Expert: Phil Nemy - 1/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi, my name is Laura and i'm 23, almost 24. I'm currently at Uni in Manchester, England but I have always wanted to get in to acting and my drama teacher at school loved me and told me I should go for it and was really encouraging. However, my parents did not see it as a realistic option and never encouraged me and I just let it slide out of my head as unrealistic. But, for the past year it has been eating me up and i can feel my life just disappearing away and making me unhappy and I now feel like it's too late to get in to it and be taken seriously. I have looked around and there doesn't seem to be much to offer in the way of acting classes in Manchester, England as England is made so that if you want to be in any aspect of the 'entertainment' business, you need to know at the age of 11 and enroll at a stage school. This is pretty much how anyone gets in to it in England. I'm desperate and know where to start and what to do as it is something I want and can do. I am just clueless as to where to start at this age. Please help. I have the drive and ambition and just feel like i'm going to explode if I don't get started soon!

Thanks,

Laura

ANSWER: Laura,

Thanks for writing. It sounds to me like you need to make a move to London! You can certainly audition and, if accepted, enroll at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, or the Weber Douglas School, or the Central School of Speech. All three schools provide excellent training for professional actors. And you need not be a child to enroll. In fact, my guess is that the average age of students at these schools is probably 22.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Phil

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again,

But do you have to pay to join? I'm already at Uni and therefore in debt as
well. I don't have any financial support so moving to London isn't really an
option. I'm stuck.

Laura

Answer
Laura,

Any training program or classes in acting, be they at a Uni or an individual class somewhere, is going to cost you money. No one teaches for free that I am aware of. If you're strapped fo funds, then you'll have to pass on training at the moment.  And if you can't move to London, I don't know what else to tell you as I am not familiar with any training programs in the Manchester area.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Phil