After a short hiatus battling a super nasty illness, I am back and ready to rock the world of theatre! Before I do that though, I wanted to put up this interview I had with MTA first year student, Alice Martin. I had such a great time putting together the article with Meesha, that I've decided to post at least one interview with a current or former student of the Musical Theatre Academy, each week. If you're reading this and have sent info over to me, again apologises for delay but I'm now sorting through all my backlog!
Chris: From Newbury to the Musical Theatre Academy sounds like quite a journey, what was the first production you were ever involved in and what impact did it have on you at the time?
Alice: The first proper production I ever did was when I was 11 and was the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Corn Exchange in Newbury which was a great opportunity and a lot of fun. It was directed by Cal McCrystal and an amazing creative team so I learnt a lot and it gave me a great insight into the industry. I played a gangster rat!
Chris: Working with Cal McCrystal, what lessons as a performer do you think you were first starting to gain, even at that young age?
Alice: Obviously Cal McCrystal is a great comedy director and so I learnt a lot about comedy timing and performance which I love. It was also really interesting seeing how shows are put together and what happens in the rehearsal process as I had never really been a part of something similar before then.
Chris: I know we've spoken previously about you being a member of YMT UK. How long were you part of it and what sort of an experience was it for you?
Alice: I was a member for 4 years so did 4 different shows. With all of the shows we were workshopping a new musical from scratch which was fun as we got a lot of creative input and interesting to see the development of the show. It was also a lot of hard work as we were rehearsing from 9am-9pm every day for two weeks which was intense but such a fun experience that I got to share with other young people who love musical theatre. I made some great friends there.
Chris: The move from home to go to the MTA wasn't too far geographically, but was it an easy decision to up sticks and relocate?
Alice: Yes and no. I was certain that I wanted to be in London and sure that musical theatre was the only thing I wanted to do, so I was more excited than scared about relocating. However it is always a big risk entering into a competitive industry like this, and strange watching all my friends go off to university as I was the only person who chose to pursue a different path.
Chris: Speaking of the MTA, what element of your studies there have you enjoyed most during your first year?
Alice: The MTA has a policy that all teachers have to be currently working in the industry, so I have loved the opportunity to work with people I have seen perform and massively respect. I learn a lot from them. We also get amazing opportunities to perform. Each term we do a show in an off-West End venue which gives us a great chance to develop our performance skills. It also pushes us constantly which is exciting.
Chris: Do you have to follow any sort of diet to keep yourself and your voice in good shape
Alice: I don't follow any particular diet I just try and eat healthily. I think it gives you more energy if you eat nice food which I need to get me through a long day at college!
Chris: Aside from the roles you've mentioned when you were younger, which have been the biggest challenges to play?
Alice: With YMT we did a play called According to Brian Haw which was based on the life of the political activist Brian Haw. It focused on some quite difficult subjects such as the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. It involved a lot of research but was also quite emotionally tiring.
Chris: If I could cast you opposite someone in any musical, who would it be and why?
Alice: I've been a huge fan of Elaine Page since I was young so I would have to pick her. I'm sure I would learn plenty from a woman who has been in the industry for 50 years!
Chris: Which out of acting, singing and dancing do you enjoy the most and which have you had to work hardest at perfecting?
Alice: I enjoy them all but id probably say acting is my favourite by a small margin. Tilly Vosburgh who is our head of acting is wonderful and has some fascinating pearls of wisdom! It is also nice as we have a 50/50 split between stage and screen which means we are always doing something new. I'd say I've had to work hardest at dance, just because there are so many aspects to it and always something to improve on.
Chris: Obviously this article is going to feature on my blog. How important do you think social media is for promoting actors and also theatre as a general rule?
Alice: I think social media is such an important tool. It is a great way to connect with people you would otherwise not and also great for publicising plays/concerts. I think an actor can also learn a lot from social media as it can raise our awareness of what is going on in the industry.
Chris: We've seen the closure of 'We Will Rock You' recently in the West End, do you think theatre companies and schools should be doing more to develop new material, like the MTA has done in recent years?
Alice: I think there is already a lot of new material being created but that it may not be getting the recognition it deserves. At the MTA we work a lot with Perfect Pitch who develop new musicals and I always find it so fascinating. As an actor I find it such a great creative outlet. I hope that in the future we see more new musicals appearing on the West End.
Chris: After you've finished your studies, what's the plan?
Alice: I plan to stay in London and keep auditioning for as many things as I can and hopefully make a career for myself!
Chris: I ask everyone this one but.. What advice would you give to anyone out there thinking of pursuing a career in theatre?
Alice: I'd say to always work as hard as you can but whilst working hard try and remember why we do what we do and how much we love it! I would also say to just be nice to everyone as it is so important.
Chris: Thank you so very much for speaking to me for my blog and hopefully I'll bump into you when I visit the MTA a little later in the year!
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