by Saoirse Anton

This column is coming to you a little later than usual as I have been away on holidays! When I returned and began thinking of what to write this month, my mind kept drifting back to the amazing time I had just spent in Morocco. I love visiting new places, and I particularly love being somewhere totally different from home, where I don’t know the language and am unfamiliar with the flow of daily life.

Camel Rides to Columns

Prior to last week, I wouldn’t have thought I would agree to riding a camel, but when presented with the opportunity I did. The first few moments as the camel lurched to its feet and I found myself much further from the ground than I imagined, picturing myself pitching off the side as the camel stood and turned, I was very unsure in my decision. There was a not insignificant part of me that was very sure I wanted to have my feet back on the ground right away, but there was another part that was giddy with excitement and adrenaline. Once I found my balance and we set off across the desert, I was thrilled, and I spent the rest of the afternoon on a high from my camel ride.

In the Comfort Zone

Trying something new can be daunting – our comfort zones gained that title for a reason, they are comfortable! And stepping outside of that zone risks discomfort, even if only very temporary. But it is outside of your comfort zone that you find new and interesting things, you find the chance to change and grow. With every step outside of your comfort zone, you make the boundaries of that zone expand and become more flexible.

I’m not just talking about camel rides or other exciting once-off experiences. You can step out of your comfort zone in so many every day ways – ordering something new at a restaurant, trying a new recipe for dinner, taking a new route on a walk, listening to a new artist outside of your usual genres, asking your librarian to recommend a book that isn’t in your usual wheelhouse. Or, given this is a theatre column, why not book yourself a ticket to something you wouldn’t normally go for this month?

Step into the Unknown…

If your default is to head to a musical, why not try a play, or if your default is a play, why not pick up a ticket to a contemporary dance show? Pop in to your local venue and see what is coming up in the programme that looks new to you. At best, you find a gem, at worst, you spend an evening on something you don’t particularly like, and even that can have its positives. Who doesn’t enjoy ranting at length about something they really liked or really hated?

Theatre is a hugely varied art-form, from classic tragic plays and farcical comedies, to Butoh dance theatre and pacy one-hander contemporary monologues, and beyond. There is no doubt that theatre has something for everyone, but I would wager that it actually has at least two things for everyone, so head on out some evening or afternoon this month and try something outside your theatrical comfort zone!