Alumni in the Spotlight

Neil Price, Class of 1990

Neil Price (Class of 1990), talks to us about finding his niche in school and how clowning around in the first year was a vision into his future as a stand-up comedian.

Tell me about your time at Trinity?

I started in 1982 and I found the first four years a real struggle. I wasn’t the brightest by some distance and I didn’t feel I fitted in with many of the other students because I was on a bursary. At some point though I found a way to manage, and I found my niche in sport and drama which I could excel in. This gave me some much-needed confidence. With the support of one or two teachers who looked out for me, my latter years were both more enjoyable and more successful academically even though self-doubt still crept in quite a bit. I ended up being School Captain and captaining the 1st XV both of which were brilliant learning experiences. Perhaps it goes to show that it doesn’t matter if you don’t make the best of starts.

It sounds like sports and clubs were a big part of your school life?

As I’ve mentioned I was 1st XV rugby captain and fly half in the rugby U13-15 A team, who went on a 40game unbeaten winning streak, still the best sports team I have ever played in. I was a keen athlete and held a couple of school records for several years until my younger brother John broke them. Drama was another passion, and I took part in all aspects of productions on stage and off. I loved it so much I ended up studying English and Drama for my degree before then starting teaching and building a successful Drama department at Sutton Grammar School. I was a more reluctant musician and played the French Horn. I say “play”, but in fact I mimed quite a lot of the time.

Neil in the 1987 production of An Easter Meditation

How did Trinity prepare you for life after you left school?

There is no doubt that going to Trinity provided me with great experiences and opportunities that formed big choices in my life. In my long teaching career in state funded schools I have realised how extremely privileged I was and this has not always sat well with me. As a result of this privilege I didn’t feel well prepared for adversity. In the highly competitive atmosphere of Trinity in the 1980’s I learned to not show weakness no matter how much anxiety and self-doubt I was feeling and I got good at putting up a front and pretending nothing was wrong. When some mental health issues emerged in my twenties my first approach was to repeat this behaviour but, as I learned to my detriment, it didn’t really work. For the many benefits of my time at school I do find myself wondering how it would have been enhanced by being co-Ed. I think the addition of girls to the sixth form is a very positive step.

Name a teacher who inspired you.

Ian Jardine. He identified I had potential but also a greater ability to waste it and took it upon himself to do something about it. He was a passionate history teacher, attentive form tutor and, inspiring rugby coach. I first came across him in the Third Year when I was unsure of myself and, through his interactions, he gave me confidence in myself and a belief that I could succeed. I know he was a wonderful support to a lot of other students as well. He was also unerringly fair and the feeling of letting him down when I occasionally lapsed often made me feel worse than any other punishment that came my way. Having him advocate for me inspired me to want to have the same impact that he had on me. He is one of the main reasons I went into teaching. I hope I have done as good a job.

Teacher to stand-up comedian. What made you take the jump?

I had done stand-up at university but lacked the confidence to go into it upon graduation. It was always lurking and when I found myself in my early 30’s feeling a little frustrated in my teaching career, I had some sessions with a life coach who picked up that I kept mentioning the times I had done stand-up. I have always enjoyed making people laugh and at school this was not always appreciated. In fact Mr Griffin wrote on my FirstYear English school report “Clowns prosper only the circus.” So, one of my goals was to get out and do it again, which I did. I often describe it as a hobby that got a bit out of hand. In 2006, I came second in a competition to find the best new stand-up in Britain, which opened a lot of doors. Having scratched the itch, I was then able to walk away and moved into education leadership. I still do stand-up now in the USA for the simple reason that I like making people laugh. The clown is still prospering!

Neil performing at a stand-up comedy night

And now you’re a certified life coach. How has your life up to this point helped with that transition?

I think teaching and life coaching are very similar roles and feed off my own personal values. I get great satisfaction from seeing people achieve their potential and overcoming obstacles, whether in their learning or their life. Any teacher will tell you those “aha” moments are the best and helping clients realise this brings the same satisfaction. I am currently developing a programme for schools and teachers designed to help teachers learn self-coaching techniques to manage their wellbeing and to help schools initiate better wellbeing practices. I’m putting my experiences and interests together for the benefit of teachers and schools. Transitions can be made far more easily if you have taken time to really know yourself and adversity is often the best way of doing this.

What have you learnt over the years that you would tell your younger self or indeed current Trinity students?

Life won’t always be easy, but it is the hard things you will learn the most from, so don’t be afraid of them and never be afraid to ask for help. Take time to get to know yourself, your values, your strengths, and your weaknesses. And take time to get to know other people and use this knowledge to be kind to yourself and considerate of them.