A Student’s Story
Last week, one of our long-term students joined us in the office for Work Experience. Josh has been part of The Playing Space since 2018, and we asked him to reflect on his journey with us.
My Time at The Playing Space
By Josh B (Work Experience Student, 2026)
I started classes at The Playing Space when I was 7 years old.
The good things I want to say are that I really enjoy playing drama games and learning how to project my voice. My favourite game is Mafia, especially with my teacher, Holly Rivers. I don’t have any bad things to say about The Playing Space – everything is perfect.
The reason I am writing this is because I am doing work experience here, helping the CEO, Gabi Maddocks, and other staff. Some of the jobs I have done include cleaning tables (for example, removing paint stains so they look new again), which the CEO was very proud of. She said that the stains had been there for years and I shouldn’t worry about them, but I was determined and with spray and a cloth and a lot of elbow grease I got it all off. I also helped fill out registers, searched for images to use as public speaking visual aids, and added them into documents, helped with LAMDA exam spreadsheets and carried the kettle to the studio. I didn’t realise the kettle was full and I accidentally poured water on the floor. This meant I had an extra job – using kitchen roll to clean it up!
In March 2025, I performed at a festival in Southgate and won Best Comedy Performer for my role as Pugsley in The Addams Family. This year I played the Demogorgon for our scene, which we adapted from Stranger Things. The Adjudicator said:
“I loved the Demogorgon mask – you fully embraced this role, Joshua, even during the bow, it’s great to have
some fun with the audience!”
In December 2025, I took my LAMDA Grade 3 solo devising exam and achieved a distinction (89/100). The examiner said, “You have a flair for comedy.”
It’s good to see how much progress I made, because when I started in 2018 I wasn’t able to do a LAMDA exam yet and now I’ve done lots of them: Verse and Prose, Acting and Devising (my favourite!).
If The Playing Space ever closed down in the future, I would be very upset and miss it a lot.
That is all I can say.
Thoughts from Gabi (aka “The CEO”)
It has been a joy to watch Josh grow up. When he started he was an energetic little boy who struggled to concentrate, particularly during conversations. Within a year he was scoring in the Distinction category for the conversation element of the Introductory LAMDA Exam. Now, as a mature and intelligent performer, he uses his voice in a really inventive way. The way he transformed from the Demogorgon to the Father in this year’s festival was phenomenal – many adult actors can’t modulate their voice so effectively!
One of the things that I am proudest of at The Playing Space, is the nurturing, creative environment we’ve built for so many different personalities. Josh’s long-term commitment to his drama classes combined with his teacher’s encouragement, has helped him grow in skill and confidence – as evidenced by examiner and adjudicator feedback.
Thanks for all your hard work in the office this week, Josh! You’ve been brilliant. And if that table ever gets covered in paint stains again, I know who to turn to.