Welcome to Play on Stage.

I’m writing this blog at 9:25pm on Thursday the 3rd of April, a few hours before we officially launch Play on Stage as a new business and hit ‘make live’ on the website button. Usually, I’m a lot more organised. I’m the type of person who in university finished assignments days in advance and colour-coded the events in her diary. Lately, I haven’t had the time to be as organised. Or at least, not in that sense. Lately, it’s been all about ticking off the to-do boxes in the lead up to launch date.

Have I found someone to design a new logo? Tick

Have I spoken to my accountant? Tick

Have I finally learnt how to make anchor links? Tick

Have I had a mental breakdown because of Xero, Squarespace or Google Workplace? Tick

Have I understood what SEO stands for and why it’s important? Tick

Have I had enough coffee today? Maybe?

Has Harry had enough coffee today? Definitely not.

Have I found the time to play with my dog Babushka in the backyard today?

Setting up this new business has been the most time-consuming thing I’ve ever done. The way I’ve described it to my friends and family is that when I finish paid work I come home and do hours of unpaid work on setting up the business. But it’s been worth the small steps to be able to share this website and this platform with you today.

Someone pinch me.

Actually don’t.

I’ve worked too hard for this.

Since I was in primary school, it's always been a dream of mine to have my own youth theatre company and theatre space. I fell in love with performing, storytelling and just simply being on stage from a young age. It might be a cliche, but when I’m on stage embodying a character or directing a group of young people, I feel invincible. I feel courageous. I feel brave. I feel like the truest and most authentic version of me. This might sound strange to you as I am indeed playing a character, but within that wonderful realm between reality and fiction, I find the truth of living.

When my parents separated, I would go to my local theatre and just sit in the auditorium as I processed my grief. When I got my first academic award at school, I went to the theatre and jumped up and down on its stage. When I was tired at university, I went to the auditorium and just lay on the stage, looking at the light’s hanging from the roof. I immediately felt recharged. I always felt at home.

And so, one can argue that I’ve been chasing that feeling. Since I was in primary school, I've worked hard to reach that goal, working with a plethora of companies in different roles, developing my skill set as an artist, facilitator and business woman.

In recent years, my work as a sole trader in 'Virag Dombay Productions', as creative director and team leader of Room to Play Kids, as well as the director and playwright of my own independent and professional productions, has fuelled this belief even further.

Introducing, Play on Stage! My very own youth drama studio and production company that offers services including publications, in-schools workshops, community outreach events and so much more. That young girl's dream is well and truly in the process of coming true.

Whilst this blog post was a bit sentimental, we will be writing weekly blogs about working with young people and the arts, featuring a range of artists that work with young people.

And what’s a blog post without a shameless pug? Our first play as ‘Play on Stage’ is called Lunchboxed In and it’s on this Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of April. It’s a one act play, filled with lunchtime conversations and lunchbox snacks. Harry and myself wrote it, I also directed it with Jack Barrett, and it features three incredible young actors. Get your tickets here.