Former Falkirk Herald reporter's Sunny Stars 'sideline' still going strong 20 years on

When Jennifer Marjoribanks started Sunny Stars in 2003, she intended it to be a temporary source of income until she finished her English degree at Glasgow University.

However, one wedding, three children, a career change and a global pandemic later, Sunny Stars is still going strong.

Jennifer, 40. said: “I had been teaching drama for another company for around 18 months, and when I found out they would no longer be running classes in this area, I thought I’d have a go at doing it myself, with a class in Brightons and another in Linlithgow. I remember wondering if anyone would show up.”

So many children turned up that first day that Jennifer had to immediately add an additional class in each location.

When she started her first full time job, as a reporter at the Falkirk Herald in 2004, she had fallen in love with teaching drama and did not want to give up Sunny Stars.

And when Jennifer, who lives in Falkirk with husband Brian and their three sons, Alexander, 13, Fraser, 10, and James, five, retrained as a primary teacher in 2014, she kept her classes running.

She said: “I describe Sunny Stars as acting and confidence classes. For some it is about performing. We have had pupils who have gone on to study drama at university, and onto the professional stage.

‘For others, Sunny Stars has been about increasing self esteem, and developing skills in speaking out in front of others. This is something children can then take into other areas of life.”

Initially putting on productions at Shieldhill Primary School hall, the Sunny Stars annual summer show moved to Falkirk Town Hall in 2006.

Jennifer and her students had no idea last year’s show would be their final performance at FTH.

She said: “We were all so disappointed by the decision to close FTH. However, we have a new venue for this year and I am ever hopeful Sunny Stars will return to the new town hall stage if and when it is built.”