Page 199 - Guildhall School Media Highlights Coverage Book - 2019-2020

emails and admin mostly, as I haven’t had a chance to use my acting technique just yet”. So the
focus has been on “auditions, and follow-up emails and calls”.

When I chat to Lydia Fleming, who is one of this year’s graduates from Guildhall School of Speech
and Drama, she’s attending regular auditions thanks to having acquired an agent, though she is
still waiting to pin down that first job.

“I feel very optimistic,” she says. “I go into auditions knowing what I want to do and feel very
prepared by what we did at Guildhall. We had a life skills class, which I use all the time; using
techniques about nurturing positive mindsets, keeping sight of how you want to deal with
situations. I think what we were taught captures the balance of life and work, and has put things
into perspective for me really quickly.”

So, even though she is not working yet, does she feel part of the profession? “Absolutely,” she
says. “Sometimes you can come up against jargon in the industry that can make you feel a little
vulnerable. Thankfully, I can ask my agent absolutely anything, for which I’m really grateful, and
Guildhall has an amazing alumni network, which means I’m close to people who have been
working for several years and who can offer advice if I need it.”

Alfred Clay, a Mountview graduate, is taking time to form a daily routine, while he waits for work.
“Physical things such as working out, running, even walking in the mornings, help to start the day
off right. And leaving the house to do work helps give your day structure. It can get really low.
Especially with social media (where the grass always seems to be greener), but surrounding
yourself with a strong support network and reliable friends is important to get you out of moments
like that.”

Having talked to these five new actors in July and again in September, I was impressed with how
they were facing up to the challenges of the world they found themselves in. They were drawing
on the life skills they had learned at drama school, sometimes more than the acting techniques.
Drama school may not teach you how to write a good email, or to edit a showreel – more practical
skills might be useful – but the strength and resilience needed to survive a three-year course will
stand you in good stead for the world of work.

Ultimately, if your drama school is to have any value, it’s down to you. Plan ahead. Give as much
weight to the professional development classes as the voice and Meisner. You may find you need
the former much more than the latter. You’ll also need luck – and sadly, nowhere offers classes in
that. But the harder you work, the luckier you get.

It’s the job of a drama school to set you on your way and help you cross the bridge into the
business. Anything more is down to you.

For more training advice, go to: thestage.co.uk/advice