Networks Blog Stories Nr. 19: Reyna Sánchez

Time for Blog Story Number 19, filled with the theatre memories of Reyna Sánchez. She is no longer active as an actress but Networks Theatre clearly means a lot to her!

1. What’s your name? Reyna Sánchez

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name? Amy

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 6

4. Name them! Flight, Dracula, Peter Pan, Romeo & Juliet, Robin Hood II: The Prince Strikes Back, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs.

5. What was your first show? Flight

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? I felt very important when Nick suggested to me to do Flight, because I thought that taking part in a show was an honour for a student, but I was also a bit sad because of my shyness.

7. A) What is your earliest memory of Nick? I was used to his shouts, because he was my teacher, but in rehearsals he shouted even more (if possible). Sometimes he went home with his face red, but the next day, he returned happy again.

B) What is your favourite memory of Nick? He had a lot of patience with me, and he always said to the cast how sorry he was about his anger.

C) What is your scariest memory of Nick? I cannot choose just one :S... but I think once, when I was speaking in the small room and another when I was a dancer and he told me to smile while dancing, but I couldn't so he started shouting, and he kept shouting at me a whole week, until I managed to do what he wanted, and he congratulated me.

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, because my shyness had disappeared.

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? After the last show, (my favourite one) I even cried, because it was my birthday and the dancers had invented a special song for me. I knew it was going to be my last show, and I was sad, but I also felt that I had never been so happy and free on stage.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? I like almost all of them, but I really like the photo of the dancers 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? I think 'Pride and Prejudice' would be amazing if Nick directed it. Any film or show turns out incredible in Nick's hands!!!

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word? UNIQUE

Networks Blog Stories Nr. 18: Alba Ballesta

Alba Ballesta is the subject of Networks Blog Stories Number 18! Having done more or less 14 shows (who´s counting these things anyway?! ;) we can safely call her a Networks Theatre veteran. Alba performed many memorable parts, but we will perhaps especially remember her as The Scarecrow Girl...


1. What’s your name? Alba Ballesta.

2. Do you have a Networks name? Hannah. There’s a little story about my Networks name. On my first day at Networks, when I entered the class, Nick told me I had to choose an English name. He gave me a piece of paper with plenty of names I had never heard of. I looked at him and pointed at the first one I saw, Laura. There was another Laura in the class, so he made me pick a different one. I was a bag of nerves when I came into class and now it was getting worse. So I waited for Nick to answer. “Hannah is a nice name” he said. I smiled and mumbled “ok”.

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 14? Numbers is not my strong point. N.B Well, we´ll just have to assume you´re right then! ;)

4. Name them! Flight, Dracula, Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, The Prince and the Pauper, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Kindertransport, Robin Hood and the ABBA Silver Disk, Robin Hood: The Prince Strikes Back, Cinderella, Odysseus, Remembrance and The Scarecrow Girl.

5. What was your first show? Flight.

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? I remember me trying to remember where I should go when I finished my lines, whether it was the office or the small room. And if it was the small room I wondered how I was going to manage to find a place there with twenty more children.

7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? I love the image of Nick on stage holding a bunch of flowers with a big smile and almost crying in “Kindertransport”.

8. What has been your favourite show to date? I couldn’t choose one. I keep a special memory from each one, each show is meaningful. It’s like being asked which of my children I love most; I just don’t know what to say (in the second case it’s because, obviously, I’m not a mother, and in the first one I’ve already explained it).

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? I love the butterflies in your stomach when you are waiting to go on stage.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? Any group photo. N.B. I´ve attached the group photo of The Scarecrow Girl (of course :)

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? I could suggest making a certain show, but.. each to his own. Nick knows what the perfect ingredients of a show are.

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

Networks Blog Stories Nr. 17: Antonio Ortiz

Networks Blog Story Nr. 17 features Antonio Ortiz, or should we just call him Bananaboy?;) Antonio has already been a star in 11 Networks shows and is about to take part in another production: the upcoming show When I Was Me!


1. What’s your name? Antonio Ortiz Poveda

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name? Tony. Sometimes Nick calls me Bananaboy...

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 11 shows

4. Name them! Dracula, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Scrooge.com, Make a Wish, Ocean Blue, Junior Saves Christmas, Frankenstein, Adventures in Pantoland, Around the World in 80 days and another one I don't remember now. N.B. Ironically, the missing show is Bananas The Musical, Bananaboy! ;)

5. What was your first show? Dracula

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? When I was doing Dracula, there was a kid, one year older than me, going up on stage (from the office), and he fell down and I fell with him.

7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? Favourite: When we sang the main song of Beauty and the Beast together; for giving me the chance, being so young, to do that show… and scariest: Once in Make a Wish I had to go early and he shouted at me, then I came in again saying that a friend had to come with me, then he shouted again..

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Beauty and the Beast.

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? Like I said before, when I sang the main song of Beauty and the Beast with Nick.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? One of Scrooge.com.

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? Some action film, like Die Hard; it would be difficult but great.

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word? Magic.

Networks Blog Stories Nr. 16: Alberto Ortuño

Blog Story Nr. 16 is about Alberto Ortuño. 16 is also the incredible number of shows in which Alberto participated, and that´s not even including his latest part, a Grease guy in Psychedelic Cool, singing about Beauty School Drop-outs and other cool things... :)

1. What’s your name? Alberto Ortuño

2. Do you have a Networks name? Albert

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 16!

4. Name them! Bamboo Princess, Christmas at the Majestic Hotel, The Fairy Tale Mix, Ugly!, Peter Pan, Prince and the Pauper, Scrooge.com, Make a Wish, My! School Musical, Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood and the ABBA Silver Disk, Robin Hood: The Prince Strikes Back, Odysseus, Three Princesses in Waiting, Frankenstein and Dick Whittington.

5. What was your first show? Bamboo Princess.

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? That my mummy and daddy didn’t like me and wanted to leave me there… I suppose L

7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? Well I could just answer all of them in one... Craziest man ever!

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Well difficult answer, but maybe Three Princesses in Waiting, ¡In some sports you’re jumping, in some sports you’re…!

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? Uuuh! Practising Roberto’s, Juan Carlos´ and my dances… :D

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? One of a Robin Hood 1 rehearsal, we look so young and happy... being together doing what we love the most. N.B. Eh, Alberto, this answer sounds remarkably familiar. In fact it´s an exact copy of Diana´s answer to this question... So to change a bit, I´ve added a photo of Alberto as Ugly! ;) Didn´t think you could escape that, did you?!

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 now… heyyyy why not do Cinderella?? You’ve never done it before.. :S

12. Finally can you sum up Networks Theatre in just one word? Organised mess. N.B. right, one word...

Networks Blog Stories Nr. 13: María Ortiz

Networks Blog Stories Nr. 13 is all about María Ortiz. Multiple Alex award-winning and Networks actress from day 1 (of the theatre, not of her life ; ) she, of course, has lots to say about her Networks experience.

1. What’s your name? Maria Ortiz Poveda

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name? Mary, Maria...

3. How many shows have you appeared in? I think 16.

4. Name them! "The Selfish Giant and the Happy Prince", "Millenium", "A Christmas Carol", "Treasure Planet", "Bamboo Princess", "Robin Hood", "Welcome to Sweetville", "Christmas at the Majestic Hotel", "Flight", "Peter Pan", "The Prince and the Pauper", "Beauty and the Beast", "Robin Hood and the Abba Silver Disc", "Robin Hood 2 the Prince Strikes Back", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Frankenstein".

5. What was your first show? "The Selfish Giant and The Happy Prince"

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows?
One of my earliest memories of the shows is sitting on the stage with David waiting to be told our role in the play. As we were the youngest students I was afraid of doing something stupd or making Nick get angry with me.

7. A) What is your earliest memory of Nick?
Of Nick... I remember him smoking during the rehearsals breaks, and saying “boys, two minutes!” but they always were longer than that.

B) What is your favourite memory of Nick?
I have always loved seeing Nick cry. He has cried at every birthday party we have prepared for him. I like it because we are used to a strong, responsible and sometimes angry Nick, but in moments like those he shows us that he is just like a big baby.

C) What is your scariest memory of Nick?
Uuu jaja, David and I always remember this moment. It happened many years ago, I think I was eight or nine years old, during the rehearsals of the first show of all. I was kneeling on the front row and we were doing a scene with blue cloth as if it was the sea, and Sharon, one of the actors, was pretending to be a magician. We rehearsed that scene at least five times, and she was always late to enter on stage from the “Small Room”. During one of the repetitions of her entry, Nick took an orange juice and threw it towards the edge of the stage while shouting: “Sharon!! That was late!!”. In the end I was covered in orange juice and Sharon abandoned the show.
Sooo memorable.

8. What has been your favourite show to date?
Without doubt “Robin Hood I”.

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? The best of every show is the public. Watching their faces from the “Small Room” door, hearing them laugh or the applause at the end. It makes you feel complete, satisfied and like you´re flying. They are the real critics of your work, theatre is made for entertaining people, if you don’t do it well, you fail. It’s amazing being on stage and know they are having a good time watching you. It’s just the best feeling I have ever had.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? Robin Hood 2, Friday, the cast.

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?
I know it’s difficult, but new jokes; most of them have been used in so many shows. I think the subjects and the stories are good, some of them sad, some happy and other ones a bit of singing =), but all of them magical.

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word? Electricity

Networks Blog Stories 2: Pedro Murcia

It´s time for the second story in the Networks Blog Stories section. This time the spotlight is on Pedro Murcia, a real Networks Theatre veteran!



1. What’s your name? Pedro Murcia

2. Do you have a Networks name? Pedro

3. How many shows have you appeared in? Ten shows

4. Name them!: Millennium Show, Robin Hood, Bamboo Princess, Treasure Planet, Welcome to Sweetville, The Prince and the pauper, Beauty and the Beast, The two Robin Hoods (Best shows ever), Frankenstein

5. What was your first show? Millennium, back in 1999. I was 10 by then.

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? Hello sunny Orihuela

7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? Earliest: Bee Gee's Tragedy on Millennium show
Favourite: Nick's american accent. Scariest: Nick yelling at me when I was making laugh of something he said...

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Robin Hood, first and second part. Great cast, great script...

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? When Nick said that I absorb english

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? I like the group photos of all the shows. Its scary to see all the hairstyles you've had. N.B. I´ve added the group photo of Welcome to Sweetville (June 2002).

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? Try with one of Tom Sharpe's stories

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