Morley College drives a desire to create, collaborate and immerse into the minds of characters
At the end of each summer term, Morley College holds an Acting Showcase performance to highlight the best of what their students have to offer. This year, while their studio theatre is being refurbished, the event will be held in Bold Theatre, who have a reputation for supporting artist development.
The students, who have been studying for varying amounts of time in Morley, Identity School of Acting and Kingdom School of Acting, have all taken the Acting Masterclass course, which is a professional level course led by Dominic Grant that runs each week on a Monday evening. This is one of the many affordable courses provided by Morley to work around Londoners’ busy schedules to make the training accessible.
Chloe Stephens, Drama Programme Area Manager, said, ‘At the Acting Showcase you can expect to see a variety of two-hander scenes and monologues spanning from classical to contemporary to showcase the students’ talents. You will see performances of a selection of scenes from plays such as Fences by Augustus Wilson, As You Like It by Shakespeare and Blindsided by Simon Stephens to name a few, ‘adding, ‘The rehearsals have been going very well, and the students are excited to perform at Bold Theatre.’
Director Dominic Grant says about the process of rehearsal and what to expect… ‘It’s a ritual, the coming together of a group of people from every walk of life and culture but all driven by the desire to create, collaborate, explore and immerse into the minds, souls and situations of characters. Characters often far removed from our own lives, characters often in extremis – hence drama. So, if the current world ain’t dramatic enough, try some of this – if the current world is too challenging maybe the evening’s offerings can be an escape.’
Long-standing member of Morley’s professional level courses and professional actor, Claudia Jones, said, ‘I’ve really enjoyed the Acting Showcase course. It’s helped me build my confidence and grow as a performer. Dominic Grant has a real gift for bringing out the best in people — including me.’
Find out more about acting courses at Morley College: www.morleycollege.ac.uk
Bold Theatre, 21 St George’s Rd, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6ES on Friday 11th July. www.boldtheatre.com
