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The Alumni Newsletter Central school of speech & drama, university of london issue 15 | july 2010 A Personal Message from Central’s new President Michael Grandage When I was asked to become the new President of Central, I accepted without hesitation. I was at Central on the acting course from 1981 to 1984 and had three very happy years there. In the period that lies ahead, I will seek every opportunity to promote Central and try to give a little something back. I would also invite all alumni to do the same. We will certainly need to stick together as funding for arts education becomes just as difficult to find as funding for the arts themselves. We, as past students, need to seize every opportunity to act as ambassadors for all that we believe is good about Central. Michael Grandage (by Thomas Haywood) The theatre has always been one of the last places to be affected in a period of recession. This is probably because people will always want to seek some kind of escapism when things get tough and, in the theatre, we are able to provide extraordinary stories that hold a mirror up to life and offer an emotional and intellectual debate when the rest of the world seems to be faltering. Long may this continue – but we need to start practising a new language for government. BAFTA Fellowship Earlier this year BAFTA’s new president, HRH Prince William, presented Vanessa Redgrave (S 57) with the Academy Fellowship. One of the most celebrated actresses of her generation, Vanessa has enjoyed a successful career, spanning six decades and has received great acclaim for her work on stage, in television and film. Awarded annually, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by the Academy and has previously been presented to Central alumni Dame Judi Dench (S 57), Dawn French (T 80) and Jennifer Saunders (T 80). Vanessa Redgrave ( care of Gavin Barker Associates Ltd) A language that reminds our leaders of our cultural heritage – a language that reminds them that the identity of any nation is defined through its culture. We need writers, actors, directors, educators and all practitioners to define the times they are living in, and everyone from Central – past and present – has an important voice in the cultural landscape that is now emerging. Over twenty-five years ago, Central taught me all sorts of practical things – how to speak properly, how to move, how to understand text – but it also taught me to observe the world, to have a point of view, to be consistent, to aspire, to read, and above all, to learn to use the past to inform the future. It was a training for life as much as for the profession I was about to enter. I owe this school everything and I invite all alumni who believe in Central to join me in finding every opportunity to promote its good name in the challenging years ahead. MBE Award for Services to Children and Families Elisabeth, Donne and Jane Buck Elisabeth Buck (T 62) has been awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to children and families. Elisabeth was one of the founding members of the New Ark Adventure Playground in Peterborough and has spent 35 years working with the city’s children. The project has grown dramatically since its humble beginnings as a playgroup and now caters for 450 youngsters aged up to 16. The New Ark project includes an adventure playground, city farm, eco-centre and a community garden all with an emphasis on outdoor play, natural materials and learning through discovery and exploration. Elisabeth collected her award in front of family including her husband Donne Buck (CSD 62), whom she met whilst studying at Central, and their youngest daughter, Jane. Commenting on her honour, Elisabeth said: “I don’t see it as an award for myself, but for the New Ark Centre in general, and everyone who has been involved in it in the past”. Your newsletter is about Central alumni in all fields of work (in the public arena or not) and our content depends on your contributions. If you have news or an experience to recount, please contact the Alumni Office at [email protected]. Tel: +44 (0)20 7449 1628. 2 | Alumni NEws Awards and Nominations Congratulations to our alumni for their many marks of achievement Clockwise from top left: Valmike Rampersad (by Claire Newman Williams); Bijan Sheibani (care of ATC); The Case of My Visit (by Goran Katic); Sam Peter Jackson (by Phil Matthews); Valene Kane in The Fading Light; Naana Agyei-Ampadu (by Nathan Amzi); Sinead Rushe (by Peter Hallward) Tony Award and Olivier Nominations Michael Grandage (S 84) won a Tony Award for his recent direction of Red, the critically acclaimed Donmar production about Mark Rothko, the master of twentieth century abstract impressionism, which opened at Broadway’s Golden Theatre in March. Michael was also nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Director for his production of Hamlet for the Donmar at Wyndham’s Theatre. Also nominated in the Best Director category for an Olivier Award was Bijan Sheibani (MA ATP 01), Artistic Director of the ATC, for Our Class at the Cottesloe, National Theatre. Theatregoers’ Choice Awards Sam Peter Jackson (BA A 03) was nominated for Best New Comedy in the Whatsonstage Theatregoers’ Choice Award for his play Public Property at the Trafalgar Studios. Sam also co-wrote and presented the 2010 Channel 4 documentary The Other Michael Jackson: Battle of the Boogie about his father, singer/songwriter Mick Jackson, who wrote the song Blame It On The Boogie. Skillset Millennium Awards Jeunes Talents Cirque Valmike Rampersad (MA AfS 07) appeared in the film Hotel which was a semi-finalist for this year’s Oscars and was screened at the London Independent Film Festival in April. Another of Valmike’s films, Malachi, won the Skillset Millennium Award. The Cost of Love was nominated Best UK Debut Feature at the East End Film Festival and won the Grand Prix at the End of The Pier International Film Festival. Liat Rosenthal (BS ST 75) was shortlised for the Jeunes Talents Cirque, and was supported by Crying Out Loud in the research and development phase of My Visit, a piece which fused aerial arts and animation. The piece explored the experiences of young people visiting their parents in prison. The Jeunes Talents Cirque enables collaborations between a range of practitioners, including puppeteers, directors, writers and designers and brings a fresh perspective to the creation of circus performance. Evening Standard Theatre Awards Naana Agyei-Ampadu (MA MT 06) was nominated for the The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at The Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her performance in Been So Long at The Young Vic. Dublin International Film Festival Valene Kane (BA A 06) took a leading role in the film The Fading Light directed by Ivan Kavanagh which has won Best Irish Film at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. Dance Critics’ Circle Awards Sinéad Rushe (MA ATP 98) directed Out of Time, a dance-theatre show performed by Colin Dunne, which was nominated for a Dance Critics’ Circle Award and a 2010 Olivier Award for its run at the Barbican Theatre in London. The show is currently on tour in France and Sweden and will be performed at Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris next year. We do our best to find out about alumni who receive awards through the press, other alumni and our faculty. Please let us know if you receive an award or know of someone who has. Thank you! Performers: Are we on your agent’s email press release list? Please ask them to add us – [email protected]. Alumni NEws | 3 Movie News Central alumni star both on and behind the silver screen Graduation (by Lucy Pope) Graduation Ceremony 2009 For the first time, on December 7, 2009, Central’s graduation ceremony was held in the spectacular surroundings of London Southbank’s Royal Festival Hall. Over 1000 people were in attendance to watch the graduating cohort receive their degrees, conferred by Sir Graeme Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. We would like to take this opportunity to offer our congratulations to all our new alumni and a warm welcome to your first newsletter! Three Honorary Fellowships were presented during the ceremony. The first was awarded to Dame Jennifer Abramsky DBE for her services as Director of Audio and Music at the BBC. Simon McBurney OBE, Artistic Director of Complicité theatre company, was also honoured alongside Central alumnus, and one of the most cherished British actors of the last fifty years, Joss Ackland CBE (S 64). Clockwise from top left: Andrew Garfield (by Dillon Bryden); Nonso Anozie (care of Garricks); Andrew Jack on set of The Wolfman with Geraldine Chaplin (by Frank Connor); Gael García Bernal (care of Gordon and French) Andrew Garfield (BA A 04) has recently been announced as the new Spider-man in the next outing of the film series due for release in 2012. Andrew is also appearing alongside Keira Knightley in the forthcoming British sci-fi thriller Never Let Me Go and is filming The Social Network based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal. Both films are due for release later this year. Gael Garcia Bernal (S 00) is currently filming Earthbound, a film about a female cancer victim who falls in love with her doctor, co-starring Kate Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg and Treat Williams. Christopher Eccleston (S 86) starred as navigator Fred Noonan in the film Amelia, charting the story of Amelia Earhart who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for being the first woman to pilot a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The film co-starred Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor. Andrew Jack (S 61) was responsible for the dialect work on a number of high profile films including Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes and Joe Johnston’s The Wolfman. For The Lord of the Rings trilogy he created the Middle-earth accents and taught them, along with Elvish and Black Speech, to the entire cast. Andrew also continues to give his time to actors and theatre projects that have limited funds whenever he can. Nonso Anozie (BA A 02) appeared in the family film Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang alongside Emma Thompson, who was once again transformed into the mysterious nanny with unsettling features. Cush Jumbo (A 06) appeared as Eliza Doolittle in Greg Hersov’s revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion at the Royal Exchange during May/June 2010. Best known for her starring role in BBC’s Torchwood series, Cush played alongside Simon Robson, Terence Wilton and Ian Bartholomew and received excellent reviews. Photo by Jonathan Keenan 4 | Alumni NEws Alumni Side-by-side The film and theatre industries are relatively small and inevitably our alumni sometimes find themselves working together on high profile projects Oliver Chris (BA A 00) starred as Bottom opposite Dame Judi Dench (S 57) playing Titania in Sir Peter Hall’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. The performance reunited Hall and Dench, an enduring theatrical partnership spanning some fifty years. Judi Dench first played Titania for with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. James Purefoy (S 88) starred as Solomon opposite Alice Krige (S 89) in February’s epic blockbuster Solomon Kane. A fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard, Solomon is a 17th century Puritan who, on meeting the Devil’s Reaper, renounces violence to atone for his past sins and seeks redemption. Kristin Scott-Thomas (BEd SD 80) and Philip Glenister (S 90) are filming Bel Ami, a chronicle of a young man’s rise to power in Paris via his manipulation of the city’s most influential and wealthy women. The film, directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod is due for release in 2011. James Nesbitt (S 88) will be appearing as Sicinius in Coriolanus, the directorial debut by Ralph Fiennes, alongside Vanessa Redgrave (S 57). Fiennes will also star in the title role of this contemporary retelling of the Shakespeare tragedy about a disputatious Roman general who leads a rebellion against the empire, with Vanessa Redgrave playing his ambitious mother Volumnia. Joan Washington (T 68) will be working as a dialect coach on both Coriolanus and Bel Ami. Natasha Richardson (care of Independent Talent) A fitting farewell In May, the BA (Hons) Acting course was honoured to be invited to participate in a memorial service for Natasha Richardson (Dip A 83) at the Royal Court Theatre. Geoff Colman, Central’s Head of Acting, recalls an overwhelming day. “With Natasha’s beautiful sister Joely Richardson welcoming guests and Vanessa Redgrave attending to people like the mother of a vast family, we entered feeling a little like trespassers, but within minutes, with open arms, we were welcomed with such warmth that we felt part of the family. There were many speeches from those that had known and worked with Natasha; a bittersweet lamentation from Dame Maggie Smith who spoke of simple shared moments, and her sister Joely’s recollections about family life, so movingly framed through both smiles and tears. It was perhaps Vanessa Redgrave, standing strong, as if braced for a hurricane, that pulled the many threads and thoughts of this day together – her body betrayed such strength and continuance – and with such surprising optimism and warmth her words, quietly offered, bore no rage. The Royal Court was soaked in silence, and in pain. Towards the end of the service I spoke on behalf of Central and introduced students from the third year musical theatre pathway. Led by Wendy Gadian, Musical Stage Pathway Leader, they went on to perform the song True Love from High Society – one of Natasha’s favourite pieces. The students were joined in a last verse by the whole theatre – making the sense of family, in its wider context, very real. The memorial concluded with a film montage of Natasha’s life, which served as a jolt to us all – a provocation of sorts – here was a beautiful woman taken and we remained. A provocation to live our lives, for one day they too will be taken.” Judi Dench and Oliver Chris in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by Nobby Clark) With these thoughts in mind, it was with great sadness that Central heard of the passing of Lynn Redgrave (S 61) just days after Natasha’s memorial service. Our thoughts go out to all the Redgrave family at this difficult time. A full obituary piece dedicated to Lynn’s memory will be carried in the next issue of the newsletter. Alumni NEws | 5 Festival Roundup Alumni who have been, or will be, taking part in Winter 2009/Summer 2010 festivals Clockwise from top left: Virtous Flock (by Lauren Overs); Emma Reade-Davies and husband David Sayers; Mercy Ojelade (by Robert Day); Still from E’gad Zombies New Zealand and Australian Festivals Mercy Ojelade (MA ATC 08) has been touring throughout New Zealand and Australia for the International Arts Festival, and the Perth and Adelaide Festivals, playing Hayley in The Walworth Farce for Druid Theatre, Ireland. The play, by Enda Walsh and directed by Mikel Murfi, finished its tour in April at the Sydney Theatre Company. Cannes Film Festival John Fitzpatrick (BA A08), Victoria Hart (BA A 06), Anneka Haskins (BA A 06), Ben Lee (BA A 06) and Virginia Godwin (BA A 06) are starring together in the short film E’gad Zombies which will be shown at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The film is co-written and produced by Tori Hart and is narrated by Sir Ian McKellen. Brighton Festival Emma Reade-Davies’ (BA A 04) theatre company Time&Tide appeared at The Brighton Festival in May during the Midnight Horror slots with the company’s production Frightmare. Edinburgh Fringe Festival Lauren Overs (BA DE 03) will again be in the Edinburgh Fringe festival this August with her theatre company, N10 Productions, premiering a new piece of writing, Virtuous Flock by Billy Barrett. N10 Productions works specifically with young people and is committed to developing a wide range of theatrical experiences that combine innovative movement, original live music and high energy ensemble performances. The show is inspired by Le Théâtre du GrandGuignol and the Victorian weekly serial booklets, The Penny Dreadfuls, and will take audiences back to the era of flamboyant melodrama and lurid gothic horror. 6 | Alumni NEws West End Spotlight Aoife Mulholland and company in Legally Blonde (by Ellie Kurttz) Amy Beth Hayes (by Jocelyn Bain Hogg) Central has a long history of alumni who have gone on to become stars of the West End. Here, two up-andcoming female performers, Aoife Mulholland (MA MT 06) who is currently performing in Legally Blonde, and Amy Beth Hayes (BA A 07) who appears in Jerusalem, talk candidly about their journey to living the dream. Q. What brought you to Central and how did the experiences you had here change you? Q: Can you tell us about how your careers have progressed since leaving Central? Aoife: I come from a very musical family and we were always encouraged to get up and sing and play at family gatherings. I studied for a music degree in Ireland and then spent a year travelling Australia. When I came home, I decided I needed to be sensible and get a 9-5 job and began working in an insurance company. One day I just thought ‘I can’t do this anymore’. I had to give musical theatre a shot or I knew it would be the biggest regret of my life. Central has a great reputation and everyone recognises it as an exceptional school for dramatic arts. I loved my time there and I made some wonderful friends. I feel I’m definitely a more open, less inhibited performer than when I started out. Aoife: When I left Central I applied for the BBC TV show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, a reality TV show looking for a girl to play Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music, and came 4th out of 7000 hopefuls. The exposure I got from the programme was invaluable and it’s how I got my first big break. Someone from Chicago saw me on the programme and asked me to audition for Roxie Hart. I played Roxie for 5 months and was then asked to be alternate Maria in The Sound of Music. Amy: I don’t come from a theatrical background but my dad used to read me lots of poetry when I was little which helped to develop my love of language. I was thrilled when I got a place at Central as I had heard that it had a reputation as being quite ‘edgy’ and I felt like it was a good fit for me. I have so many great memories from my time at Central and I made some amazing friends. I think the intensity of those three years and the adrenalized atmosphere can’t help but change you. Now I’m playing Brooke, a fitness queen accused of killing her husband, in Legally Blonde. I panicked when I was researching the role and saw that Brooke’s big number involves her doing a workout where she’s singing and skipping simultaneously. When I tried the combination, I collapsed after about 20 seconds! Rehearsals involved an hour of skipping and singing every day for 4 weeks, and by the end of it, I managed to get to the end of the routine without throwing up! Amy: Just before leaving Central I got the part of Edie in On the Waterfront directed by Steven Berkoff, which was a fantastic Alumni NEws | 7 experience. Soon after that, I auditioned for a feature film called Eve and got the lead part. It was a long shoot, grueling hours and a complete baptism of fire into the industry and I learnt so much about myself. Jerusalem is one of those plays that doesn’t come along very often. It really is a magnificent piece of writing. Working with Mark Rylance (who plays the lead role) has been incredible. I have learnt so much from watching him, how he changes and constantly adapts his performance. I play his ex partner Dawn, the mother of his child who has fought to get away from his dangerous and seductive world and yet still loves him. It’s an interesting contradiction to play. Q. Has there been one particular highlight of your career so far? Aoife: One of the big highlights for me, aside from playing Maria at the Palladium, was producing, directing and performing my autobiographical show Sway in my hometown. The idea stemmed from people asking about my experiences and what it was like to perform in the West End. It occurred to me that I could make a show out of my story, from when I left Galway, up to landing the role of Maria. Each experience is accompanied by songs that meant something to me at that time – from my first audition song for Central, to All that Jazz. I couldn’t have done the show without the help of former Central tutor Heather Weir, who accompanied me on piano as well as doing all the orchestration. Amy: It’s difficult to pick one highlight as I’ve loved different parts for different reasons. I really enjoyed playing my character in Misfits (E4 comedy drama) and I’ve loved playing Dawn in Jerusalem too, but I think my favourite character would be Madison in True Love Lies at The Royal Exchange in Manchester. She was bright, opinionated, rebellious and swore like a trooper. Q. Is there a particular role you would like to play and what direction do you see your career taking over the next few years? Aoife: I would love to play Eliza Doolittle. She has everything in one character. I love the way she transforms herself from a common market girl into a poised middle class lady. In the future, I would like to turn my hand to some straight acting – plays, TV, film etc… but who knows. WEST END SHOWS Below are just a few examples of our alumni who have been performing in, or working on, West End shows: Emily Cooper (BA TP 04), Matthew Forbes (BA A 08) and Toby Olié (BA TP 06) are all performing in War Horse at the National Theatre. Anna Freeman (BA A 08) is understudying in Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre. Clare Hibberd (BA TP 04) has recently finished her contract as Sound Number 3 on the international tour of Mamma Mia! and is now Number 3 on Love Never Dies at the Adelphi. Anna Clarke (BA A 09) is playing the role of the Rose Seller and 2nd Cover Nancy in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal. Rodger Neate (TP 68) is production managing Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Gina Beck (BA A 04) made her West End debut as Cosette in Les Misérables and is now performing as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Amy: A role I would love to play would be Blanche Dubois in Streetcar, and Lady Macbeth is also up there too. I don’t really know what the future holds for me yet and I’m a teensy bit superstitious so wouldn’t like to say. I do love the theatre though. Q. Is there anything that you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out? Aoife: I visited Central back in February and gave a talk to the third year MA Musical Theatre students and it was a very humbling experience. It made me realise how lucky I have been in my career. Showbiz is a tough industry and you really have to keep believing in yourself and your ability. Amy: You have to learn not to take it personally when things don’t go your way in auditions as there are so many factors in the casting process and your ability is just one of them. Take all the help you can get, always be involved and save some money for tax! Aoife: The life of a struggling actor can be difficult, but nothing beats the feeling of getting ‘that’ job, and being paid for it! 8 | Alumni NEws Alumni Working in the Community From arts projects, to teachers, to charity workers, Central alumni are shaping communities both at home and abroad Counselling and EducatioN Jill Edwards (T 57) was originally encouraged to enrol at Central by her school drama teacher who herself trained at Central in the 1940s. After completion of the course Jill spent a number of years teaching at various schools around the country before being asked by the Bedford Marriage Guidance Council (now Relate), to become involved in their education work in Bedfordshire schools. At the time, counselling was still in its infancy and Jill was also asked to give guidance about dealing with domestic violence to young police officers and GPs in training. After 20 years service at Relate, Jill returned to teaching by assisting at local primary schools and now, aged 75, has been asked to become involved in the English-Speaking Union’s Discover Your Voice project. The ESU has a long history of organising public speaking and debating competitions and Jill said “I am still using my marvellous Central training to help younger generations and I am very happy to help expand this initiative and foster excellence in spoken English.” Jill Edwards (by Patrick Baldwin) Community Engagement in North London Maria Dimitriou East London Arts Charity Maria Dimitriou (MA ATP 09) won a place on the Vodafone Foundation’s 2009 World of Difference UK programme, which offers the chance to work for a charity of choice on a two month paid placement. Maria chose to work with Eastside Educational Trust, an arts and education charity based in East London, which aims to motivate and inspire young people using the arts. Maria began her placement in January working as a Performing Arts intern, co-ordinating performing arts projects and organising related events such as creative careers fairs. She comments: “Theatre, dance, music and fine art can really make a difference in the world, especially when used in education. It is vital that young people express and explore themselves through the arts and I’m so glad I can help them.” IsoProductions (by Carissa Lynch) Carissa Lynch (MA AT 09) and Keri Jenkins (A 08) are part of the core team of IsoProductions who work with emerging talent, encouraging creative relationships between established and developing artists IsoProductions has most recently contributed to the Market Estate Demolition Event with their performance Rather than Words Comes the Thought of High Windows. Supported by the Southern Housing Group, the Market Estate Demolition Event provided a creative playground for artists and designers and gave residents of the 1960s high-rise council housing flats in Islington a chance to celebrate the life history of their building prior to their relocation and its demolition. Inspired by newspaper articles written about the Market Estate and encounters with those living there, the piece questioned: Can you live metres apart and not be neighbours? Can you build walls within the walls of your building? And, can you knock windows through them? Alumni NEws | 9 Children on the Edge Emily Dadson (née Reed) (SM 85) spent a number of years working happily in live theatre before taking the opportunity to travel the world. During her trip, she was struck by how fortunate our lives in the West are and how desperate some people’s can be. On her return to the UK Emily found a new way of applying the skills learnt at Central; hard work, giving everything a try and the ability to do several things at once. Now, 25 years on, Emily uses these skills to run the UK office for the international children’s charity, Children on the Edge. “The reality of what we do is driven home when I visit our projects overseas. A while back I visited our post-tsunami project in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The scenes of destruction were horrific – nothing but the mosque still standing and family lives shattered. And yet for these people there is always a hope, a dream, a determination to keep going.” For more information about Children on the Edge, to make a donation or recommend a patron please visit www.childrenontheedge.org. Emily Dadson working with children on behalf of Children on the Edge Preventing Violent Extremism Scheme Dershe Shah (BA DATE 09) has recently started her own company, New Movement Theatre, with co-founders Patrice Etienne and Giselle Gant. Their first play, The Bay, an interactive piece based on Guantanamo Bay prisons, was first staged at The Roundhouse Theatre during the 2009 Accidental Festival. After a successful run, the group were approached about featuring the play in a magazine that would form part of a teaching resource pack. The pack was created under the government’s Preventing Violent Extremism scheme and allows teachers to use the play as a stimulus to explore themes of faith, religion, human rights and identity in a classroom setting. To date the play has been taught to over 600 students throughout London and in the coming months New Movement Theatre will be focusing on having the play re-staged. Cast of The Bay (care of Hounslow Council) 10 | Alumni NEws Supporting central Central alumni have a strong tradition of giving back to the School. Here are just some recent examples Across from top left: Tom Payne and Alex Farrow; Frank Osborne and Lauren-Amy Kellegher; David Hartley, Ben Lambert, Jacobsen Milne and Rebecca Layoo; Sophie Williams, Lauren-Amy Kellegher and Julia Sandiford; Matthew Forbes and Frank Osborne; Ben Caplan, Sam Clark, Lauren-Amy Kellegher and Fernando Gordon; Catherine Alexandra, Fernando Gordon and Chu Omambala; Russel Bentley and Angus Lindsey; Pippa Wildwood, Leon Trayman and Meilir Rhys Williams BA Acting Mentorship Scheme Now in its third year, the BA Acting mentorship scheme provides support to final year students in their move towards graduation and the profession. In what is now becoming an annual event, the Mentoring Reception took place on 9 December 2009 and all mentors and mentees were invited to gather together in a preChristmas celebration. Sheraiah Larcher, Tom Payne, Sally Bretton, Sheri-An Davis, Chetna Pandya, Annabel Bates, Chukwuna Omambala, Russell Bentley, Emily Pollet, Siobhan McSweeney, Anna Reynolds, Ben Caplan, Matthew Forbes, Julia Sandiford, Angus Lindsay, Leon Trayman, Luke Osborne, Ben Lambert, David Hartley, Carl Prekopp, Adam Henderson Scott, Gina Beck, Louise Gaunson and Jessica Sherman. Our thanks go out to the following BA Acting alumni who have kindly provided their support of the scheme during 2009/10: If you would like to find out more about the upcoming 2010/11 cycle of the scheme please contact [email protected]. Recent alumni act as mentors and help to bridge the gap between students’ experiences at Central and the industry they are about to enter, and mentees regard their mentors as an informal source of advice and guidance. Alumni NEws | 11 How could you support us? Colleges and universities throughout the UK have been navigating very stormy waters recently and this may be set to continue for many years to come. Recent governmental budget announcements have made it clear that, although funding for schools is to be protected, funding for Higher Education is not. Central is going to have to find new ways to maintain our position of excellence in theatre training and to navigate the tough economic climate ahead of us. In order to safeguard our future, Central will be seeking support in both financial and nonfinancial ways from our alumni, friends and benefactors. We will be fundraising more proactively than in the past and you’ll be hearing more about this over the coming months. We are also aware that our alumni have immense potential to support us in non-financial ways, simply because you move in circles which we, as an institution, don’t naturally inhabit. Support is needed in the following areas: > Assistance for students experiencing financial hardship meeting living expenses or fees > Workshops and placement costs > Travel expenses for students’ outreach projects and further learning during the holidays > Enabling students to take part in public festivals, gaining exposure and experience > Termly student public production costs > Equipment and facilities > Student recruitment drives, both at home and abroad > Enhancing the profile and reach of our events and publicity materials > Expanding our network of contacts both inside and outside the industry Ways in which you could show your support: Spread the word Do you ever talk about where you trained? Could you get this information into a printed programme or a broadcast? Do you get the chance to recommend us to potential students? Introduce us Perhaps an individual or organisation you know would be interested in sponsoring us? Perhaps you, or someone you know, could support us in a charitable trust application? Help in kind Volunteer to help with a fundraising event. For example, provide the venue, help us contact your year group, or agree to be the figurehead. Donations and legacies A one-off or recurring donation, or a legacy in your Will. If you live abroad we can assist in making the best use of your tax arrangements or provide options for paying in non-sterling currency. Lend us your profile Testimonials, photographs from and associations with alumni in the public eye can enhance our ability to attract support or attention for important work, for example on the recruitment pages of our website, the launch of a particular fundraising project, attending an event, recruitment open day or international audition. If you could donate some of your time, perhaps we could even launch a fundraising event around you! If you would like to show support in one of these ways, or have ideas of your own, please contact: Caroline Clark The Development Office [email protected] Tel: +44(0) 20 7559 3997 BA DATE Alumni Supporting Current Students The Directed Production Unit of the BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education course traditionally takes place at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall. For the first time this year, students were offered the alternative option of performing at the Fuse Medway Festival in Chatham, Kent, an annual celebration of arts and creativity featuring street arts days, family events, dance, rural touring and public art commissions. The collaboration came about when, ten years after graduating from Central themselves, Kate Hazel (DE 00) and Robyn Goldsmith (DE 00) found themselves working together for Medway Council Arts Development Team; Kate as the Artistic Director of Fuse Medway Festival and Robyn as the Education and Outreach Officer. Prior to the festival, which took place in June 2010, Kate and Robyn worked closely with their former lecturers at Central to make the arrangements and, with the support of alumni Kate McGregor (BA DATE 07), Eddie Latter (BA DE 97) and Adam Sibbald (BA DATE 08), the first-year students devised the family show The Doctor’s Daughter. Half the students opted to take the show to the Minack and the other half chose to tour with the Fuse Festival. “This was the first time that the students have performed anywhere other than The Minack Theatre and we are proud that the students chose to become part of our festival” said Robyn. “Both Kate and I enjoyed our time at the Minack when we were at Central, so we knew it would be tough to compete with, but when we visited the students many of them could see that Medway was an exciting alternative to Cornwall. The students experienced touring and performing at five very different rural sites, right in the heart of communities where public events like these are rare”. After a hugely successful run at the festival, it is hoped that the collaboration will continue for years to come. For more details on the Fuse Festival visit www.fusefestival.org.uk BA DATE alumni Bonny Coombe (09), Emma Huet ( DE09), Peter Griffin (09), Nicole Stoute (05), Jason Wong (07), Mark Trottman (07) and Andy Buckley (07) have all kindly offered their services in supporting firstyear students on the internationally renowned BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education (DATE) course. The course is intended for students interested in studying and applying the practice and theory of drama and theatre within a range of social, community and educational contexts and is one of the most well-established courses in the country for such work. Students of the DATE course come from a wide variety of backgrounds and the mentoring scheme is aimed at supporting students through the sometimes difficult transition to Higher Education. Our thanks go out to all those involved in this important project. If you would like to be involved in future developments of the scheme please contact Amanda Stuart Fisher on [email protected] 12 | Alumni NEws Alumni in the Building There is a constant stream of alumni through our doors at Central, and it is hard to overstate the contribution you make when you return. Alumni return to us as visiting speakers, to collaborate on student projects, to attend reunions, to mentor and in an array of other guises. If you plan to visit, please contact the alumni office on [email protected] Clockwise from left: Sara Kestelman, Terence Stamp and Nickolas Grace (by TSD); Tech School (by Nick Moran); Geoff Felix (by Tapiwa Nthambi) In Conversation: Nickolas Grace and Terence Stamp During the summer term, third-year Acting students were honoured to be invited as a private audience to an onstage interview between alumnus, renowned actor and founder of the Central alumni association, Nickolas Grace (S 69) and the distinguished actor, film star and Webber Douglas alumnus Terence Stamp. The interview between these old friends covered Stamp’s early days, idolising the film actors Gary Cooper and James Dean, his hilarious reminiscences of his flatshare with fellow rising star Michael Caine and his film debut in Peter Ustinov’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd (1962). Stamp went on to describe how his initial successes were revived in the late 70s when, after a 10-year break travelling and living in India, he returned home to star as the evil General Zod in Superman (1979) and in 1984 he delivered what many consider his finest performance in Stephen Frears’ The Hit. A series of subsequent leading roles were capped by his performance as the transsexual, Bernadette, in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), and his role as the vengeful gangster in The Limey (1999) which firmly placed Stamp back in the British consciousness. For the students to hear such an uninhibited and personal memoir was an unforgettable and enlightening experience. Our thanks go out to both Nickolas and Terence for volunteering this unique opportunity. Other alumni in the building Alumni Sophie Walding (PGCE 04) and Sylvan Baker (MA AT07) delivered sessions to 3rd year students on the BA DATE Reflective Practitioner module. Lydia Cawson (BATP 08) has been working on the costumes for the short films produced by the MA Acting for Screen course. Geoff Felix (BEd SD 80) returned to Central during February to perform his renowned traditional Punch and Judy show to BA DATE students who were working to produce a studio performance or play backed with understanding of relevant applied theatre concepts. Emma Pile (BATP 08) has taught CAD drawing skills to first and second-year BATP Scenic Construction students and invigilated the competency test for second-year BATP Design for Stage students. James Purefoy (S 88) returned to Central during January to deliver a workshop to BA Acting for Stage and Screen third-years on how to get work as an actor and how to maximise employment while retaining a personal ethic. James also directed King Lear with AfSS second-years during June. Amie Shilan (MAATP 07) supported students on the MA Advanced Theatre Practice course by production managing their Stage Two practices during March. Tom Hackley (BATP 08) and Alex Stone (BATP 06) worked together with Nick Moran (BATP Senior Lecturer for Lighting Design) to devise and produce Tech School, a week long course in conjunction with the Arcola Theatre, with the aim of introducing people to careers in technical theatre. For further information on the project please contact [email protected] Emily Harding (BATP 07) is currently working as a Stage Manager on the Bridging Project, which consists of three Shakespearian tragedies involving second-year Acting students and first and second-year Theatre Practice students. Jemma Carpenter (BATP 04) and Julia Wickham (BATP 01) visited Central on behalf of the National Theatre to give presentations to third-year BATP Stage Management students as part of the Future Practice unit. Alumni NEws | 13 After Central In this section, we like to hear from alumni whose careers have taken unexpected and interesting turns… either before or after graduation…. Alistair Scott (MACA 06) From investment banker to professional actor “I had always wanted to be an actor but for many years I failed to follow up on the dream, partly from an over-developed sense of prudence and also latterly a feeling that I had left it all too late. I followed the path more travelled, did a ‘proper’ degree, had a sensible career, wore a suit, and ended up as an investment banker based in Asia. “Making a career change like this throws up several surprises. Starting at the bottom again involves substantial helpings of humble pie, and former colleagues and clients remain utterly bemused.” I maintained my passion for acting in my spare time but became more and more certain it was something I wanted to do professionally. However, across Asia, the audience for English speaking theatre is fairly small and there seemed no practical route forward until a chance conversation with visiting director Scott Williams who mentioned the MA courses that were starting up in the UK. During a business trip to London in 2003 I visited Central to find out more about the courses and had a session with Rob Clare, who was leading the new MA Classical Acting course. To my surprise I was offered a place but, as my wife and I had just adopted two toddlers, plans had to be put on hold whilst we settled the girls. However, two years later in late 2005, I was able to join. And life after Central? As a mature student, I probably have fewer years to get my career moving before senility strikes and in the early days I took almost any job, but I’m getting more choosy now. Like most actors, the work has been very varied and intermittent, ranging from some shockingly bad fringe productions to interesting new writing projects and some classical work. I have also tapped into corporate training, helping other men in suits to improve their public speaking, and some screen work where I mainly seem to be cast as, surprise, surprise, a businessman or a crime boss, the two clearly being indistinguishable. Making a career change like this throws up several surprises. You discover how institutionalised and risk averse you have become. Starting at the bottom again involves substantial helpings of humble pie, and former colleagues and clients remain utterly bemused by the choice you’ve made. But it is wonderfully different – this week I head to Amsterdam to play a villain in a low-budget thriller, then return to start rehearsals as Baptista, the father in The Taming of the Shrew. As the father to two increasingly stroppy daughters this, at least, is one part which life has prepared me for.” Rose Turner (MA PPR 08) A Programme Coordinator taking interactive theatre into care homes “Following an MA in Performance Practices and Research at Central, I worked as an actor in children’s theatre, and was happy to make my living as a performer. The explorative structure of the MA had appealed to me because I loved performing, but I was also interested in pursuing psychology and so I developed a practice that explored the ways that psychological phenomena – like memory and emotion – translate into performance art. After Central, and alongside my acting work, I began studying towards a Diploma in Psychology through the Open University in order to develop this interest in psychological research further. In late 2009 I took on the role of Research Associate on a Leverhulme Trust-endorsed project between the Universities of Surrey and Edinburgh. The project, Talking with UK Centenarians, led by Professor Tina Koch, aimed to explore the common factors affecting longevity, as well as to reverse negative stereotypes surrounding older people, through the publication of a book (due to be published later this year) containing the life stories of 20 of the 11,000 centenarians currently living in the UK. The project fell into the category of storytelling, and I was excited by its links with theatre. One of the most interesting aspects of my work was carrying out screening interviews with the centenarians, learning about their lives and what they might like to talk about for the book. The research team commented that my background in performance may have proved integral to this role, enabling me to fast develop relationships with the people I was interviewing and to gather the details of their lives. It has been wonderful to learn about our cultural history through such personal accounts. My role in the centenarian project is now coming to a close, but through the project, and for personal reasons, I have become interested in people who develop dementia and have now been lucky enough to be offered the role of Programme Coordinator with an organisation called Ladder to the Moon. The charity takes interactive theatre and staff coaching into care homes to improve the quality of life of older people in care, particularly those living with dementia, and to improve the relationships between staff and residents. I think that working on memory during my MA was pivotal in finding where my career sits – which turns out to be in between the often wrongly disconnected areas of theatre and psychology.” “I loved performing, but I was also interested in pursuing psychology and so I developed a practice that explored the ways that psychological phenomena – like memory and emotion – translate into performance art.” 14 | Alumni NEws Alumni Abroad Germany Central Alumni are spread far and wide. As well as the items below, read more in ‘Where Are They Now?’ section on our website Oliver Mink (AC SD 89) returned to his native Germany after 10 years in the UK and, after some years maintaining his stage career, began to move into teaching and coaching business people. In 1994, he started up his own language institute, www.globus-fremdsprachen.de. India Seema Sethi (B.Ed 91) taught drama in a number of schools throughout London and Birmingham before deciding to move to India three years ago. Now the Deputy Principal of The British School in New Delhi, Seema says, “The journey has been incredible. There really is nothing more satisfying than being in the classroom and facilitating a passion for learning. The tutors at Central were inspirational and passionate themselves, which has left a lasting impression on me, laid the foundations and empowered me to make a little difference in the world.” Japan Clockwise from top left: Yoon Bae; Rebecca Root; Sheila Landahl (by Teresa Castracane); Larissa Archer (by John Krause); Irene ErkenBrack; Sarah Calver; Jake Harders (by Maurizia Mannucci); Bodelle de Ronde (by Magnus Hastings); Oliver Mink (by Hassel Studio) Yoon Bae (TP 94) is designing the set and props for Bernstein’s Candide, being performed at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. The theatre is a 2000 seat venue that produces commercial theatre, Broadway and West End productions. Candide is directed by John Caird and opens in June 2010. The production features a Japanese cast and will be performed and sung entirely in Japanese. As a British/Korean living in the UK, Yoon has not only faced the challenges of working cross-culturally but, due to the travel disruptions during April, the additional challenges of coordinating much of the communication with the crew remotely. New Zealand Bodelle de Ronde (BA A 06) has recently relocated back to New Zealand after being offered a core cast role in a New Zealand TV Series called The Cult. Before the move from the UK, Bodelle worked in a number of fringe plays, short films (including Catching the Bus which was shown at the Strasbourg and Tarnowidz Film Festivals 2009), and an episode of Teenage Kicks with Adrian Edmondson. Norway Rebecca Root (MAVS 08) was guest speaker at the Performing Gender conference hosted by the Oslo National Academy of the Arts in Norway during April. Rebecca presented her adapted thesis, There and Back Again: Adventures in Genderland, to great acclaim. Meanwhile, Rebecca continues to work on the newly relaunched International Centre for Voice (ICV) which held its inaugural workshop at Central during March. For more information on the ICV see the CETT section. Alumni NEws | 15 USA Irene ErkenBrack (MA AMT 07) is currently working as an artist and administrator at the Commonweal Theatre Company in Lanesboro, Minnesota. Irene is a resident company member and actress, as well as the Box Office Manager. Richard Pilbrow (SM 55) was voted by Live Design as “one of the 50 most powerful people in the entertainment technology industry” earlier in 2010. Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Theatre Projects Consultants, Richard is one of the world’s leading theatre design consultants, a theatre, film and television producer, and an internationally known author and stage lighting designer. Monroe Robertson (BA A 07) and Remy Bennett (BA A 06) are both living in Manhatten, NY and have appeared together in the production Sweet Storm at Hubbard Hall in Cambridge, New York. Larissa Archer (MA CA 07) performed as Catherine in Suddenly Last Summer at the Actors Theatre of San Francisco earlier in 2010. Her next project there will be Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. Sheila Landahl (MA VS 05) recently earned a Master’s from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy at The George Washington University and taught acting for The Governor’s School of the Arts at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. Sheila also taught Voice at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washingon DC and served as Dialect Coach for the new play The Lost Boys of Sudan at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago. Currently Shelia is playing the Queen in Cymbeline at the Shakespeare Dallas festival. Sarah Calver (BA A 08) is one of 50 young British actors, writers, directors and producers to be selected to take part in the prestigious T.S. Eliot US/UK Exchange, a programme designed to nurture the best young British and American theatre practitioners. Supported by the T.S. Eliot Estate, and hosted by The Old Vic and The Public Theater, the US/UK Exchange offers 18-30 year old artists the opportunity to develop their skills by engaging with the theatre communities on the other side of the Atlantic. Left to right: Bill Pepper (care of Dragon Shutter Photography and TheLaunchBlock.com); Rosie Hoare (centre) and colleagues (by Esther Benning) Singapore Zambia Bill Pepper (ADVS 87) gave a series of Voice workshops and advanced masterclasses at the Drama Centre in Singapore’s National Library during March/April 2010. There was a lively and varied representation from actors, teachers, speakers and professional Voice users. Bill also conducted workshops for the drama students of ACJC, an impressive secondary school that has a strong drama department. It proved to be a very intense, demanding and energetic time, however the results were most pleasing and, with the support of Derrick Siu, plans are underway for further workshops in September. Rosie Hoare (TP 66) is halfway through a two-year VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) placement as an Organisational Development Advisor to the Chipata District Farmers Association in Zambia. The association is a membership organisation of farmers, affiliated to the Zambia National Farmers Union. The team develop and deliver training sessions to explain to people their rights, to help them to access land and resources, to try and find markets for their produce and to create awareness about the services that are available to them such as health and education. 16 | Alumni NEws Research at Central research centres Central has formed two new research centres to capitalise on staff interests and our extensive industry partnerships. The centres will extend Central’s research activities and enhance our course provision. Centre for Research in Performance and Social Practice: Theatre Applied Jessica Hartley (centre) with collaborators Ben Melchiors, Alex Murphy and Hetty Wooding (by Sarah Ainslie) PhD at Central Jessica Hartley (MA ATP 00) returns to Central to research risk-taking with adolescents The main focus of Jessica’s research is risk and risk-taking in adolescent students. The platform for the investigation is the use of clown training and aerial equipment (trapezes and the corde lisse). She argues that teaching needs to be provocative and caring if teachers are going to enable students towards open futures. “My supervisors have transformed my understanding of critical thinking, academic writing and the rigour needed to study at this level,” says Jessica. “I have had very practical help from Student Support Services for my dyslexia, and the Technical Support and Media Services departments provide creative assistance for my bizarre rigging and documentation requests. Ultimately, I hope to support teachers and students who work in this area, challenge my own understanding at the highest level and make myself more employable to higher education institutions”. Are you thinking about pursuing a PhD? See current research students in action at Central’s PhD Collisions Festival, 5 - 9 October 2010. Visit www.collisionsfestival.org for more information. A five-year initiative, this centre was founded on Central’s long-standing interest in socially engaged theatre, which started with the creation of the country’s first undergraduate degree in applied and community theatre. Central now has the largest cohort of applied theatre academics in the world. In addition to an MA in Applied Theatre (Drama in the Community and Drama in Education), Central currently has 4 PhD students including two fully funded AHRC collaborative doctorates with projects in applied theatre. Two areas for particular development for the research centre are site, place and performance and gender in applied theatre and performance. Projects already in development involve verbatim techniques, dance and participatory performance. Centre for Research into Object and Puppet Theatre (CROPT) This centre will bring together national and international researchers from the fields of puppetry, object theatre, animation and related dramaturgies. It will be the only Englishspeaking puppetry research centre in Europe. Central was the first UK institution to introduce Higher Education level training in puppetry through its BA and MA programmes. Central also hosts an AHRC Creative Fellow in Puppetry (Nenagh Watson) and is considered a major force within international puppet theatre. Initially, this research centre will concentrate on the following: supporting specific research projects into applied puppetry, post-traditional puppetry, opera/dance and puppetry and the dramaturgy of objects; setting up a practice-as-research residency programme; seeking collaborative doctoral studentships; establishing an annual symposium on puppetry and object theatre research, from which papers will be published; coordinating a series of Masterclasses and developing Central’s annual puppetry festival. For more information about the centres and their activities, please contact the Research Office: [email protected] or via the switchboard +44 (0)20 7722 8183. Information will be made available on our website in due course. The Science of Sex and Gender (sponsored by the Wellcome Trust) In 2006, the Sci:dentity Project, headed by Central’s Deputy Dean of Studies, Dr. Catherine McNamara, debated the question ‘What is the Science of Sex and Gender?’ includes interviews with the applied theatre practitioners who led the project, and medical experts such as endocrinologist Professor Andrew Levy (University of Bristol). The study surveyed over 500 people across the UK and, following its initial success, the Wellcome Trust funded an extension of the project in 2010 to re-edit the original documentary film. Screenings of the film vignettes with Q&A sessions took place in June at Central as well as in Bristol and Manchester. Participants included project staff and some of the young transgender people who took part in the original study. The ‘second edition’ Sci:dentity film footage contributes to discussion and debate around identity, specifically gendered and sexed identity. A series of vignettes incorporate the film/performance project work done with a group of 18 young trans people. It also For more information about the project or to request a Sci:dentity DVD resource pack, contact Dr. Catherine McNamara at [email protected]. Alumni NEws | 17 Thinking about further study? Consider a Postgraduate Degree at Central As Central alumni, you already know that our special strength lies in combining first-rate practical training with a dynamic culture of critical inquiry. Central also has Europe’s largest gathering of academic performance specialists and excellent facilities to support postgraduate study. MA Acting (Classical/Contemporary) MA Acting for Screen MA Actor Training and Coaching MA Advanced Theatre Practice MA Applied Theatre MA Creative Producing MA Drama and Movement Therapy (Sesame) MA Movement Studies MA Music Theatre MA Performance Practices and Research MA Scenography MA Theatre Studies (Performance and the City) MA Voice Studies MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media PGCE Drama / Media Studies PhD (traditional / practice-based) Find out more about MA and PhD degrees at our upcoming events: Postgraduate Open Evening – Thursday, 2 December 2010, 6pm – 8pm PhD Open Evening – Wednesday, 8 December 2010, 6pm – 8pm For more information and to register, please visit www.cssd.ac.uk or email [email protected] 18 | Alumni NEws Centre for Excellence in Training for Theat The Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre (CETT) was created by the Central School of Speech & Drama. It works to provide a national resource for vocational performing arts training and learning, a focus for theatre research and scholarship, and a site for collaboration nationally and internationally, between industry, Higher Education, and specialist training providers Theatre Applications – Jane Munro’s Salt Piece installation (by Patrick Baldwin) Everyone who’s ever trained at Central knows the rigour and the excellence of the training. Five years ago the Higher Education Funding Council for England made Central one of only 72 National Centres for Excellence. This brought £1.6 million in capital funds for building and refurbishment work and £500K per year for the development activity taking place over the five year scheme. The CETT award enabled us to reward new approaches to teaching and learning from both staff and students. Innovative projects and activities were identified through an open call across the school and resulted in a wide range of initiatives that have enhanced the student experience. This has facilitated the creation of several projects, such as: the formation of a staff and student graduate company who created a performance of Mr Pye; a collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music to create The Red Knot; a student photography exhibition, and hundreds of other projects. It has also enabled the establishment of many activities that will continue in the coming years, including the Firefly Journal, written by students and addressing a range of performance related issues; the Rhizome portal, an inter-collegiate tool for exploration and research; and ongoing investment into e-learning and a digital archive for the school. Central was the only institution to be given a whole-school award, meaning that all courses could benefit, leading to major cultural change across the institution. The establishment of CETT built upon the School’s strengths and experience in vocational theatre training, developing and exploring drama as a vehicle for change. Another important aspect of the work CETT has been doing involve collaborating with industry and other arts organisations. We have teamed up with Camden People’s Theatre and the Puppet Centre Trust at the BAC to offer residency programmes to new graduate companies, helping them to develop their work as they are starting out. CETT’s work addressed three main areas: working with staff and students to develop teaching and learning; collaboration with industry; and research into teaching and learning. Other collaborations include projects with Half Moon, Stage Technologies, Independent Street Arts Network, National Association of Youth Theatres, Arts Admin, Complicite, Bartlett School of Architecture, North American Actors Association, Aarya, Red Shift, Haymarket Theatre, Total Theatre, OISTAT, Centre for Creative Collaboration, Volcano Theatre, Little Angel Theatre, Remarkable Productions and the Roundhouse. CETT support has also provided many academics with a first step towards research. The ongoing programme of research events, roundtables and symposia has prompted many staff to investigate their practice more deeply. The now well-established annual conferences started with How to Act in 2007, and was followed by Theatre Materials in 2008, Theatre Noise in 2009 and Theatre Applications in April this year. These conferences have become key events in the School’s calendar and are a core part of the CETT legacy. Although the CETT office activities are now drawing to a close, the ethos created has been embedded in the School’s culture and will be seen in our work in the years to come. Central retains its title as Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre and, through the funds made available to it, has been able to invest in teaching and learning at what must surely be one of the most pivotal times in Higher Education in the United Kingdom. Over its final 6 months CETT has continued to be an inspiration and has maintained its momentum in creating and supporting pioneering initiatives. Alumni NEws | 19 atre Theatre Applications: Performance with a Purpose Conference This year CETT’s conference, co-created by Central’s Sally Mackey and Amanda Stuart-Fisher, concerned the uses and purposes of theatre and performance in education, community, therapeutic and institutional settings. It addressed applied, social and community theatre, and forms of performance that intend to make a difference to participants’ lives. A very full programme of events with international participants and delegates was slightly disrupted by the closing of the airports due to the volcanic ash. However, with ingenuity and modern technology, the conference went ahead, the majority of sessions took place and both keynote speakers who were grounded abroad by the disruptions were able to present their papers at the conference. Rustom Bharucha, an independent writer, director, dramaturge, and cultural critic based in Kolkata, India, made a DVD of his presentation to show at the conference and Jan Cohen-Cruz, director of Imagining America: Artists and Scholar in Public Life and a professor at Syracuse University, USA, was able to give her speech and answer questions from the audience live via Skype. As usual there were several interesting and provocative roundtables and paper panels. Angels’ Den Some of the noted participants included Anton Franks, Carmel O’Sullivan, Allan Owens, Helen Nicholson, James Thompson, Eugene van Erven, Anna Ledgard, Mark Storor, James Blackman, Fiona Lesley, Rebecca Prichard, Jonothan Neelands, Joe Winston, Guglielmo Schininà, Patrick Duggan and many more. Central staff took a very active part in the conference with Sally Mackey and Amanda Stuart Fisher as the co-curators and Joel Anderson, Selina Busby, Steve Farrier, Tony Fisher, Richard Hougham, Lynne Kendrick, Lynne McCarthy, Louise Owen, Sheila Preston, Gareth White and Nick Wood giving papers, taking part in round tables or chairing paper panels. Jane Munro’s installation Salt Piece was also part of the conference and Joseph Mercier, a PhD student, gave a workshop on dance for non-dancers. There was a topical performance by Priory Primary School with Patchwork Theatre about Pompeii and a performance of The Illegals by iceandfire theatre company. IsoProductions, one of CETT’s graduate companies, was in residence for the conference and performed Enter, Stranger. As part of CETT’s initiative to support recent Central graduates, a second Angels’ Den event was held in January, led by Central’s Lynne Kendrick. Emerging companies had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of friendly judges and get constructive feedback on how they could develop their work and where they should go for funding and creative support. Many of the companies attending also took advantage of the opportunity to film short pitches for a new initiative set up by Camden Arts Development Officer Chris Mellor, to help Creative Producers get funding for shows at Camden venues. For further information on the Camden Theatre’s funding initiative go to www.camdentheatres.com Clockwise from left: Theatre Applications – IsoProduction; Theatre Applications – Priory Primary School performing Pompeii; Theatre Applications conference (all photos by Patrick Baldwin) 20 | Alumni NEws Kleinkunst 3 and Student Puppet Festival (all photos by Patrick Baldwin) Student Puppet Festival Kleinkunst 3: The Sideshow The fourth international Student Puppet Festival was held at Central at the beginning of May, offering four days of puppetry performances, installations and workshops. We were privileged to host several companies from outside the UK, including puppetry students from the Ernst Busch Puppenspiel Theatre School in Berlin and Stellenbosch University Students from South Africa, giving our own students the opportunity to engage with international work and to make connections with other puppeteers. Following the success of Kleinkunst 2 in November 2009, CETT presented Kleinkunst 3 as part of the CircusFest season at the Roundhouse. Students and recent graduates from several UK universities also took part in the festival, including Royal Holloway, Nottingham Trent, Central St Martins and Leeds University. Central alumni presenting work at the festival included MA ATP 09 graduates Liat Rosenthal and Raven Kaliana. A celebration of the alternative and the ‘freak’, the evening featured a series of spectacular performances exploring questions of identity and exploitation, and presentations considered the non-normative body and its use in the sideshow, both in its Victorian heyday and in its contemporary re-appropriation. Technical support was provided by Central student volunteers, led by BA TP alumni Ben O’Neill (09) and Jon Hare (07), Technical Manager for the Roundhouse CircusFest season. The Rosamund Project – The Red Knot The premiere of The Red Knot, a CETT funded collaboration with the CETL at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), was performed at the 2010 Rosamund Prize Competition at the RNCM in Manchester on 12 May 2010. Developed by Central’s Wendy Gadian, Adam Gorb of RNCM and 2009 winners Eileen Pun and Steven Jackson, The Red Knot is a short chamber opera based on the tragic events of the Chinese cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay in 2004. The piece was performed by BA Acting students from Central and musicians from RNCM and design and technical support was provided by BA TP 09 alumni Joe O’Neill and Kate Blanchard. Alumni NEws | 21 Playing the Other CETT, along with the Sesame Institute UK and the Independent Group of Analytical Psychologists (IGAP), organised a one-day conference which opened up the debate and exploration of the notion of the Other in psychology, performance studies, writing and other disciplines. International Centre for Voice (ICV) News As the notion of what is ‘me’ and what is ‘not me’ pervades our perceptions of Self and Other, the day explored this primary theme through workshops, a keynote, a performance and a round table. ICV workshop with Cicely Berry (by Fiona Burgess) The Bartlett Collaboration PERFORM is an ambitious ongoing collaboration between CETT and Unit 23 Live Projects at The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL, to build a mobile space for experimental performance. The aim of the project is to cast the experimental and speculative cultures of theatre and architectural education into the public realm and embark on a journey with the nature of material and potential of the space. Through this journey PERFORM will develop thought and practice, will have a concrete impact and will inform and develop the way people use space, performance, material and communication. The newly re-launched International Centre for Voice (ICV) hosted its inaugural workshop with Cicely Berry at Central during March. Entitled Text in Action, Cicely’s workshop was devoted to finding the truth in Shakespearean texts and making them relevant for today’s actors. Attended by some 20 participants, all of whom were voice teachers or performers, the all-day event marked the beginning of the ICV’s roster of practical workshops. The first ICV members’ evening followed a week after Cicely’s visit. This vibrant event provided an ideal opportunity for members to network and share pedagogical ideas over a glass of wine as well as to reflect on the workshop. ICV membership is open to fully qualified or practising teachers of voice and speech along with any qualified professionals from any allied organisation offering close links to the teaching of voice and speech. For further information on upcoming events and how to join the ICV, please visit the official ICV website www.icvoice.co.uk or email [email protected]. 22 | Alumni NEws School of Professional and Community Devel Much has been happening in the School of Professional and Community Development. Here are some of the recent School and Community Liaison Activity Central’s School and Community Liaison Officer, Richard Harrison, works with schools, colleges and youth theatres to deliver a series of Higher Education Audition/ Interview Workshops for students in Years 7 to 13. These interactive workshops, which take place at schools across the country, aim to introduce students to the study of drama in Higher Education as well as the interview and audition processes. LGB project (by IUC Photography) LGB Project Ben Buratta (MA ATC 07) in SPCD received funding from the Big Lottery Fund to produce a performance project for 16-25 year old lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) people The project involved 20 young theatre makers who, alongside Ben and a professional production team, created a piece of theatre in just over 2 weeks. The rehearsal process also featured master classes from top industry professionals including Central’s President Michael Grandage, Rikki Beadle-Blair and Alexi Kaye Campbell amongst others. The performance SSA: Same Sex Attraction took place in Central’s Webber Douglas Studio and the project has been featured in both The Stage and Attitude magazine. Many of the workshops take place at schools where Central alumni teach; if you’re a teacher in a state-maintained secondary school or college, and would like Richard to deliver a workshop for your students, contact him on [email protected] or call +44(0) 20 7449 1597. Workshops are free of charge to schools and colleges in the maintained sector, and are consistently rated ‘excellent’ by teachers. Bookings can be made online at www.cssd.ac.uk/schools Richard is also working with ten schools and colleges on the Career Pathways Mapping Project, which aims to provide Central with an insight into the drama-related pathways open to young people. If you’d like more information about this project, e-mail Richard on [email protected]. Higher Education Innovation Fund Knowledge Connect Funding Award Camden Pupil Referral Unit The Higher Education Innovation Fund student innovation competition winners have been selected, and we are pleased to announce that this year the fund will be supporting: Anne Walsh, Voice Coach for SPCD, has won funding of £10,000 from Knowledge Connect to deliver a knowledge exchange project with Theatre Peckham. SPCD will be working with Camden’s Pupil Referral Unit to deliver a series of workshops on body language, confidence and communication skills for young people excluded from the mainstream schooling system. Ben Buratta (MA ATC 07) will deliver the workshops as part of their World of Work module and assist in the young people’s integration back into mainstream schooling. > Dan Bunn (BA TP), for Dan Bunn Sound and Light Company > Natalia Kharina (BA DATE) and Matthew Baker (BA A), for Flashback Play Theatre, a touring theatre company and education programme > Karol Da Silva (MA ATP), for Live Traces, Live Art and Performance magazine Winners will receive £2000 to support their business idea and business development mentoring from the HEIF team. HEIF also hosted a networking event for 40 SME owners in partnership with Knowledge Connect, at Central. With a live performance from Central’s Musical Theatre students, and training on How to Network from the HEIF team, the evening was a great success. The project will involve devising a voice programme for the theatre to deliver to their youth group participants and those on BTEC performing arts courses and to embed those skills within Theatre Peckham’s own teaching staff. Overseas Bruce Wooding (T 90), Head of SPCD, is working on a research project with the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics and will be visiting Jordan to work on developing a theatre group dedicated to fostering communal harmony and cultural reconstruction in Basra. WECAN Aimhigher SPCD were successful in a bid from WECAN Aimhigher to produce a Theatre in Education tour focusing on routes into Higher Education. Three actors, Barry Fitzgerald, Mairi Hayes (BA A 08) and Alec Parkinson (MA CA 06), toured 11 secondary schools with a performance highlighting the alternative routes that young people can take when considering Higher Education. Alumni NEws | 23 opment News headlines ‘Through my Saturday classes, I have grown in confidence, skill and have forged unforgettable friendships. Central has also given me more insight into the world of theatre studies and has inspired me to follow it in my own school.’ – Bronte, aged 15 ‘The teachers are all friendly. They always make learning fun and enjoyable. The theatre is massive with hundreds of seats, it’s a place where you can perform just about any play! It’s fantastic and once you start you can’t stop! Central School of Speech & Drama is one the best I know.’ – Kiavash, aged 10 ‘I was about 11 and extremely nervous when I started Central, but these feelings melted away and I’ve now had 5 years full of laughter, great lessons and meeting amazing performers.’ – Joe, aged 15 ‘Coming to Central, I have met and worked with a lot of really friendly and lovely people who I feel have helped me develop as a performer and a person.’ – Jess, aged 15 ‘I was very nervous and shy at first but now each term I arrive excited to meet new people and see who’s in my group.’ – Lizzie, aged 15 Central Youth Theatre (care of SPCD) ‘The skills and knowledge I gained at the Saturday School have helped me greatly since I was accepted onto the BA (Hons) Acting course at Central. The environment and friendly atmosphere was as essential to my training then as it is now.’ – Homer, BA Acting Student Youth Theatre Alumni Club Central’s Saturday Youth Theatre has been providing drama classes for 6-17 year olds for almost 15 years now and we thought it was about time that they had their own section in the alumni newsletter. Here, Bruce Wooding, Head of SPCD, recalls another successful season. “When Sue Styring, Joan Haines and I started out all those years ago we began with just 20 students – now we have around 150 young people attending each term. We try to develop the young people’s love of theatre and engage them with a wide range of play texts and, at the end of each term, the students present a 15 minute piece to an audience of friends and family. The great thing about the Youth Theatre is that, although the youngsters don’t need any experience to take part, each year I am endlessly impressed by their enthusiasm, dedication, hard work and, indeed, talent. I have fond memories of so many of the students and I am still in touch with some of the old boys and girls, although they are rather grown up now! Lots have gone on to do amazing things and I hope that the Saturday Youth Theatre is a little part of their path to success! I would love to get in touch with more of them and hear what they are up to now. Perhaps we could even organise a Saturday Youth Theatre alumni reunion!” For more information about how to get involved with the Saturday Youth Theatre, how you can support the scheme financially or to share some memories with Bruce, please email [email protected] or phone +44 (0) 20 7559 3960. 24 | Alumni NEws ALUMNI event news BATP 10 Year Celebration In May 2010 nearly 100 of Central’s BA (Hons) Theatre Practice alumni gathered together to celebrate 10 years of the BATP course. The Theatre Practice course emerged via the amalgamation of three earlier programmes: Theatre Studies, Stage Management and Technical Arts and Design Interpretation. In 1997, the course was officially awarded degree status and in the subsequent years developed to include 12 strands of specialist study; Costume Construction, Design for Stage, Performance Arts, Production Lighting, Prop Making, Puppetry, Scenic Art, Scenic Construction, Stage Management, Technical and Production Management, Theatre Lighting Design and Theatre Sound. In 2000, the first cohort of BA (Hons) Theatre Practice students graduated. In honour of this milestone in Central’s history, a celebration was in order and we were delighted to welcome graduates from across the current BATP spectrum, as well as alumni graduating back to the mid 1970s representing the original courses. Emotive speeches by both Jessica Bowles (BATP Course Leader, 1997 - 2008) and Caroline Townsend (current Course Leader) were followed by the highlight of the day – the screening of a specially commissioned promotional film of alumni testimonials about the course. The Embassy Theatre was filled with giggles as familiar faces popped onto the screen and memories were relived. The afternoon was a great success, with the opportunity not only for alumni to catch up with old friends, but to also make new contacts and form valuable connections. To read more about the varied careers that BATP alumni have gone on to pursue please see the ‘Where are they now?’ section on our website. BA Acting Musical Theatre reception Wendy Gadian, Pathway Leader and Senior Lecturer, recalls a successful gathering of inspirational Musical Theatre performers. Thursday 4 March, 2010 saw a unique gathering of over 40 alumni and special guests assemble to celebrate the BA Acting Musical Theatre course. The reception was followed by the MT public production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the whodunit musical comedy based on the unfinished novel by Charles Dickens. Alumni of the Musical Theatre course can be seen performing on the West End musical stage, at the Globe Theatre and in many film and TV productions, and the upcoming third years of the course certainly looked ready to follow in their footsteps with their hilarious production of Drood. Special guests at the event included Elaine Paige, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Clive Rowe, Nickolas Grace and Sara Kestelman. Sir Paul McCartney was also spotted among the Drood audience during the Saturday matinee performance. Clockwise from left: MT reunion; Abbey Mordue and Sara Kestelman; Avon Harpurley, Verona Chard and Lynne Thomas; David Hounslow, Wendy Gadian and David Dekeyser; Katy Baker and Emma Drysdale. (All photos by Patrick Baldwin). Alumni NEws | 25 Clockwise from top left: Simon Kenny, Maira Vezeou and Ilona Karas; Keiran Taylor, Jess Stevenson, Samantha Griffin, Scott Stevenson and Lizzy Ferguson; BATP alumni and staff; Katy Bryant, Jessica Davies, Leigh Davies and Emma Barrow; Rachel Nichols, Matt Bundy, Adam Povey, Kirsty Henderson and Matt Butler. (All photos by Patrick Baldwin). The fifth student-produced Accidental Festival took place in May 2010 at the Battersea Arts Centre, and was launched with guest lectures from Liz LeComopte, Simon McBurney and Katie Mitchell. The festival also included work from AHRC Fellows Nenagh Watson and Jon Davison, current students from across Central, and industry professionals. Performance Arts alumni were also out in force throughout the event showing their support through participation and attendance, including Daniel Somerville (BA TP 08), Maddy Trigg (BA TP 08), and Alan Fielden (BA TP 08) who performed to sold out audiences. Chris Lynch (BA TP 08), now a professional archivist, said “The Accidental Festival seems to be growing year on year but it still manages to remain true to its aims of bringing audiences to shows they may not have experienced otherwise and providing a showcase for new practitioners. It also still has a wonderful atmosphere for those performing and watching.” Other alumni spotted at the festival included; Phil Nottingham (BA TP 08) who now works as a performer and teacher, Eva Liparova (BA TP 08) who has just completed her MA in Experience Economy and now works at Central and Central St Martins, as well as with her company Parrot in the Tank, Ruby Baker (BA TP 08) who has recently left Artsdepot to work with Julian Rudd at Remarkable Productions, and Dan Marsden (BA TP 08), a director and producer, who recently received a four star review from the Independent for his production of the Secret Garden at the Brighton Festival with fellow PA alumnus, Alan Fielden. Right, top to bottom: Chris Lynch; Phil Nottingham, Eva Liperova and Ruby Baker; Principal Gavin Henderson and alumus Phil Nottingham mark the closing of the festival; Dan Marsden. (All photos by Gorm Shackleford). 26 | Alumni NEws Left to right: Into The Woods, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (all photos by Patrick Baldwin) Seminars and Event News The following Research events took place at Central during the spring and summer terms: Michael Boyd (Royal Shakespeare Company) in conversation with Simon Shepherd (Central) Events in association with the London Mime Festival > Acting the Puppet with Gavin Glover of Faulty Optic and Nenagh Watson, AHRC Creative Fellow (Central) > Coming to Life with Yuval Fingerman and Renana Raz of Etgar Theatre and Cariad Astles (Central) > Eccentric Dance with Caroline Radcliffe, Barry and Joan Grantham and Jon Davison (Central, chair) Practice Processes Reports from the Rehearsal Room by Central staff Catherine Alexander, Cariad Astles and Zachary Dunbar, chaired by Lucy Richardson (London Metropolitan University) Performance Applications Central staff presented on Power, Value and Engagement: Tony Fisher, Louise Owen, and Gareth White with chair Nadine Holdsworth (University of Warwick) Shakespearean Verse-speaking: Text and Theatre Practice Launch of a book by Dr Abigail Rokison (Cambridge University) with Stephen Unwin (Rose Theatre), chaired by Ben Naylor (Central) Beacons Live and recorded extended voice and digital media performance by Yvon Bonenfant (University of Winchester) with discussion chaired by Ross Brown (Central) Playing the Other One-day symposium organised by CETT, including a round table with Sally Vickers (novelist and former Jungian psychotherapist), Mark Saban, Jeffrey Newman (rabbi and director, Earth Charter UK) and Richard Hougham (Central) Researching Urban Cultures: Beyond the Local-Global Presentations by Kathleen Gallagher (University of Toronto), Caoimhe McAvinchey (QMUL) and Shelia Preston (Central) Performing Intimacy A look at nineteenth to twenty-first century performance, from Ibsen to one-on-one performance pieces with Jon Cairns (Central St Martins), Hera Cook (University of Birmingham), Stephen Farrier (Central) and Rachel Zerihan (QMUL). Central’s Louise Owen chaired Joe Kelleher (Roehampton) presenting on theatrical déjà vu Concert-Theatre Symposium One-day event involving Matthew Sharp, John Kenny, Neyire Ashworth (Guildhall School of Music and Drama), Emily White (Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music), and Central co-organisers Zachary Dunbar and Paul Barker Queer Performers A round table discussion with Dusty Limits, Holestar and David Hoyle The Actor in Costume Aoife Monks (Birkbeck), Bridget Escolme (QMUL) and Kate Dorney (V&A) Forthcoming Events Alumni are invited to attend the following events: Kristin Linklater course in Voice and Text Teacher Training hosted by the International Centre for Voice Kristin Linklater is inaugurating her two-part course in Voice and Text Teacher Training at Central during August 2010 and August 2011. This is the first time that Professor Linklater will run her course in the UK. Kristin Linklater’s work is well known in theatre circles, largely because of the rigorous teacher training programme that is required to become a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher. A huge number of applications were received for the course and, after a highly competitive and thorough selection process earlier this year, final candidates have been accepted, including applicants from America, Canada, Spain and Australia. For more information about the ICV and any upcoming workshops or courses, please visit www.icvoice.co.uk, or email [email protected]. Theatre O Workshop 16-27 August 2010 Central is holding a 10-day workshop led by this international theatre company. For full details please see the Central website. Alumni Gathering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 17 August 2010 Exploring Gender through the Arts, Re-looking at the Sci:dentity Project Catherine McNamara (Central) and participants from Gendered Intelligence Are you planning to visit the Edinburgh Fringe as either a visitor or performer this year? If so, please do join us for an informal Central get together on Tuesday 17 August from 12-2pm in The Library Bar, The Gilded Balloon, Teviot Square, Edinburgh EH8 9PQ. Christopher Oram: The Edward Gordon Craig Lecture Stage Design: Design for the Forth Generation, with respondent Michael Grandage The North American Actors’ Association – Double X Festival 6-10 September 2010 To be added to the Research Events mailing list please send your details to [email protected] Central is hosting the North American Actors Association’s (NAAA) annual play-reading festival of new works by American and Canadian writers. The festival will be supporting British Actors Equity’s 2010 initiative to redress the balance of Alumni NEws | 27 Publications Judi Dench (S 57) And Furthermore Weidenfeld & Nicolson has acquired world rights to Judi Dench’s life story, focusing on Dench’s professional career as well as her 30-year marriage to actor Michael Williams. Due for release in October 2010. Lynda Bellingham (S 69) Lost And Found: My Story male to female roles, with a focus of strong roles for women. Selected entries will be rehearsed and read by members of the NAAA. These rehearsed readings are undertaken as showcase performances for the actors and the writers, and offer the writer the chance to have their work presented under professional direction and using the talents of professional actors. See www.new.naaa.org.uk for more details or phone +44(0)7873 371 981. Hampstead and Highgate Festival 24 September – 3 October 2010 Some of the events of this local arts community festival will be held at Central this year. For full details see www.hamandhighfest.co.uk. Collisions: Festival of New Performance and Theory 5 - 9 October 2010 A collection of performances, installations, demonstrations and workshops by Central’s PhD students and Research Fellows. Royal Albert Hall Alumni 14 October 2010 Following on from the spectacular Albert Hall reunion day in October 2009 we are looking to host an annual get-together for alumni who graduated before our 1957 move to the Swiss Cottage site. The first of these informal gatherings will be held here at Central on 14 October 2010, from 3-6pm. We will be in touch with the relevant alumni in due course. ICV Workshop with Frankie Armstrong 20 November 2010 If you wish to book a place on the Frankie Armstrong workshop and you are not already a member of ICV please visit www.icvoice.co.uk to download an application form and email it to icv@ cssd.ac.uk stating that you wish to book a place. Alumni Free Ticket Night to Student Production Each term, thirty free tickets are made available to alumni for one of our Public Productions. Prior to or following the performance we a hold a private alumni reception where you can meet other Central graduates over refreshments. For details of the winter term’s productions, and the date of the alumni night, please consult our website. This autobiographical work is a moving recount of a very personal journey. Darker moments are recalled alongside hilarious anecdotes from stage and screen. Published by Ebury Publishing. Cush Jumbo (BA A 06) 101 Dance Ideas, age 5-11 The book aims to inspire teachers, youth workers and carers to have the confidence to encourage dance in educational settings and uses an easy step by step format to explain dance styles ranging from the Cha Cha to street dance and includes a practice DVD. Published by A&C Black and due for release in August 2010. Terence Frisby (S 58) Kisses on a Postcard Kisses on a Postcard is a vivid and intimate portrait of a neglected part of our wartime history; a compelling and uplifting memoir of growing up in an extraordinary time. Published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. Duncan Barrett (MACA 06) The Reluctant Tommy: An Extraordinary Memoir of the First World War A fascinating first-person account of a soldier turned conscientious objector by the horrors of the First World War. Published by Macmillan. Lolly Susi (S 81) An Untidy Career: Conversations with George Hall Interviews with the legendary performer, and Central’s former Head of Acting, George Hall. Full of revealing thoughts regarding the theatre industry, acting, and photographs from George Hall’s time teaching and on stage. An exclusive 10% discount is available to Central alumni and students. Simply quote ‘ONCentral’ when ordering your copy through Marston Book Services on +44(0)1235 465 577 or email [email protected]. 28 | Alumni NEws in memoriam Jill Balcon (S 43) By Juliet Ace After the recording of my radio play Dead Heading the Roses, written to celebrate Jill Balcon’s sixty years in radio, her son, Daniel Day Lewis asked, “How do you know my mother so well?” At that point I had never met her, but I knew and loved her voice. And that is what she will be most remembered for. Her verse speaking was sublime, enhanced by her training at Central, and with a background in cinema (her father was film producer Sir Michael Balcon) her talents were wide ranging both in theatre and film. She was a noted beauty, without a trace of vanity. As our friendship developed following the play I discovered that she was also warm and generous to all who had the privilege of knowing her. I will always remember her distinctive laugh and warm humour. She was an interesting and interested friend to so many of us, delighting us all with her elegant lunches and even more elegant eloquence. Heather Inglis (née Shilton) (ST 55) By Alex Inglis Heather graduated from the Speech Therapy course in 1955 and, after a career break to raise her family, returned to the work she loved, helping children with speech impairments in various clinics around Glasgow. When she retired in 1992 she was Chief Speech Therapist of Glasgow North District. On retirement, Heather returned to her earlier interests of performance, attended contact tap classes, and was an enthusiastic and popular member of the Glasgow Senior Citizen Choir, where she, with a beautiful alto voice, performed in Glasgow Cathedral and was frequently a solo singer. Heather was much loved and respected by all who knew her and contributed in full to any activity she took part in both at work and in her leisure activities. Heather is survived by her husband, two sons and two granddaughters. Raymond Witch (S 53) By Gareth Davies and Walter Hall I met Ray when we both entered the Central School in 1950. I was a 16 year old from the Welsh Valleys, nervous at finding myself in the impressive company of Harold Pinter, Ken Haigh, Barry Foster and Anthony Bate. Ray took me under his wing and kept a fatherly eye on me, lecturing me on the wisdom of eating more and drinking less. Ray was a good man and a good actor. However, finding work was difficult to get at first, he became a school teacher in Scotland and then Iceland. Returning to London, he began to find work with directors like Stuart Burge who liked his unconventional approach. Inevitably there are only a small percentage of actors leaving drama school who are able to make acting a life-long occupation, but Ray was one of those. Those of us who have managed to do this, though not necessarily ‘stars’, can be considered successful. In this sense, Ray was successful, and long may Central go on producing such actors. Where are they now...? Well… they are now on the Central website! Over the last few years, the volume of news we receive from our alumni has grown significantly and the newsletter has developed from just 4 pages to nearly 30. In order to keep our costs down we’ve decided to move the ‘Where are they now?’ section to the alumni pages of the Central website. Please visit www.cssd.ac.uk and click on the ‘alumni link’ to read all the latest alumni news. Can We Reach You? In order for us to communicate effectively with you about upcoming events, reunions, work opportunities and much more it is vital for us to hold your up-to-date contact records (in particular email which helps us to keep costs down). Ways to contact us: Email: [email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)20 7449 1628 By post: Alumni Office, Central School of Speech & Drama, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY, UK Website: www.cssd.ac.uk (click on the ‘alumni’ link). Update your contact details using our automated forms on the website You can also join us on Facebook: To find us search groups for ‘CSSD Alumni News – official site’. The Facebook group is designed to let you network with other alumni. We also use it to post news about jobs, events and other items. Thanks from the alumni team: Caroline Clark and Zoe Haddock. Corrections Apologies for the misspelling of Jodi Myers’ (Tech 72) name in issue 14 of the Alumni Newsletter. Acknowledgements With thanks to all featured alumni and photographers and to the following Central staff for their contributions towards this newsletter: Amanda Stuart-Fisher, Ayse Tashkiran, Ben Buratta, Bruce Wooding, Caitlin Adams, Caroline Townsend, Catherine Alexander, Cariad Astles, Caroline Townsend, Fiona Burgess, Gareth White, Geoff Coleman, Greg Duke, Gail Hunt, Katherine Irish, Karl Rouse, Laura Douglas, Nick Moran, Nick Moseley, Nick Wood, Richard Harrison, Selina Busby and Wendy Gadian. Designed by: Nimbus. Printed by: Disc to Print. Photographs: All Credits (where provided) have been included in the newsletter Central School of Speech & Drama, Embassy Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY. Tel +44 (0)20 7722 8183 Fax +44 (0)20 7722 4132 www.cssd.ac.uk Alumni Office: Tel +44 (0)20 7449 1628 Email [email protected] This newsletter is written for alumni using information from alumni. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the staff or the governors of Central School of Speech & Drama. This newsletter is printed on environmentally friendly paper from managed sustainable forests. Central School of Speech & Drama is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, with exempt charitable status, in England and Wales under Company No. 203645. Its registered office is as above. VAT No. GB 672 6982 88.