Dick Whittington
Director: Liz Chubb
Performed: 02/12/2022 to 19/11/2022
Roles: Dick Whittington
I had done Pantomimes before, but never a touring one in primary schools, which was a very different experience. There was only three of us who not only acted in the show, but set up and took down all the set and tech as well. Sometimes, we performed to walls of sound, but it was incredibly rewarding seeing the overjoyed faces of the children. Panto is a gauntlet, that will always keep you on your toes, but I’ve never laughed more during any production.
Romeo and Juliet
Director: Michael Woodwood
Performed: 04/11/2022 to 10/11/2022
Roles: Benvolio and Paris
What a dream of a professional debut. Getting to perform Shakespeare in such a vibrant, physical, and fast moving adaptation was incredible. Being able to work with seasoned actors and crew taught me so much, and I was able to discover new things not only about performing in verse, but also in strengths I had as a performer. We worked at such a fast pace, but that meant I was able to just stay fully immersed in the project the whole time. Performing the play in front of a sold out theatre of school kids was an experience I won’t soon forget, which also taught me much when it comes to feeling an audience and learning to react off them, not only your fellow cast members.
Rose Bruford – New Writing ‘Fox Play’ & ‘Give Me A Lidl’ Break’
Director: Ben Samuels
Performed: 15/07/2022 to 17/07/2022
Roles: Axel and Sugar-Baby
‘Fox Play’ – written by my fellow Bruford graduate Hannah Redfern – was an incredibly challenging play. My character goes through a lot of intense emotions and situations one and the other. This meant the show was an incredible lesson in stamina for me – I got to work on how to maintain such a high-energy piece. What I had to do scared and excited me, and I loved the opportunity to push myself. With the lovely musical ‘Give Me A Lidl Break’ – written by Olivia May Hunt from Bruford too – I got to just have fun. The characters are zany, but still grounded in reality, and finding that line kept things engaging.
James III: The True Mirror
Director: Gary Pillai
Performed: 27/05/2022 to 29/05/2022
Role: Sandy
For this play, set in medieval Scotland, I had the chance to build a character with an accent. It was an exciting challenge, and I loved the transformative feeling it gave me. On top of that, the scale of the piece, alongside the modern designs, meant I could just fall into the world – the entire experience was very immersive. The political melodrama of it all was so fun to play with, and Gary’s direction allowed for our own thoughts and ideas to shine through too.
House of Gloucester
Directors: Luke Martin & Patrick Burley-Brown
Performed: 18/03/2022
Role: Edgar
Getting the opportunity to direct not only a play, but one written by Shakespeare was incredible. I first started working on an edited down version of King Lear in 2018. The time the script had to develop and deepen – as well as the time I had to further my skills – resulting in both it and me feeling ready to be put on. It was a lot of work, but the final performance was an electric experience. I love all the characters in the play, and especially the interpretations our actors found. Edgar is a character I have kept coming back to throughout my training, and I’ll be forever grateful for getting the chance to fully embody and explore him. By design, the play was an intense, tiring, muddy and bloody one – and I loved every second of it.
3 Winters
Director: Stephen Darcy
Performed: 11/11/2021 to 13/11/2021
Roles: Aleksandar King/Musician/Fight Captain
“I’ve never been so involved with the music of a production before which was really exciting and scary all at the same time. With Aleksander I was able to explore how to physically embody a character more than ever before. Under Stephen’s sharp direction, I learnt not only how to focus in my performance, but also how to then have fun and explore within that focus.”
The Tempest
Director: Lucy Betts
Performed: 12/05/2021 to 14/05/2021
Role: Ferdinand
“Being able to perform some more Shakespeare is always a treat. Our director Lucy Betts created such a magically musical world and theatrical language that perfectly matched the beautiful poetry of Shakespeare’s script. After playing some more threatening characters, it was nice to play with the more naive vulnerability that Ferdinand has. Performing outside was also a really useful experience, learning how to fill a greater space with my performance. The final piece was a fast moving and full of fun.”
Gladly Otherwise
Director: Luke Kernaghan
Performed: 02/12/2020 and 03/12/2020
Role: Man
“N.F. Simpson has such a bizarre style to his scenarios, but surprisingly Gladly Otherwise was one of the more grounded Absurdist Shorts presented in the anthology directed masterfully by Luke Kernaghan. It was a great opportunity to perform a lesser performed writer who plays with similar themes and styles to Pinter. Finding a precision as well as play with the allusive character I was playing was a welcomed challenge.”
Jekyll & Hyde
Director: Simon Stephens
Performed: 23/01/2019 to 05/02/2019
Role: Dr. Lanyon
“Evan Placey’s script is so fast-paced and cinematic, it almost felt we were making a thriller film and putting it onstage. Building a character who worked almost more as a political statement – representing the archaic way of thinking – as opposed to a entirely naturalistic character was a compelling balance to have to find.”
Much Ado About Nothing
Director: Rae McKen
Performed: 16/05/2018
Role: Benedick
“I have such a deep love for Shakespeare, and this was my first chance to perform Shakespeare onstage. I learnt so much about being a reactive and alive actor during the rehearsals for this show, as well as how to take stylistic language and make it sound natural. The amount of precision but play within the show was incredible, and I still remember the show fondly.”