Hannah in the Spotlight by Natasha Mac a'Bháird

audience?
    We decided to act out the scene where Pauline needs a new dress to go to an audition. Her old velvet dress was shabby and worn and too short for her, but they had no money for a new one. It was one of my favourite parts of the book, because the girls are all so anxious that Paulinehas to look right for her audition, and so determined to find a way around their money troubles.
    When we had finished I turned nervously to Sadie, hoping she’d have something encouraging to say, but she had her head on one side and was frowning a little, as if she was thinking deeply. Meg wasn’t saying anything either.
    The silence was too much for me, and I blurted out, ‘Well, what did you think?’
    ‘Well, you certainly know your lines, and you’ve got the pauses in the right places, and the gestures too,’ Sadie said. ‘But tell me, Hannah, what were you feeling when you were speaking?’
    ‘What do you mean?’ I asked.
    ‘What was going through your head? Where were you picturing yourself?’
    ‘I’m not sure,’ I admitted. ‘I was just concentrating on getting my lines right.’
    ‘I thought so. Because I have to tell you, I didn’t get the sense that I was watching Pauline speaking, feeling worried about making a good impression at her audition, anxious about how they’ll pay for a new dress, but also feeling proud of the fact that she’s old enough to get an acting licence and might be earning money for the family. All I saw was Hannah, who’s learned all her lines perfectly, it’s true, but who’s never known what it’s like to feel worried about money, and who’s never worn a velvet dress, shabbyor otherwise!’
    I could feel my face burning. How could Sadie think I wasn’t convincing as Pauline? I loved Pauline – she was my favourite character – I’d wanted to be her from the minute Ruby suggested doing Ballet Shoes . I did know how she felt – I might not have worn a velvet dress, or travelled to theatre school on the London Underground, but I had the same longing to be on the stage that she had, the same passion for taking on a new role.
    But as Sadie went on the realisation crept over me that she was right. My annoyance started to turn to embarrassment. I’d been so busy being the Star Club director that I’d forgotten to work hard enough on my own acting.
    Sadie seemed to know how I was feeling, and she patted me gently on the shoulder. ‘Now don’t be disheartened, Hannah. You have plenty of potential, I can see that already. You just need to practise getting inside your character’s mind. For example, how do you think Pauline feels when Petrova suggests selling their necklaces to earn money to buy the new dress? Think about it for a minute before you answer.’
    Meg was pretending to be deeply engrossed in the script, which I was grateful for. I thought for a minute like Sadie said, then I said hesitatingly, ‘She’s excited that they have a plan and that she’ll be able to get a new dress and not have to go to the audition in her ordinary clothes likeNana was suggesting. But she feels guilty that Petrova and Posy have to sell their necklaces too. She’s all mixed up.’
    ‘Exactly!’ Sadie exclaimed. ‘You do understand her! You just need to really think about it while you’re speaking so you can convey those feelings in your voice and in your movements. Now, let’s run through it again.’
    I did my best to ignore my embarrassment and throw myself into the character of Pauline. Sadie made us go over the lines again and again, and suddenly I felt something click. I knew from Sadie’s reaction when I said the line, ‘If only we had some money’, that I’d finally got it right, though she didn’t say anything until we’d got to the end of the scene.
    ‘Fantastic, girls!’ she exclaimed then. ‘Hannah, that’s much better. Keep working on that and you’ll get there in no time.’
    ‘Thanks, Sadie,’ I said.
    ‘Look at the time!’ Meg exclaimed. ‘We need to get