Help put your dreams into practise

My all time favourite experience of education was studying my BTEC Diploma in Performing Arts at Hopwood Hall College. The best way to learn how to act is definitely by acting. It was a hugely practical course where I learnt to work collaboratively and positively with my peers towards a common goal.

We put on four productions over the two years and the tutor Steve was almost as bonkers as my GCSE Drama teacher putting together some wacky productions. I recall one where he had me and another girl as twins with a hairstyle consisting of 8 mini buns! Maybe you need a slight bit of crazy to pursue a career in this industry!

My favourite piece was when we produced Jim Cartwright’s’ first and probably most famous play as well as a potential college curriculum cliche, Road. For those who don’t know it, Road explored the lives of people who live on an unnamed Road in a deprived working class area in Lancashire during the Thatcher government. It effectively uses narration through the character of Scullery and is quite explicit in content. 

Road is great for exploring emotion and depth as it is made up of a large proportion of monologues. I loved playing Clare who spends the majority of the play in bed with her boyfriend Joey who both go on a suicidal hunger strike because they despair about the prospects for their generation. 

The BTEC allowed the flexibility to pursue other interests outside of traditional actor training where I was able to take modules in Directing, Design and Script Writing all of which have become very useful in producing my own work through Penguin Acting. 

Coupled with A Level Media Production this gave me a strong basis of on camera and film making skills as well as further developing my creative writing. Writing allowed me to express my emotions and thoughts whilst channelling these to communicate effectively with my audiences and in day to day life. 

Team work and creativity were thoroughly developed through this course which are useful in all professions, not just the arts. 

Amidst all the theatre, film and TV companies out there why use Penguin Acting & Theatre Productions? Because all our teachers have personal experience of acting, we know the industry but we also care and with our passion drama has the power to change lives.