Page 250 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21
P. 250
22 November 2020
‘I directed a show, but never met any of my cast’:
how student drama is surviving lockdown
University theatre groups are a breeding ground for big talent. But is Covid killing future stars’
careers? Dominic Cavendish reports
By Dominic Cavendish
Love it or loathe it (and forgive it its factual errors or not) The Crown, this month’s must-watch, is
a perfect example of British creative talent working on an epic canvas. Where did that talent cut its
teeth? At university and drama school.
Stephen Daldry, its main director and producer, ran Sheffield University theatre company while
studying English. Emma Corrin took a Shakespeare course at LAMDA, studied drama at Bristol
and went to Cambridge, where she acted with the illustrious Marlowe Society. Josh O’Connor –
Charles to her Di – trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Our stage, TV and film world is filled with those who took their first crucial steps towards the
entertainment industry during their salad days as students. There are different routes, but those
venturing into the performing arts and the creative industries tend to do so in their late teens and
early 20s.
