Showing posts sorted by relevance for query theatre. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query theatre. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday 29 March 2022
Tom Felton, Mandip Gill, Beatriz Romilly and Sam Swainsbury to Join Cast of 2:22 A Ghost Story
Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce casting news for the transfer of Danny Robins’ edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story for a third season to the Criterion Theatre. The run at the Criterion follows two record breaking runs at the Noel Coward and Gielgud Theatres and three Olivier Nominations including Best New Play as well as winning the Best New Play category in the Whatsonstage awards.
Tom Felton will play the role of Sam. Having made his breakthrough as ‘Draco Malfoy’ in the Harry Potter series of films, Tom has gone on to star in award winning films The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, A United Kingdom, and Belle, television series The Flash, Netflix filmThe Forgotten Battle and was most recently seen on screen in SKY’s Save the Cinema. Coming up, he will star in Independent Film Burial.
Tom Felton said: “I’m incredibly excited about getting to play in 2:22. I first started acting age 6 in a local theatre group and I haven’t trodden the boards since. I love the play, I’ve taken all my family to see it & everyone leaves with a smile. I’m thrilled to be part of this summers cast and will have a lot of fun with it.”
Mandip Gill will play Jenny. Mandip played companion Yasmin Khan in series 11, 12 and 13 of Doctor Who opposite Jodie Whittaker. She also played Phoebe McQueen in Hollyoaks and has appeared in Cuckoo, Doctors, The Good Karma Hospital and Casualty.
Mandip Gill said: “I am thrilled to be making my West End debut as part of the new cast of an already successful show. I am equally scared of ghosts so this should be fun”
Beatriz Romilly will play the role of Lauren. Beatriz was born in Spain. She is best known for her work in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringersand War of the Worlds. She has also appeared on stage at Chichester Festival Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and The Bush Theatre.
Beatriz Romilly said: "I’m delighted to be returning to London and joining the new 2:22 company. I feel very lucky to be working with Matthew Dunster again, and getting a chance to dive into Danny Robins nail biting script with such a wonderful creative team and cast.”
Sam Swainsbury will play Ben. Sam is known best for his roles as Jason in the BBC sitcom Mum and Rowan in the 2019 film Fisherman's Friends. In 2015, Swainsbury featured in the film Thor: The Dark World, In 2017, Swainsbury appeared on Fearless, In 2019, he appeared in Victoria as Dr John Snow.
Sam Swainsbury said: “It's such a privilege to be joining the 2:22 company! I was really drawn to the script. It's engaging, funny, exciting and poignant, but… there was something else. Something I can’t put my finger on. Drawing me to it. Almost like… like a voice. From another place. That’s normal, right?!”
Matthew Dunster said: “Planning our 3rd iteration of 2:22has been just as exciting as the first two; working with Danny and my Co-Director, Isabel Mar, and our brilliant casting directors to re-imagine the characters once more. It’s such a privilege to do that and to know audiences are excited about ‘who’s next?’ We have a wonderful cast that once again is loaded with surprise, excitement and West End Debuts. People love watching this show and we love making it.”
After breaking all box office records for a new play at the Noel Coward Theatre; described as the theatre event of the year and the hottest ticket in the West End; and after weeks of sell-out performances, the show transferred for another record breaking run at the Gielgud Theatre. The run there ended in February and a third season, this time to the Criterion Theatre, was immediately announced.
2.22 - A Ghost Story is written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist and it is directed by Matthew Dunster. Intriguing, funny and scary, it takes audiences into one adrenaline fueled night where secrets will emerge and ghosts may appear….What do you believe? And do you dare to discover the truth?
“There’s something in our house. I hear it every night, at the same time.”
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and her new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they are going to stay up… until 2.22am… and then they will know.
Danny Robins said "I'm overjoyed to have a cast of this outrageously exciting calibre for our new season. Tom and Mandip are stellar talents who I have admired for years, Sam is awesome and will be known and loved by comedy fans and Beatriz is someone I know is bursting with ability and on the cusp of stardom. Each new cast unlocks new surprises and thrills for me as a writer, each actor bringing their own distinctive take to the play. If you haven't seen 2:22 before, there's never been a better reason to come, if you have seen it, come back and see it again with this exciting line-up!”
2:22 - A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound, co-direction by Isabel Marr, casting by Jessica Ronane CDG and illusions by Chris Fisher.
2:22 - A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.
Friday 8 September 2017
Follies, National Theatre | Review
Follies
Olivier Theatre, National Theatre
★★★★
It's been 30 years since a fully staged production of Follies has been seen on a London stage so there's been a huge buzz surrounding the current production at the National Theatre, which boasts a stellar cast. The production is largely sold out but don't fret if you didn't manage to snap up tickets as it is set to be broadcast to cinemas through NT Live on November 16th.
Mr Weismann's iconic theatre is closing so to commemorate he invites all his old Follies to dance and reminisce about their time in the company. Being back in the places of their youth, many characters start being pulled back to the past and we watch as the past and present become intwined. Childhood best friends with a past, Sally and Phyllis and their husbands Buddy and Ben reopen a chapter of their lives which they all thought closed. Both couples are experiencing problems in their marriages and despite time having passed, they can't help but relive old feelings.
Follies was originally written as a straight-through piece with no interval; whilst some productions have included intervals, the National Theatre's doesn't. Speaking to others about the show it seemed that people were wary of having to sit for that long without a break and whilst it is the same as watching a film, I suppose there's more freedom and less embarrassment to have a loo break during a film. This needn't be a worry at all though as the show flows wonderfully and really builds up momentum throughout, meaning that stepping out doesn't cross your mind as the show flies by.
The entire cast are absolutely stellar, keeping up the energy from the get go to the end. I particularly enjoy Di Botcher's rendition of 'Broadway Baby' which is completely hilarious and gorgeously sung and Tracie Bennett's 'I'm Still Here' which is gritty and powerful. Her nuanced performance is one of the best I've ever seen on stage. The younger selves of the two main ladies, played by Zizi Strallen and Alex Young are extremely well performed. The mirroring of the young and old girls is spectacular and extremely moving. Alex's transition from the giddy girl into the obsessed girl is striking.
This obsession continues with the adult Sally, played by the ever brilliant, Imelda Staunton. Sally has not really changed throughout the years and comes onto the stage just as giddy as a child when we first see her. Her fragility begins to show little by little, coming to a head in her stunning rendition of the classic, 'Losing My Mind'. Sally's partner in crime, Phyllis is played by the equally brilliant, Janie Dee who is strong and sassy from start to end.
Dominic Cooke's direction creates a flow of movement and an ease throughout which is joyful to watch. Bill Dreamer's choreography works hand in hand with is and showcases the best of the Follies era. Along with the National's revolve, the choreography swims along and is faultless. A particular stand-out moment is the tap number 'Who's That Woman?'... I'm a sucker for tap and this was pulled off perfectly as the older Follies girls join their younger selves to create a thing of beauty.
Vicki Mortimer's set design cleverly shows hints of the former glory of the grand Weismann theatre as it crumbles in current day. The costumes are stunning not only with the gorgeous glitz and glam of the Follies but with how well they show off the character of each individual lady in the current day.
Overall this is an absolutely wonderful production which has everything you could wish for in a musical. There's glitz, glam, grit and emotion, which along with a perfect cast create an absolutely wonderful production of Sondheim's classic musical.
Follies runs at the National Theatre until January 3rd.
Tuesday 11 December 2018
A Christmas Carol (LMTO), Lyceum Theatre | Review
A Christmas Carol (LMTO)
Lyceum Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 10th December 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
The London Musical Theatre Orchestra are fast becoming a staple part of my Christmas tradition, with their glorious performances of A Christmas Carol really bringing the joy and festivity of the season to life, and of course, providing a wonderful night of top quality musical theatre.
Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens and with music by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens and a book by Mike Ockrent, A Christmas Carol tells the tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge as he's visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future and is forced to evaluate the way he lives his life.
Under the expert hand of Freddie Tapner the LMTO bring out all the best parts of this beautifully virtuosic score. Alan Menken's music brings a Disney-esque vibe to the story which actually broaches some dark subjects such as homelessness and poverty, and manages to evoke a whole range of emotions.
Griff Rhys Jones brings the miserable but endearing Scrooge to life with a wonderful and fresh portrayal. His performance is supremely entertaining and he manages to enthral, even in this semi-staged concert production.
As the hilarious Mr and Mrs Fezziwig (among other characters) Nicolas Colicos and Rosemary Ashe have the audience in the palms of their hands whilst they give supremely humourous and vocally powerful performances.
The vocal delights on offer in this concert are second to none, with Cedric Neal providing smooth riffs and a delicate but powerful tone that's to die for and Jeremy Secomb bringing the ultimate scrooge to life in a menacing but humourous rendition of Link By Link, in which he shows off his booming voice. David Hunter is charming as Bob Cratchit alongside the fantastic Caroline Sheen as his wife and Jon Tarcy gives a memorable performance as Young Scrooge.
I'd like to be visited by the three ghosts just to be serenaded by them. Miriam-Teak Lee is sass embodied as the brings the Ghost of Christmas Past to life. Her vocals are super strong and she really brings magic to the stage with her performance. Lucie Jones' voice continually astounds; her clear as can be vocals and stellar diction bring Emily and The Blind Old Hag to the forefront of the show and equally, as the ghost of Christmas Future who never utters a word, Lucie still magnetises the audience and gives a subtle performance that you can't be drawn away from.
The young cast are great, as are the LMTO Chorus who are perhaps the strongest chorus at an LMTO concert yet. Completely in sync throughout their humourous numbers and close harmony pieces, they ground the piece and bring a magnificent Christmas choral feel to the show.
The true festive kindness was shown when two young girls in front of us beamed from start to finish and shared a single sweet between them during the final song. Cheer and love enveloped the theatre throughout this magically festive, and brilliantly performed evening. Get yourself to the Lyceum Theatre next Monday for a jubilant night of theatre.
A Christmas Carol is on at the Lyceum theatre on Monday 17th December at 4pm and 7.30pm
photo credit: Nick Rutter
Monday 14 September 2020
Six to be the first West End musical to open post-Lockdown
The international smash-hit SIX announces that it will be the first West End musical to reopen since Lockdown
Electrifying musical phenomenon SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss will become the first West End musical to resume performances in a West End theatre when the show temporarily moves from its home at the Arts Theatre to the Lyric on Shaftesbury Avenue for a limited 11-week run beginning on Saturday November 14 through to January 31, 2021.
SIX will perform 9 shows a week at the Lyric Theatre. Capacity has been reduced to comply with COVID-19 Secure guidelines for social distancing plus robust risk mitigation. In addition to hand sanitation, face coverings and track and trace, other measures will include contactless tickets, temperature testing and the deep clean and sanitation of the theatre.
Simultaneously SIX is announcing that the UK Touring Cast will resume performances in the Lyric Theatre at the Lowry in Salford from Friday November 27, 2020 for a 6-week Christmas season.
SIX producers Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles say, ‘Across our two UK productions of SIX we have the opportunity to give work to 100 or so actors, musicians, technicians, stage managers, production managers, costume makers, marketing, press, ticketing and office staff. We accept that with social distancing it is unlikely to be economically viable, but we hope to entertain many thousands of theatregoers who have been starved of live entertainment since March. We hope that opening SIX will help build audience confidence and bring business back to the local economy. We also understand that restarting productions, particularly musicals, remains impossible for most producers for reasons of scale, finance and lack of cancellation insurance. We continue to look forward to the day when social distancing is removed and theatre can play to 100% capacity.”
SIX has become a global phenomenon since its early days as a student production in a 100-seat room at Sweet Venue during the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As the pandemic struck, SIX was playing to sold out houses in London’s West End, across the UK and Australia, and had its opening night in New York on Thursday March 12 cancelled when the New York Governor shut down Broadway three hours before the show was due to open.
SIX will return to the Arts Theatre in March 2021 subject to the lifting of social distancing, and ‘Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical’ opens at the Lyric.
Tickets for SIX at the LYRIC THEATRE will go on sale at 8am Friday 18 September
Photos by Eleanor Howarth
Thursday 10 February 2022
Full Main Stage Line Up Announced for the 2022 Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival
The Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival is pleased to announce the full main stage line up for this year’s festival at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.
Britain’s Got Talent Winners Collabro, West End and Broadway star John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera), direct from London’s West End Sophie Evans (Wicked, Wizard of Oz) and musical theatre star Lauren Samuels (Bend It Like Beckham, Grease).
They will join fellow headliners Kerry Ellis (We Will Rock You, Wicked, Oliver!), Lee Mead (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked, Legally Blonde the Musical), Cassidy Janson (&Juliet, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Avenue Q) and Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Waitress) at Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival on Sunday 1st May 2022.
Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival, which will take place in the beautiful grounds of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire and is set to become a new highlight of the theatrical calendar.
This brand-new musical theatre event is a must-see for any theatre fan, with ten hours of spectacular entertainment across several stages, family fun at the fairground, and a profusion of excellent food, drink and delights in the festival village.
The London Musical Theatre Orchestra will accompany the star-studded main stage line-up.
Further artists to be announced.
Friday 18 March 2022
Full Casting Announced for 101 Dalmatians at Regent's Park
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have today announced full casting for their forthcoming production of 101 Dalmatians (12 Jul – 28 Aug), a newly commissioned musical written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris. Based on the book by Dodie Smith, leading the cast as the iconic villain Cruella de Vil is Olivier and Tony Award nominee Kate Fleetwood.
Dalmatians Pongo and Perdi are puppeteered by Danny Collins (Pongo Voice), Emma Lucia (Perdi Voice), Yana Penrose (Perdi Head) and Ben Thompson (Pongo Head).
Also joining the cast are: Jamil Abbasi (Ensemble), Stuart Angell (Captain Head), George Bukhari (Jasper), Sonya Cullingford (Ensemble), Jade Davies (Swing), Karen Fishwick (Danielle), Joseph Fletcher (Ensemble), Taofique Folarin (Swing), Courtney George (Ensemble), Tash Holway (Swing and Dance Captain), CJ Johnson (Ensemble), Kody Mortimer (Ensemble), Simon Oskarsson (Swing), Tom Peters (Captain Voice), Eric Stroud (Dominic), Jonny Weldon (Casper), and Grace Wylde (Madam Doué).
Director Timothy Sheader said:“We are incredibly excited to finally bring 101 Dalmatians to our stage after postponing the production twice due to the pandemic. I think audiences are going to love reconnecting with this favourite story outside in Regent’s Park; the original home of Pongo and Perdi. The brand new script and music are both packed with fun and joy and I am delighted that Kate Fleetwood’s filming schedule for The Wheel of Time allows us the opportunity to work with her on creating that all time baddie, Cruella de Vil.”
101 Dalmatians is created by: Shanaé Chisholm (Casting Assistant), Josie Daxter (Associate Director), Jill Green CDG (Casting Director), Tash Holway (Associate Choreographer), Barbara Houseman (Voice and Text & Season Associate Director), Howard Hudson (Lighting Designer), Maia Kirkman-Richards (Assistant Puppet Director), Nick Lidster for Autograph (Sound Designer), Katrina Lindsay (Costume Designer), Ingrid Mackinnon (Season Associate: Intimacy Support), Tarek Merchant (Musical Director), Verity Naughton and Nick Hockaday for Verity Naughton Casting (Children’s Casting Directors), Toby Olié (Puppetry Designer and Director), Colin Richmond (Set Designer), Timothy Sheader (Director), Liam Steel (Choreographer) and Sarah Travis (Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator).
The Open Air Theatre is working with Mousetrap Theatre Projects to create a relaxed performance of 101 Dalmatians on Sunday 14 August (2.15pm). Relaxed performances are designed to provide those with learning disabilities, those who are on the autism spectrum or have other sensory and communication needs who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, the opportunity to experience the production.
Kate Fleetwood currently plays the leading role of Liandrin Guirale in Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time. Her previous stage roles include: Lady Macbeth (Chichester Festival/Gielgud/ BAM/Broadway) for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, Medea (Almeida) and Goneril in King Lear (National Theatre). She also appeared in Absolute Hell and Ugly Lies the Bone (National Theatre), Bug (Found111) and Life is a Dream (Donmar Warehouse), for which she received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Kate received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for London Road (National Theatre), and she also played Tracy Lord in High Society (Old Vic).
Kate’s television credits include: Victoria, War and Peace, The People Next Door, The Widower, Brave New World and Fate: The Winx Club Saga. Her film credits include: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Negotiator, London Road, Philomena, Les Misérables and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 90th Anniversary season also includes the musical Legally Blonde (13 May – 2 July) directed by Lucy Moss, co-writer and co-director of Six the Musical, and - in a second commission from the theatre in 2022 - Antigone (3 – 24 September) by Barber Shop Chronicles writer Inua Ellams after Sophocles, directed by Max Webster and co-directed by Jo Tyabji.
Tuesday 23 August 2016
In Conversation With... Natasha O'Brien | Children of Eden | Interview
Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Natasha O'Brien who is currently starring as Eve/Mama Noah in Children of Eden at the Union Theatre (which I reviewed here.) Natasha is an incredible performer and I got to pick her brains about all things stagey, see what we discussed below:
For anyone that doesn’t know, can you explain a little what Children of Eden is about?
So Children of Eden is, its a show in two parts, its almost like, each act, they're very closely related but they’re almost like two separate shows. The first act is the story of Adam and Eve and Father, the creation and act two is the story of Noah, and the Ark, and all the animals. But ultimately Christian Durham the director wanted to stray away from the tendency to get too religious with the show and he wanted to make the show about family and parenthood and what it means to create something and to raise something and ultimately the difficulty of letting it go to become its own thing.
Have there been any challenges with bringing this script to life?
I think trying to make this show palatable for a wide audience can be a challenge sometimes, especially nowadays the show has a tendency to be picked up a lot of religious amateur groups and it really lends itself well to those kinds of theatre groups but to take it into a broader arena maybe with a more professional cast and crew can be a challenge. I think Christian’s done a really good job making the themes very universal and just making the material watchable.
Are Eve and Mama Noah anything like you?
Yeah totally, we all bring elements of ourselves to our characters, you have nothing else to go on than your own experience. Mama Noah, she’s definitely very no-drama , she’s very chilled out, very grounded and i elected to make her that way because thats what I immediately took from her and I mean that was just sort of my first impression and I branched from that to create her. With Eve I think her precociousness and her, I don’t wanna say petulance but just a little bit of cheekiness, I really identified with that. More so in my younger years, I think that there’s a sense of wonder there that I just admire and love about that character, the way she's written and hows she's so flawed. I mean for all intents and purposes she is sort of the antagonist in the first act. You know, if she didn’t eat that apple… there would be no show, but at the same time you love her for it and you see the humanity of it and she is the embodiment of humanity and their flaws and how we have to learn how to love ourselves in spite of it all.
What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?
I think the show really goes out with a bang, from my experience, what I’ve witnessed and what people have said to me is that from ‘Ain’t it Good’ onwards you can tell that we’re rapping up the show and there are two really big, beautiful vocal numbers. You know, ‘Ain’t it Good’ is such a big piece, for me personally but just for the whole cast, energetically its really joyous and then ‘In The Beginning’ is just really vocally beautiful, the harmonies are so rich and we really get a chance to showcase the true chemistry and love and fun that we are all having together as a company and that seems to really resonate with audience members. I think vocals and the score are something people remember, they leave the theatre and they’re really happy and singing. At least I hope so!
Can you sum it up in 5 words?
Sum up the show in 5 words?! What! I just got so nervous, I just got so anxious! Okay, Family. Love. Encouragement. Belief. Trust. They’re off the top of my head without thinking too much about it which I shouldn’t anyway!
Have you found any differences between Canadian audiences and UK audiences so far?
Yeah! When I think about it the average theatre goer in Canada is much much older and we don’t have as thriving a theatre scene in one city. In London theatre is so engrained in the culture and so much indie theatre is supported by so many age groups and people from different backgrounds, there’s theatre being produced that is really so marketable, like on the West End you’ve got the massive tourist attractions but on the smaller scale, the local community with come to smaller venues like Children of Eden at the Union Theatre and we just have a much more young, excitable and supportive theatre community here in London. Its incredible and its what helps to keep the theatre industry alive. Its struggling in Canada which is one of the reasons I left, we have such a small populations spread over such a huge land mass and in order to work in Canada you have to travel all across the country, which I did. I worked everywhere from Alberta to Montreal and everywhere in between. Whereas in London you can kind of keep it, if not London based then UK based and have an actual career because there are always interesting projects coming up. There’s an actual scene here. And without an audience there’s no industry, so the audience members are younger, more enthusiastic, more supportive, more critical as well. They’re just more seasoned.
Was being a performer something you always yearned for or did you have a different career path in mind when you were younger?
Yeah. I did my first musical when I was 6 and I just kind of always did musical theatre and have always known that was it for me. There was a brief moment in my life where I had a dalliance with the idea of maybe becoming a lawyer just because I liked the sound of my own voice and I considered quite strongly becoming a paramedic. I think its like that seeking of thriving under pressure and drama, but ultimately I chose musical theatre. But it was definitely what I’ve wanted to do my whole life and something that I’ve always had as a part of my life. I’ve always done shows, I’ve always had music and performance in any form like speech competitions or saxophone exams, just always some kind of performance.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage?
You know what, I always look at myself in the mirror. Not like, “how am I looking?” but I spend a moment, have a sip of water and just focus. Its more to tune out everything around me, sometimes backstage before a show can be quite frenetic, the energy can be quite crazy and especially with this show the energy is so high and everyone is having such a good time and we’re all very much in love with each other but I need to make sure that I’m really focussed because the first act of this show goes by in like 10 minutes for me. I never stop so I just sort of stare and myself in the mirror for a few minutes and zone out, almost like an open eyed meditation in a way. Have a sip of water, make sure I pee and I’m good to go!
If you had a magic wand, what show would you do next?
Oh my god, if I had a magic wand! I would love to be in Wicked, oh god I would love it! When it first came out I was just starting drama school so it was just a part of a really magical, exciting time so my feelings attached to the music and everything, its visceral. And I mean, come on, its Wicked! It’d be amazing although part of me gets scared at the concept of that cause its like ‘oh god, every night!’ its a lot!
Alternatively I’d love to do Into The Woods, I mean any role, obviously I’m too old and too tall to play little red now but I think the bakers wife and one day I would love to play the witch. I would love to do Into the Woods and I really love Urinetown! Its so clever and good and the music just takes the piss out of every musical ever written. I would love to be in Les Mis; speaking of musicals it takes the piss out of, it just rips into Les Mis and I would just love to do it because its just a classic and to play Fantine- have a Wicked first act and then boom done!
Whats your best piece of advice for an aspiring performer?
I will share a piece of advice that Nancy Sullivan and David Thaxton shared with me back in February. There’s this amazing company called W1 workshops who I heard about from my friend Carrie O’Dowd who's also a performer and they run these incredible intensive workshops that are super affordable and always in a centrally located area and Nancy and David are both incredible, well respected established performers.
Anyway, the piece of advice that they gave and this resonated so strongly with me, they said: change your environment, surround yourself with people who are doing what you want to do and join in. Do it. Do the workshops. Take the coachings. Go to the classes. If you want to be in this industry, put yourself in the thick of it and surround yourself with people who are doing what you wanna do.
Its really easy to shy away and get overwhelmed and to let our ego and jealousy kind of cloud us but the most important thing you can do is surround yourself with people doing what you want. Its inspiring, it kicks you in the ass, it gives you an idea of whats going on and from a very practical perspective, you’re networking which is so important. I think networking gets such a gross name but networking is really just talking to people, being a normal, interesting human being with something to say and if I can’t have a conversation with someone and make them feel comfortable then I do not belong on a stage! If I can’t talk and make you feel comfortable, I am not an actor!
So I think that is probably the best piece of advice and it is exactly what has afforded me this opportunity. I mean, I’m brand new to this city, I knew no one in this industry when I moved here and it was just about throwing myself into these workshops, finding them online, going in, shaking hands, getting up with your rep and saying, “Hey Danielle Torento, we’ve never met but I’m gonna sing this song for you now” and you know, follow up emails and just do it!
Change your environment. It might be one thing you do differently a day, just one thing at a time and as you change your environment you start to develop this foundation and confidence in yourself that you are in fact, doing it. Because being an actor isn’t just being on stage, its really hard to explain that to people who aren’t in the industry. I don’t just show up somewhere 9 to 5 and have people tell me what to do, its all offstage. That [the performance] is the holiday, thats the treat, the bulk of the work is an unbelievable amount of groundwork, so, change your environment. That would be the advice… and its not even mine, I’m just passing it along because I think its a golden nugget of wisdom.
A huge thank you to Natasha for a wonderful chat!
Children of Eden at the Union Theatre is booking until September 10th, make sure you book to see this fantastic show! Tickets are available here.
Read my review of the show here.
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