ISSU E
03 SPR IN G
this issue
Graduate news P2 Christmas at ALRA P4 The Stage 100 Award P5 Go-Getters P6-8
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL THAT IS ALRA
Star guest P10 Northern News P11 Support from Spotlight P12
INTERVIEW: Support from Spotlight
Before and after graduation Graduating from drama school can seem quite daunting but at Spotlight we’re here as you prepare for life as an actor from your first audition and every step of your career. The process starts before you’ve even left ALRA, with the Spotlight Graduate programme. Running from January through to June, we host a series of seminars and Q&As with leading industry professionals. It’s a great chance to quiz casting directors and agents. We also offer regular free career advice podcasts, covering everything from audition technique to contacting agents. There’s also podcasts on how to make sure your Spotlight CV is selling yourself in the best possible light. An average of 708 individual roles are cast each week via Spotlight.com, and your CV showcases you to leading TV, film, stage and commercial casting directors. If you have a question about any aspect of the industry, you can call, email, Tweet or stop by our offices any time for a chat with us, and we also run free 20 minute career advice sessions every Monday where our careers expert Emma offers detailed one-to-one advice. cont’d on back page
What we’ve been up to recently: We began the year with the fantastic news that ALRA North has been named The Stage 100 Awards ‘School of the Year’ (read more on page 5) If we were If I was to sum up 2012 for ALRA in three words I’d say it’s been: frenetic, exhilarating and advantageous. From swathes of grads and staff participating in the Olympics to switching on the TV and seeing grads perform on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and on stage with the RSC and with Jude Law, I’d say 2012 was a pretty successful year for ALRA and its graduates. We polished off the year by saying goodbye to our Postgraduate actors North and South as they set foot in ‘The Big Wide World’. They celebrated with a double day of graduation ceremonies and a swanky masquerade ball in the North (pictures on page 5). Immediate success followed the Showcase week for Alice Blundell PG South who has already been cast in Northern Stage’s new theatre company called North which has been set up to help graduate actors produce more theatre in the North East. Three of our Northern PG’s have also been cast as supernumeraries in To Kill a Mockingbird which will be at The Royal Exchange, Manchester. Speedy work! Many of our Stage Management students were also very busy over the
Christmas period, involved in various pantomimes up and down the country and many other design, costume and lighting jobs. Things have been going swimmingly up North too with 2012 seeing our very first production take place at our new Northern home—The Mill at The Pier— Three Birds Alighting on a Field was performed by our PG North actors and was a great success. The theatre at The Mill at the Pier has been transformed and both staff and students alike are thrilled with the space. You can read more on the progress at Trencherfield on page 11. So as the third years come back from the Christmas break with ideas about their new shows we brace ourselves for more activity in the North and South as audition season gets fully underway. If you have an interesting story you’d like shared or would like to comment on one we’ve already featured drop us an email at info@alra.co.uk. Happy New Year! I hope 2013 brings prosperity, auditions and that feature film role you’ve had your eye on!
Graduate news: A brief selection of notable graduate news since the last edition...
Megan McCormick (3Y 2010) right has been a very busy lady, both writing and acting. She recently filmed the role of Mary in the new feature Love Bite which stars Timothy Spool and Luke Pasqualino. Following on from the success of her play Dorothy and the Scarecrow which she both wrote and appeared in at Tara Arts, her new play was featured as part of the On a Spree Christmas extravaganza at the Tristan Bates Theatre in December. Clare Fetterappa (3Y 2012) left appeared in Channel 4’s Fresh Meat
Denise Gough (3Y 2003) was nominated for the prestigious Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer. Since graduating from ALRA Denise has performed in a series of lead roles in productions such as Annie and Our New Girl. She has just finished performing as Abbie in Desire Under the Elms, at the Lyric Hammersmith which received rave reviews. To read a review of Desire Under the Elms click here
Kristen Anthony (3Y 2012) right Has been on a bit of a whirlwind ride since graduating– she found out just days after completing the final year that she had a part as understudy to Cat Woman in the World Tour of Batman Live the Arena Tour! Kelsi Lewis (SMTT 2011) below Since
Rob Saunders (3Y 2011)above is doing fantastically well having been cast in another Polka production- The Wind in the Willows as Toad. You can catch him there until February. To book tickets please click here.
graduating Kelsi has been Apprentice Stage Manager on The Lion In Winter at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Stage Manager for Idina Menzel at the Apollo Theatre and Stage Manager for La Fille a La Mode at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. She has just had Robert Lonsdale (3Y confirmation that 2008) above appeared she will Deputy as Lar in A Life by Hugh Stage Manage on Leonard at the Forever House, Finborough Theatre in for Theatre Royal Plymouth. October.
Stage Management Segment My first term here at ALRA, has been manic to say the least. Studying Stage Management and Technical Theatre, you automatically sign up for 13 hour days, exhaustion and a lot of stress. You may ask why we do it, however that question has never even been more than a passing thought for me. Before arriving at drama school, I had little experience in Stage Management and Technical Theatre, and therefore slightly unaware of how a theatre worked and assumed that we would have lessons for the first few weeks or maybe even term. How wrong I was. We were thrown in at the deep end. At the deepest end. The deepest end there could possibly be. This may sound frightening to you, and at the time it was to us first years as well, however working in this industry you have to be ready for anything and everything, and I feel like this was our first real lesson.
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Now I am writing this article realising that we have just produced three productions in three months. Throughout these three months I have learnt so much, some things that normal lessons could never have taught me. Chloe Turner 1st year SMTT 2.
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Student Spotlight: Mitchell Snell Mitchell Snell is mid-way through his second year on the three-year Acting course at ALRA South. We spoke to him about New Year’s resolutions, Shakespeare and being a nearly-professional actor...
Q– Hi, Mitch so tell us– what’s been going on with you at ALRA South so far? A- Well, the second year has been much more of a busy, crazy year for me it was a huge jump from 1st year to 2nd year and I feel I’m really engaging much more with the work. Working with scripts has been a big bonus for me because I love throwing myself into text and character work– I really feel now I can express myself. I feel more in tune with myself since completing the first year, and I think I am much more able to analyse myself and my work. Perhaps sometimes I’m just a little too critical, but I’ll work on that! - That’s my New Year’s resolution! Q– What is the best thing about the second year so far? A– I really loved working with ‘Our Town’ which was directed by Rob Swinton. I’m really big on contemporary theatre so I was so thrilled when I saw we were doing that and also tied into that was work with accents– we had to do a Southern American accent. At first I blocked myself a bit and I found it very hard to pick up. I think I tried to run before I could walk because I had quite a few characters to play and I wanted to get a different sound and resonance for each, but this on top of learning a new accent, proved a bit too much! I think that taught me a really valuable lesson though, one that I can take into the third year - pace yourself! Q– What do you hope to achieve in the near future? A– Confidence. I mean obviously I have a certain level of confidence but I need to work on getting rid of worry and self– doubt. Just shaking it off and furthering my work is what I hope to achieve. Q– So, you spoke before about entering the third year—what is your dream role? A– Well I’d love to have something really gritty—a really broken character. I mean my dream would be Hamlet but that’s not for a while yet I guess, so I’ll have to wait for that! I do love a bit of comedy too though, I’ve loved working on musicals and...pretty much everything! But I would love something macabre, a chance to tap into my inner darkness is my goal. Q- So, finally I know it’s a while off but what are your feelings about when you graduate? A– Wow, that’s a scary thought! Exciting, but scary! I am looking forward to it though, especially the independence of being out there in the real world. It’s on your shoulders whether you make it or not.
Tell us your news ALRA wants to hear what’s new in your life, acting work or no acting work don’t be a stranger. Drop us a line at info@alra.co.uk or call 020 8870 6475 Want us to feature you in the next issue? Drop us an email: info@alra.co.uk
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Christmas at ALRA...
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On January 3rd 2013 we were absolutely chuffed to bits when we heard the exciting news that we had won the prestigious ‘Stage 100 award for School of the Year 2013’! ALRA North has been up and running in Wigan for three years now and the high quality of work produced by our first set of graduates is testament to the time and energy put in by our staff and tutors. The opening of ALRA North was an exciting, and at times, scary step forward but we were keen to facilitate students in the North with the same high level of actor training as in the South. The School is within close proximity to Manchester which is fast becoming a bustling hub for the arts, playing host to the BBC and Salford’s Media City. We are still working hard to develop ALRA North and can’t wait to move into our new home at the Mill at the Pier, which should be ready in a couple of years time. With the help of our Stage 100 Award for School of the Year, we are certainly a lot closer to securing a name for ourselves. The Co-Director’s said: “We are absolutely delighted that the vision of regional training has been recognised by the Stage. A huge thank you to all the staff and students and to the Stage!” Judges’ feedback: “...With its first campus in south-west London, it was a brave step for successful drama training centre the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts to take when it established a new school in Lancashire in 2010. But three years on and the standard of ALRA North’s first set of graduates in 2012 is testament to that decision. Founded in 1979 by Sorrel Carson and Caryll Ziegler, ALRA was the first drama school to offer training that encompassed live theatre, film and broadcasting. When it opened its northern site based in Wigan, it became the first Conference of Drama Schools member to offer regional and London training. It now has three-year, postgraduate and foundation acting courses available at the new centre, plus its technical production course. ALRA North is championing the provision of regional training for actors, which is considered crucial to the industry at a time when many local arts organisations are experiencing funding cuts. It also makes a strong case for better access to drama training, because it provides training at a lower price. Course fees at ALRA North can be some 25% less than the equivalent in the south – because the centre is in a less expensive location. Add to this the reduced cost of living for students and it becomes clear that this school is opening its doors to a wider pool of students than many of its London-based rivals. With former pupils of the London based school including comedian Miranda Hart and actors Sarah Parish and Jimmy Akingbola, the panel is eager to see how the future careers of the northern graduates will shape the regional theatre of tomorrow and the benefits this will bring to the arts across the UK…” The Award’s Ceremony will take place shortly and we will share our photos online and on our Facebook page, where you can ‘like’ us for all our up-to-date news and events- ‘ALRA– The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts’.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our development so far, we couldn’t have done it without you!
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GO-GETTERS... As the UK slumps out of a terrible recession and we look through squinted eyes at the damage to our bank balances after Christmas we wanted to feature some enlivening people that will put the spring back into your step. These are people that decided not to just sit by the phone waiting for ‘that’ call but decided to make it happen for themselves. We spoke to Sam Donovan and George Turvey from PapaTango, Luke Adamson, Maria Crocker and Jonathan Holby from
Black Coffee Theatre
and Gareth Fordred from
Faction Theatre. Get ready for some inspiration... Papatango is the brainchild of Sam Donovan and George Turvey who graduated from the three year acting course in 2006 and 2007 respectively; the final musketeer is their chum Matt Roberts. Among many they count Zoë Wanamaker and David Suchet as their patrons and the Associate Artistic Director is Bruce Guthrie...
Tell us how Papatango got started and your inspiration behind it We started Papatango in 2007 shortly after I had graduated from ALRA. I was directing a play that I wanted Sam Donovan to be in, he was the year above me at ALRA. Matt Roberts, who is the final piece of the jigsaw, wanted Sam to direct him in a play so we put the shows on together at the Pleasance Theatre and it has been growing ever since. The inspiration was just to make the best theatre we possibly could and to promote new writing. What's been Papatango's highlight so far? I would say the growth of our new writing competition. It is entering it's 5th year this year and has grown from just under 100 scripts in the first year to over 700 last year with the winning playwright published by Nick Hern Books. Also the success of Foxfinder, winner of our 2011 competition. It had amazing reviews across the board and was rated as one of the top 5 shows of the year in the Independent newspaper as well as winning awards for both the writer and the director. Is there anything on the cards for 2013 that we should keep our eyes peeled for or ALRA's grads and students can get involved with? We will be launching the 2013 New Writing Competition in January with the winning play and runner up receiving a four week and three week run as part of our New Writing Festival at the Finborough Theatre in December. There is also the possibility of a production in the summer. Check out our website www.papatango.co.uk or follow us on Facebook for updates. Finally, for our recent graduates that are just stepping foot into the industry have you got any advice on making it happen for yourself? Nobody owes you a job. Instead of sitting waiting for the phone to ring take things into your own hands and create your own work. Learn from your mistakes and make the next piece bigger and better than the last. Beg, steal and borrow and ask yourself if this is the only thing that somebody will ever see you in and is it an accurate representation of your work?
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Black Coffee Theatre was created over a cup of coffee in 2010 by Luke Adamson, Jonathan Holby and Maria Crocker. They work with a small ensemble of actors to create short “shots” of theatre. They say of their work...
“...it is accessible and interesting and we want to move away from the outdated notions that still surround a lot of professional theatre…”
I hate to jump the gun but I’m brimming with excitement, if you don’t tell… I will… what exciting news have you guys just had? Well Madeline, we have been chosen to work alongside Northern Stage, ARC Stockton and Alnwick Playhouse - three big North East Theatres - to produce a piece of new writing in 2013 as part of the Bridging the Gap project, designed give opportunities to emerging theatre companies. Congratulations! We’re so pleased for you! Now, to start at the middle. Tell us about your ideas behind Black Coffee, how did you muster the courage to create it? We created BCT back when we were in second year, we had an urge to start creating our own work in our own way (with no pesky directors or tutors telling us we couldn't). So we came up with a name, found a play we wanted to do and took it to that years Edinburgh festival. And what do you think the future holds for Black Coffee? Hopefully lots of money, big stages, alcohol, star names, more alcohol, and lots of awards and accolades. Though if that doesn't happen we're just happy to keep producing our work. We're touring a new adaptation of The Seagull around the UK in April 2013, starting in Wimbledon on the 6th. Then we'll be going into pre-production for Bridging the Gap. Following that; who knows? We have a few ideas floating around the ether. Finally, are there a few words of inspiration you can leave us with that will warm our cockles in this chilly weather? Well I don't think any of us are particularly inspirational people, so I'll leave you with the wise words of a man who is greatly admired by many. Hopefully these will inspire and warm the cockles: "If you want something done properly... kill Baldrick before you start." Sir Edmund Blackadder
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GO-GETTERS CONT’D
We had a chat with the lovely Gareth Fordred who graduated from ALRA in 2008... So Gareth tell us - who are the Faction Theatre Company and what do they represent? The Faction is an ensemble-based theatre company interpreting classical texts with a contemporary aesthetic. We work presently along a European-style model of repertory work, with a body of plays being rehearsed and performed by one standing ensemble. We started playing in pub theatres and now (unbelievably, sometimes) just over four years later, we were recently flown over to the middle east to perform our critically acclaimed production of Schiller's Mary Stuart from our Rep Season 2012. We are all beavering away right now about to present our Rep Season 2013, opening in January at The New Diorama Theatre.
What is your involvement with Faction? I am member of the Core Ensemble, which is made up of actors who have worked with the company for varying lengths of time. It is from this core that our plays are initially cast, then if required we look at the wider pool of actors we have worked with in the past, as well as new faces. We believe that working together as an ensemble, and discovering the worlds of our plays in the rehearsal room together, is the best way for us to work rather than a director turning up with a model box on day one with most of the decisions already taken out of the actors' hands. In this year's Rep Season 2013 we are playing Schiller's Fiesco, Chekhov's Three Sisters and Lorca's Blood Wedding, and I have a variety of challenging and interesting roles in each of these. What does the future hold for Faction? In the future, we would like to extend our Rep Season model into a year-long programme of rolling repertory productions. We would like a home, a permanent building that can be our space to put down roots and where we house our shows, run workshops, classes etc. Maybe a theatre, a barn, a factory, a swimming pool - who knows? We have recently been awarded a grant from Arts Council England for our Rep Season 2013, so I hope we continue to build a relationship with them. We also recently toured to our first international engagement in Doha, Qatar and we hope to build on that relationship and also form new ones to travel and perform internationally. It’s an interesting world out there. Finally, can you give some positive words of advice to actors that are finding auditions few and far between? Most of the work I have done has been self-sought or self-made and there is nothing like the confidence that comes from being busy. Activity is bound up with happiness, and motion is necessary for life. As much as I don't feel in the position to give advice, struggling with my own often muddled perspective: I would say that everyone has something valid and unique to say and that much enjoyment can be had from saying it. Every big company today started that way. There are so many places to look for inspiration - Ideastap seems to have interesting opportunities daily, look at setting up a company, start writing, devising, organise a play reading just start that motion. Now. More info about our shows can be found at the website www.thefaction.org.uk
On a snowy afternoon in the ALRA South office I had a Skype chat with Jack Kelly in Paris who graduated from the three-year course in 2008 , I hope you find his story as inspirational and heart-warming as I did…. Hi Jack, so where are you in the world? I’m actually in Paris at the moment, studying at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq which is incredible. I’ll be back for Christmas and then I find out if I qualify for my second year at the end of June- unlike drama schools in the UK you aren’t guaranteed two years of study you must qualify for the second year, so I’ll find out in June if I’m through. Wow. Lecoq, I can’t believe it, that’s incredible, what an achievement! Massive congratulations! Now, what I wanted to chat to you about is your involvement with The Flying Seagull Project, which was set up- amongst others, by two ALRA grads- Ash Perrin and Penny Lisle. Can you tell us about the charity? Sure, so I got involved through working with a friend of mine- Matt Williswhen I graduated from ALRA we did a lot of children’s parties, children’s entertaining- that kind of thing, which I really took to. Through that I heard about The Flying Seagull Project and I loved the concept and begged them to go on their next tour. The Flying Seagull Project is run by a group of actors, musicians and artists and using their skills and training they travel to disadvantaged children, vulnerable adults, the elderly and marginalised members of society and spreading laughter and fun through workshops and shows aimed to help childhood development. The concept is ‘fun therapy’, it’s about spreading a smile- it isn’t scientific it simply means we spread happiness and everyone feels better for it. What a great, selfless concept. So these workshops, are they just in the UK? No, so far we’ve been to Romania, Cambodia and India. I travelled to a really remote, poor village in Romania in October 2010 and in January 2011 we went to Cambodia. That must have been really awe-inspiring, so what stood out about your trip to Cambodia? Cambodia is such a great place but it’s also very strange and totally surreal. Just to give you a bit of background- back in the late 70’s there was an tyrannous ruling party- The Khmer Rouge who are primarily remembered for their Social Engineering- in effect they wanted to be totally self-sufficient they subjected the country to a radical social reform process. Even though this was about 35 years ago there still huge amount of scarring from it and it was just a once in a lifetime opportunity to go into a place like that and be able to bring in laughter and happiness again. It’s such a simple thing but giving kids the chance to be kids by taking part in music workshops or plate spinning or watching a magic show. And what’s next for you and Project Seagull? Project Seagull is a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on donation from the public- family, friends anyone and everyone. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the generosity of others. In such austere, frugal times it’s tricky to fundraise but I hope this project continues for as long as possible, it’s such a phenomenal cause. To donate to The Flying Seagull Project please go to: http://www.justgiving.com/flyingseagull/Donate To find out more, watch videos and see photos of their trip please see: http://www.flyingseagull.co.uk/
Coram Boy - visit from Jamila Gavin In the South we were lucky enough to get a visit from the author of the novel of Coram Boy which the 3 year South actors performed in November. Cast and crew were delighted by her visit, Jamila said about the opening night: “...I very much enjoyed the show last night. There was a clear narrative, and the acting was witty, touching and very committed. It was a very resourceful set - and I loved the angel scenes which I found very powerful. I also found the drowning scene powerful and moving. There was some excellent acting - and with quite an original take on some of the parts. I loved the boy Alexander's pomposity at the beginning, and his more mature thoughtfulness by the second half. The cast was well chosen, and I really wish I could see it again…” We want to thank Jamila again, so much for coming along and congratulations to cast and crew for not just Coram Boy but for a packed year of shows and performances!
Alumni Answers: Alysha Wood Q: So what have you been up to since graduating? A: Life since graduation? I feel like I blinked and missed it, it's
gone so fast! I spent a roller-coaster 10 months touring Much Ado About Nothing and two other plays in a kind of rep around Eastern Germany with White Horse Theatre. It was such an amazing experience I'd recommend to anyone, particularly those who love to travel as much as act. I learnt a lot about touring, the "real-life" industry, myself and German culture. A truly unforgettable, life changing (sounds clichéd, but it was!) experience and one of the best years of my life to date! Currently I'm touring Dick Whittington with Pyramid Pantomimes up North (oh yes I am...) and trying to fit in as much "panto-planking" as I can... I couldn't have asked for a better time so far since I graduated and fingers crossed it's only the beginning!
DIRECT FROM THE DIRECTORS: Clive Duncan
Is T.I.E a good step for the future? “…There’s a current belief that you have to get to the top as soon as possible - if you aren’t making a stir within two years – forget it. But I would cite our own Denise Gough; recently nominated for Best Newcomer after ten years of regular work. Drama school gives you the skills but you only learn how to use them out in the industry. Work is good for an actor – if it pays, do it. There’s snobbery about theatre involving children; typical British short-sightedness as children really are tomorrow’s audience (I speak from experience) and if you can survive a schools tour, you can survive any theatre production. It’s good for a graduate to serve an apprenticeship and this is an excellent way to do it – pay, travel and ten shows a week. More fun than waiting tables and if you think you’ll be thought less of, don’t put it on your CV. There are some brilliant companies out there; Theatre Centre (celebrating 60 years this year) who Roy Williams regularly writes for; exotic ones such at Vienna or Whitehorse touring Europe – so go; learn, earn and have fun!…”
Our new home in the North West: Trencherfield In August 2012 we got the keys for The Mill at the Pier and an astounding 6 weeks later we were ready to say thank you to ALRA North staff for some amazing work in insuring the theatre was ready for the first show. The new space is a delight– quirky and atmospheric with a real sense of the past. Trencherfield Mill is a cotton spinning mill standing on the Leeds and Liverpool canal in the centre of Wigan. It was built in 1907 and it was taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in the 1930s; originally it was driven by a 2,500 hp triple-expansion four-cylinder engine. The engines were called Rina and Helen after the engineer’s daughters. Wigan is a town that has a long history of comedy and music performance at The Mill, particularly jazz– through the 70’s to the 90’s it hosted a string of northern comedians including Ken Dodd and musicians, particularly jazz musicians including Georgie Fame and Frank Sinatra junior and was the main venue for many years as part of the Wigan Jazz Festival which attracted huge audiences. Wigan was and for some it will always remain, the home of Northern Soul. Now ALRA hopes to extend this legacy to theatre through its shows at The Mill. Work is going well at The Mill at the Pier, we were very pleased to be able to hold our very first performance in the theatre space– the PG’s performance of ‘Three Birds Alighting on a Field’ which really transformed The Mill from a renovation to a working theatre venue which was really exciting. As part of the renovation work the original bar complete with brass poles and a foot rail has been re-commissioned. The integration of the bar into the performance space provides a wonderful social aspect to an evening at the theatre. The space can seat between 50-250 people in a variety of layouts, and already has been used endone, thrust and in-the-round. It’s worth taking a couple of minutes to check out the pictures on the website to really get an idea of how unusual this space is. You can follow the link here. The final piece of the historical jigsaw fell into place last month when Kath O'Grady joined ALRA working at Trencherfield Mill. Kath worked there as a young girl when it was still a working Mill. This is what Kath has to say: "I am feeling quite excited and passionate about the whole idea of ALRA North and bringing Trencherfield back to life. I worked there in those very rooms as a mill girl at 15!" Well, The Mill at the Pier is open once more and it won’t be long before it is the centerpiece venue for performance in Wigan. Now you can have an opportunity to be a part of this history. Click here to make a donation. You can have your name inscribed on a brick for £10, or on a seat back for £25, you can have a whole pillar for £50! As a special welcome to this exciting new venue quote this code: MILLPIERARTICLE for a half-price drink on your next visit, this offer finishes on 03/03/13. Keep checking ALRA:TV for progress updates on The Mill conversion. Want us to feature you in the next issue? Drop us an email: info@alra.co.uk
A quick word: WITH
Linden Walcott– Burton Producer, Actor, Entrepreneur and ALRA graduate we grabbed him for
a quick word….
Finally, can you leave us with a few words of advice? Find another way to spend your time, you can’t always be waiting for the phone to ring. Find something else you love, acting work can be so few and far between that you need another focus.
Cont’d from front page: But it’s not just about career advice – your Spotlight membership card entitles you to a range of discounts from workshops to restaurants and cafes, as well as health and beauty discounts at West End hairdressers and gyms. And of course, there’s a chance to let your hair down at our end of year Spotlight Ball, where you can celebrate your graduation in a West End venue, complete with champagne and red carpet. But the support doesn’t stop after graduation. At Spotlight, we’re here to help and support actors no matter what stage of your career you reach. Help and advice is just a click or phone call away and our industry connections mean we’re always scouting out the best opportunity for our members. For more information follow @SpotlightUK on Twitter or visit www.spotlight.com/news. Alumnights is the new, grad friendly ticketing system we have introduced for tickets to ALRA shows. On one designated night there will be 5 free tickets for any ALRA graduate. To find out the forthcoming shows, please see below. The Alumnight will be different for each show so to find out which night is Alumnight and book tickets please email hannah.bulgin@alra.co.uk
Alumni
Please note: ALRA still offer free tickets to all ALRA shows to alumni that are within their first year of graduation To learn more about ALRA’s graduate package please
ts gh
How did you get involved with Triforce Promotions? Well it really started with going to the Triforce events. I knew that Jimmy Akingbola was involved with them so I wanted to see what they were all about; I managed to grab a word with him in the bar after a performance and said that I would love to get involved. I felt there needed to be something out there for drama school graduates, which enabled them to showcase themselves and meet people in a similar situation to them so I spoke to Spotlight and got them on board and I also invited some guest speakers to the events, the first event went off really well, we managed to get casting director Annelie Powell along. The event was structured in such a way that there were three categories– ten actors would perform a one minute monologue, ten actors would perform a three minute monologue and we would have an impro session in the middle. The panel of judges included Rikki Beadle-Blair, Nic Phillips, Andy Brierley, Joy Taylor, Gary Beadle and a representative from Polly’s Agency, quite a list! The three finalists of our next monologue slam will jet off to LA and showcase themselves to 30 industry guests, they will also win a free headshot session and a year’s worth of Spotlight membership. Why should actors and graduates get involved? You need to be in something to invite people to see your work and this provides graduates with that opportunity. Monologue slam is free and it’s fun, you get to meet other actors, make links, network and support each other. Although I didn’t appear in the last Slam, I was able to meet someone who recommended me for a short film so it pays off just being a part of it!
Interview:
email maddy.anholt@alra.co.uk
Forthcoming shows and events at ALRA: SOUTH: 30th January– 1st February– Government Inspector– 3Y South– 7pm ALRA Theatre (Open Day South 2nd February– matinee performance at 3pm) NORTH: 27th February– 1st March– The Good Person of Sichuan– 3Y North-7:30pm Mill at the Pier (Open Day North- 2nd March matinee 3pm) SOUTH: 27th February– 1st March – Market Boy– 3Y South– 7pm ALRA Theatre (Open Day South- 2nd March matinee 3pm) SOUTH: 19th March—Stage Management and Technical Theatre Showcase — SMTT South — ALRA South
Ways to: keep in touch Email: info@alra.co.uk Facebook- find us o n: AL RA– The Aca demy o f Live and Recorded Art s Twitter: @ALRADrama Call: 020 8870 6475 Web: www.alra.co.uk