Where it all started!

Frequently, people ask me whether I've always loved acting, and my answer, believe it or not, is a simple no.

Let me explain! 15 years ago, I was a girl guide and one of our activities was to perform a number in front of all our parents. We decided to choreograph a dance and stage it for ourselves. We decided we're going to wear a pair of denim trousers and a colourful t-shirt.

A few hours before the performance itself, I remember arguing with my mother simply because she wanted me to wear a belt to stop my trousers from falling. Guess what? I didn’t listen to her (Sorry, mum!) and I spent the entire dance pulling my trousers up to stop them from falling in front of an audience of 150 members. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life and, I swore, I would never set foot on a stage ever again.

So, I guess, you might be asking me, what changed your mind? How did you eventually decide to become a professional actor?

Back in 2012, I remember scrolling on Facebook, when I saw an advert for a 2-year Musical Theatre course at a local Drama school. Ever since I can remember, I was always obsessed with musicals and, since back in the day theatre training wasn’t so common, I decided to give it a try. I had absolutely nothing to lose! So, I enrolled, started the course, loved it, and cried my eyes out when it was all over. That, was when I decided I wanted to perform and make the rest of my life about theatre. Fast forward to 10 years later and I haven’t stopped performing since.

After training, theatre and acting have always been more than a hobby to me. They're deep passions that help me understand myself, others, and life itself. They shaped me into the person I am today and gave me a deeper understanding of human relationships and the way we interact and understand each other. Most importantly, honestly, I never get sick and tired of repeating this to my students, always be yourself. There are so many people on this planet but there is only one of you!

Musical Theatre and Acting were followed by teaching. I have been teaching Drama for these past 4 years where I have worked with children with special education needs (SEN), students with neurodivergent needs, and others with behavioural challenges.

Believe me, hand on my heart, I have seen Drama perform miracles on children, and witnessing these miracles brings me great joy. I have seen an 8-year-old girl with selective mutism say her lines out loud in front of an audience. I have witnessed a dyspraxic boy learn simple physical routines. I encouraged dyslexic children by prompting lines during rehearsals. I have seen children with challenging behaviour become physically and emotionally settled through theatrical discipline. This can go on forever. So, after witnessing these, what I call, miracles, I want to keep living these joys that Drama brings daily.

Post trousers-without-a-belt incident, I always believed that Drama and Theatre have the power to change the world and, if they can change the world, they can certainly help improve the lives of children who find it difficult to understand themselves, those who struggle to communicate with others and the ones who need to boost their inner confidence.

As an actor and teacher, I feel this constant duty to help these children grow emotionally and mentally so, to do this, I created and launched the Drama Garden. Through The Drama Garden, I aim to help SEN and Non-SEN students be the best version of themselves (you're going to read this quite often in my blogs!) while boosting their self-confidence and social skills. This is achieved through structured Drama games, role play and improvisation exercises, acting in pairs and groups, learning how to read body language, participating in hands-on activities to improve their sensory and motor skills, and so much more.

I can talk about this subject all day but I don't want to bore you! If you want to chat, send me a message and I can explain more about what I do in greater detail. Trust me, I am not the worst person in the world. We can have a telephone conversation, you can invite me for tea, I can meet you in the park while you're out walking your dog, spoil me with wine or whatever your heart desires. But, I promise you, I will be here ready to help your child be the best person s/he can be (see, I told you're going to read this again!).

Take care

E x