i was sadly informed today of the passing of andrew price. andy was the first person to ever teach me how to perform. he taught me how to sing. he taught me how to act (sorry i am so shit at this andy) and he advised me to be less of the prick i was at school and in life.
andy was a very powerful figure in my young life. my childhood was absolutely dreadful and i was suffering a whole multitude of abuse in my home and then some more at school. this entire time andy was teaching me drama at school. after my father died at 14, he being my main abuser, i felt a lease of freedom that meant i was able to take those first steps to being the person i am now. it took me many years to feel at peace and comfort with myself but it all began with andy shouting instructions at me with passion, throwing tantrums and turning tables over because i fucked up a line in his musical play or i had just said something so blindingly stupid that he couldn’t take me seriously.
i was a young person going through some serious shit and andy, despite being brutally honest and sincere about how i should and should not be, showed me a level of empathy that i have never forgotten. he allowed me to be in his musical plays, he put his faith and trust in me, and he was honest with me when i pissed him off for being the egotistical little dick that i was when i was 14 to 22 years old. he gave me purpose and through his theatre company - the derby youth theatre workshop - he gave me a small breather from awful things happening in my home. i sat in my first ever pub next to him and listened to his jokes. i went on my first school trips with him and listened to his humour and his silliness. i went to his house after shows had wrapped and stared in awe at the artworks and crafts he had in his home. i was terrible at socialising but i knew i was in the presence of an incredibly skilled and unique individual. he allowed me to stay with him until 6pm after school most days to help him build his theatre sets for shows. it meant so much to me and i cling to these memories as he safeguarded me from the trauma in my home.
i let andy down on many occasions as a young person. he gave me opportunities and i squandered them as my life was a mess. however, andy persisted with me and this is why i will never forget him and every time i released a new record i always hoped that maybe he would have taken a listen and possibly liked just one of my songs. i seeked his approval because he was such a kind and special figure in my young life, an incredibly visionary who had such a huge passion for theatre and new york city. from the age of 20 i never spoke to andrew again. i had set off on my own travels, my own lives journey but i was so lucky and blessed to have his advice and words with me.
i remember writing a letter to andy about my abuse, explaining to him why i was such a letdown from time to time and i asked his forgiveness for exiting his theatre company twice. once because i thought i was going to be a big movie star (what a twat i was at 16) and the last time because i was struggling with my mental health.
wherever i go and whatever i do, i will always mention andrew price and how he taught me to be the performer i am on stage today. i am proud to have been a complex pupil of his because he, in turn, showed me what a true teacher and director can be. a leader. an organiser. but most of all, an inspiring person and i am eternally grateful for the important and hugely needed advice that he gave me along with his peers. i feel a deep sadness today and i am sure that many who have worked with andy and been students of andy will feel this same way, he was that special and unique an individual.
andy, i hope i can do you proud with the wonderful things happening in my music career, and i truly owe a lot of my drive, determination and love for music and theatre, to you. thank you so much. rest in power. xox
(i have included below a recorded performance for andy’s derby youth theatre workshop, the show was called trouble and is from 2004, i am 16 years old in this recording)
