糖心Vlog

Despite a tough 18 months for the theatre industry, Faye Williams has completed a West End work placement and scooped a top East 15 Acting School award which she鈥檚 using to fund a trip to the theatre for her fellow students.

Faye, who鈥檚 graduating with a BA Stage and Production Management, always knew she鈥檇 work in the theatre and settled on stage management when she saw the East 15 Acting School offer.

鈥淚 knew it was the right creative space for me. East 15鈥檚 course stood out in particular due to the course immersing its students in theatre and live shows from the first few weeks of starting,鈥� she said.

As well as an immersive education, Faye was able to take advantage of the chance to complete a work placement on West End one-man show Cruise.

鈥淚 wanted to gain experience in a wider professional capacity and be able to network with and work alongside seasoned theatre professionals,鈥� she said.

鈥�Cruise was a brand-new West End show, so I was excited to gain an insight into how a new play comes together behind the scenes,鈥� she added.

The placement didn鈥檛 disappoint. Working with the stage management team Faye got hands-on backstage experience doing re-sets, maintaining props and running lines with understudies. But it was the chance to operate a revolving floor that really stood out.

鈥淭he show had a revolve in it, which I hadn鈥檛 had experience in using before, but I got a couple of chances to operate it which was great! The stage management team I worked within were lovely people who had a lot of time and enthusiasm to chat to me about what they were doing and what exciting things they have worked on before, which made me feel really 鈥榓t home鈥�.鈥�

The experience left her in no doubt that she鈥檇 picked the right career path: 鈥淚 learnt that I am very ready to get out into the theatre industry now. My three years at East 15 have taught me so much about professionalism, the skill set required to stage manage and the importance of networking. I feel ready to apply everything East 15 has taught me in the wider industry.鈥�

Despite Covid-19 hitting theatres hard, Faye believes East 15 Acting School prepares students for the ever-changing industry.

鈥淪tudying at East 15 teaches you to be adaptable; which is something that is crucial when still trying to create theatre during a pandemic. Flexibility is a huge skill to have, not just during Covid-times, but in theatre in general as well.鈥�

Before she launches her career, Faye has one last date with her fellow students. Having won the 2020 Jack Petchey Award, Faye is treating her classmates to a trip to see Be More Chill at the Shaftesbury Theatre.