There seems to be a recurring theme running through A Touch of Drama theatre group based at Silverwood Garden Centre in Long Sutton.
A number of its members have turned real disadvantage or possible disaster into positive opportunity and personal development.
Take Zoe Marie Sheldon (34) of Gedney who has shrugged off the limitations of dyslexia to become one of the theatre group’s trainee workshop leaders.
She said: “When I was at school, the teachers thought I was thick because I couldn’t remember my lines in plays.
“I knew in myself that I could act but when you have an adult saying ‘no you can’t,’ you tend to believe it.”
Zoe Marie finally discovered her acting talents whilst working for a family-run entertainment business in Portugal and she now runs her own firm, Party Angels, that organises children’s parties and school discos.
“Someone from A Touch of Drama posted a flyer through my letterbox and I told myself that I’d love to be part of it,” Zoe Marie said.
“I had experience in entertaining people and some proper training as a drama teacher but, above all, I’ve always wanted to be a performer.
“Just being with like-minded people who love to be on stage gives me such a buzz and I know that anyone who comes along to have a look at our group will want to come back.”
A Touch of Drama is run by Brett Moore (52) from Surfleet who set up his own theatre company after surviving a motorbike accident near his home on the A16 four years ago.
Brett said: “It was pretty serious because I was knocked unconcious and the accident left me on crutches for six months.
“But it was an event that made me change what I wanted to do, so I went to university and studied performing arts with an emphasis on bringing theatre into communities.
“A Touch of Drama is about taking drama to places where people don’t get a chance to do it or can’t afford to go to other theatre groups in South Holland.
“We did a bit of research about the Long Sutton area and found out that there were a lot of kids who didn’t have the opportunity to go to Spalding and join theatre groups there.
“We haven’t had any negative comments about the group so far and things are going pretty well.”
The group is currently rehearsing for a guest slot at the Peterborough Motorhome Show later this month and workshop co-ordinator Laura Scott hopes it will be the start of big things for A Touch of Drama.
She said: “We don’t want the group to die but to have it run by the community for the community.”