve taken a lot of time out of performing due to completing my degree,” says Rhiannon, “so it’s been great to get such a fantastic opportunity and challenge in such a jolly show!”
Anna agrees. “It's an iconic film - and now it's a show for all the family! We've put in a lot of hard work and it's going to be a treat for everyone.
"After all, who doesn't love Christmas?"
You can see Anna and Rhianon as Jovie in Elf - The Musical at the Haymarket from 9-13 November. Buy tickets online.