Over a year since our first interview, new MA Acting graduate ‘Toni’ tells all on what life now has to offer and how to fuel that all-important creative spark. (*Firstly, I just want to say thank you Laura for having me back. I was thrilled the first time you wanted to talk, so to be asked back again is just wonderful.*) Top Three Tips for that all important work, study, life balance.
Charlie’s Café – Wood Green Charlie’s has been my go-to café. It’s a little gem with fantastic pastries and cakes, and has the kindest team working there. The Southbank/Waterloo I love walking from Borough Market, to The Bridge Theatre, to The Globe, to the OXO tower, along the river to The National and then over to The Old Vic and The Young Vic. It is so many of my favourite places in one walk, plus the view is one of my favourite parts of London. Greenwich I adore Greenwich. It’s such a beautiful place to walk around, with amazing museums. Also it's home to THE BEST BROWNIES I’VE EVER HAD, which you will find at The Bad Brownie Company in Greenwich Market. Best Advice for anyone considering applying to Drama School: Be nice to everyone. Don’t be rude to people in the office or people giving you tours. I worked on audition days. I told the tutors if someone was rude. If you don’t get in, keep going. You can always try again next year. Then fill that year with things that will enrich you. See shows, read books, meet new people, go to museums. Your Five Most Memorable MA Moments: 1. My first day- I have never been so excited and nervous in my entire life. We had to perform our monologues again. It was more terrifying than the actual audition. Everyone was a stranger and we were all hoping they weren’t going to announce we’d been given a place by mistake – which they obviously didn’t. 2. Our Creative Project Festival – We had to write a thesis and make an accompanying show. The MA Musical Theatre and MA Actors shared them all over a few weeks. It was so beautiful to see people sharing projects that meant a lot to them and that challenged them. I was so proud of everyone. 3. Our Final Show – I worked with an incredible director, Robyn Winfield-Smith. She made our performance of Caryl Churchill’s ‘Love and Information’ magic. 4.The Improv Wedding – We had 3 hour improv classes, once a week which spanned over our first time. Our characters were created in the first week and their stories were guided and developed by our teacher. I was the bride and had the worst wedding ever! It was so much fun to live in a character for such a long time. 5.Thanksgiving- I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my American housemate. Without going into a long story, Mark Ravenhill, a playwright I have admired for many years, came to my house for the celebration. He ate the food I cooked. I played charades with him. I definitely had a ‘how is this my life right now?’ moments. The first of many of these kind of moments, I am happy to say. Hopes for the Future: Besides the hope of being paid to make art, mainly to make are that is part of a conversation. The way I want to make work and the type of work I enjoy has developed so much this past year. I just want to make good art. I want to stay in London and create – by myself, with friends, with strangers, I don’t mind. Your Four Favourite Quotes on Acting, Writing or Theatre-making: (*This was the hardest question!*) ‘Make good art’ – Neil Gaiman ‘Let your light shine’ – Sterling K Brown ‘The actor’s art is the art of action,’ – Mike Alfreds ‘You are enough. You are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are,’ – Sierra Boggess Go back and write to yourself on the first day of your first term. What advice would you give to Toni now-living in London, about to embark on a new course/adventure? You’ve been waiting for this for ten years. Take in every moment, take in every lesson. It will go by far too quickly. You are going to meet people who will change your life for the better, see theatre that will blow your mind, be taught by people who have an incomparable wealth of knowledge and experience. You are finally living in London, the city you have wanted to live in for so many years. Don’t waste a second. Be you - you’ve found it difficult to be you your entire life, these people will love you for everything you dislike about yourself, it will make you a better creator and a happier person. Be brave. You can do it, even when you’ve forgotten what sleep is, you’ll get there. Enjoy being the best version of you that you have ever been, you will only grow more. This will be the happiest year of your life to date. You deserve this. This is everything you have been working towards. Open your eyes. Look where you are. You are here. (*I’m pretty proud that this advice was something I actually managed to follow throughout the past year. Looking back, I just about listened to all of it.*)
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