Breaking the Cycle: I’m Fine Thanks and Other Lies We Tell

Let’s be real, how many times have you said 'I’m fine, thanks!' when your brain was actually a chaotic mess of 47 different thoughts? As Brits, our default setting is to keep things under wraps, but we’ve all got those unspoken feelings, secrets, and life-shaping moments we keep locked away.

Well, get ready for a serious dose of emotional catharsis, because the award-winning Project Dance is coming to Westlands, and they’re bringing all those unspoken thoughts to the stage in the most breathtaking way possible.

Their brand-new production, Things I’ve Never Said, is a heart-touching, life-affirming story told through spectacular, world-class dance theatre and a stunning original score by Charles Harrison.
Born in Yeovil, Seen on the BBC

We love a locally made success story, and Project Dance is exactly that. Founded by Yeovil’s very own James Bamford, this incredible company has been busy building a nationwide reputation and has been featured on the BBC.

Now, they are heading back to where it all began to give us a truly transformative night out.

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Quick-Fire Questions with Director James Bamford

We caught up with Co-Writer and Director James Bamford to get the real inside scoop (and maybe pry a few secrets out of him ahead of the show)...

1. If you had to describe Charles Harrison's original soundtrack using only three emojis, what would they be?

2. The show tackles big, important themes like mental health. How did you and Grace Noelle balance making the narrative deeply moving but ultimately uplifting and life-affirming?

Finding the balance was a priority for us from the beginning. The show does explore some difficult themes, but we never wanted to create something that left people feeling hopeless, that's not what a Project Dance show is for. At its heart, TINS (Things I've Never Said) is really about human connection and the things that can happen when we allow ourselves to be seen and understood.

Grace and I have tried to approach the story with a lot of honesty. We don’t shy away from the difficult moments, but there is also humour, warmth and a real sense of hope running throughout the production. I think some of the most powerful stories are the ones that make you feel a kaleidoscope of emotions - that is what we have tried to achieve

3. Will we be seeing you on stage for Things I’ve Never Said?

*sighs* not this time.

It's absolutely a bucket list item to join my dancers on stage for one of our feature productions, but I don't think it will be when we're premiering a new work. Never say never...

4. As a Yeovil-born creative, how does it feel bringing a production to your hometown? Do you notice a difference in audience reactions around the country?

It is the highlight of our year to bring our work back home. Project Dance started here when I was 14 years old, so there is something quite surreal about creating these increasingly ambitious productions and then bringing them back to the place where the whole thing began.

There is definitely a different feeling in the room when we're in Yeovil. We have people in the audience who have followed Project Dance for years, alongside people who might be seeing our work for the very first time. There is a sense of family that will always be difficult to replicate anywhere else.

One of the things I love about touring, though, is seeing how differently audiences respond around the country. You can perform exactly the same show in two different places and feel completely different energy in the room. That is part of what makes live theatre so exciting. We're so lucky that wherever we travel, our audiences never fail to be generous, supportive and warm.

5. What’s your process when you create a new show, and how does it differ from when you choreograph for our Christmas panto?

When I create a new dance theatre production, everything comes from the story, which we must write before anything else. With Things I’ve Never Said, we started with the idea of all the thoughts people carry around with them, but have never said out loud. From there, Grace and I developed the characters, their lives and the world of the production, and then everything else begins to grow around that. All of this is directly informed by a collaboration with Charles; from the very first narrative concept, he responded with musical ideas, suggestions and motifs, so that both the narrative and score could evolve together. In recent years, music has become intrinsic to developing our stories.

Choreography is one part of a huge puzzle: music, set, lighting, costumes, and more all contribute to the world we want to build. The constant focus across all departments is that every creative decision must help us tell the same story.

Panto is a very different process because I step into an existing world and help achieve the team's vision for the production exclusively from a dance perspective. It is brilliant fun, and has its own very specific language and traditions which can both be celebrated an reimagined. With Project Dance, I am usually building the entire world from the ground up, wanting to create something wholly new, rather than something inspired by tradition.

6. No spoilers, but what is the one specific moment or visual that you think will have people talking when the curtains close?

No spoilers indeed! However, this year, inspired by the show's sentiments, we have conceived a really exciting way to include the feelings of hundreds of people in the production. I'll leave it at that...

7. How did Project Dance start, and what were you doing before this?

Project Dance started in Yeovil in 2018. At the time, I was still at school and training as a dancer. I became increasingly aware that talented young people around me simply didn’t have access to the same opportunities, networks or experiences as others. I really wanted to try and change that.

What began as a project created by young people for young people has grown into an organisation that creates and tours original dance theatre, works with emerging dancers and provides opportunities for young people to access high-quality dance experiences.

Since then, I have trained professionally and worked across the sector as a dancer, choreographer, director and producer. Project Dance has grown alongside me throughout all of that and remains truly my North star. We are much bigger and more ambitious than we were in 2018, but the fundamental belief has never really changed: we don’t need to wait for permission or for somebody else to create the opportunities we believe should exist.

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Hearing the heart and intentionality that goes into every single frame of a Project Dance production makes us appreciate the craft even more. It takes a lot of bravery to put the things we never say out loud onto a public stage, but if anyone can do it beautifully, it's this company.

Don't Wait for the Reviews...

Don't be left wishing you'd grabbed a ticket when the reviews come out. Bring your friends, bring your family, and let’s support phenomenal home-grown talent together.

Grab your tickets to Project Dance Presents: Things I’ve Never Said right here!