On the road to Drama School: Luke Jackson
Posted on 1 November 2016
In this series of blogs, we hear from Belgrade Youth Theatre participants who are pursuing a career in the arts and have successfully earned themselves a place at Drama School. Luke Jackson originally joined the Belgrade's Youth Theatre when he was twelve, and stayed with us for seven years, giving him the opportunity to appear in many productions on the Belgrade's stages. He recently auditioned for and gained a place at East 15 Acting School. In the interview below, Luke reveals more about the experiences that led him to follow his dream of becoming a professional actor and how he successfully got his place at Drama School.
How did you first become involved with the Belgrade Theatre?
I attended the Saturday drama classes at the Belgrade from the age of 12.
How long were you a participant at the Belgrade Theatre?
I was at the Belgrade for about 6/7 years. I had to leave when I was 19 due to Drama School and all the preparation.
What was the project that you worked on here that made the most impact on you and why?
The project that had the biggest impact on me would be working with Highly Sprung on The Child of Terror as well as other Frantic Assembly workshops I participated in at the Belgrade. The reason for this is that I admire physical theatre in modern productions and both companies taught me valuable skills and key concepts for physical theatre. Whenever I have directed a performance I always incorporate what I learned from both companies as I feel it livens the play up and gets the audience excited.
What made you want to audition for drama school?
Acting has always been a huge passion of mine and it's what I've always wanted to do, therefore drama school was the best way for me to fulfil my dream.
Which drama school will you be attending?
I will be attending East 15 Acting School.
What course will you be taking?
BA Acting.
How long is the course?
3 years.
What made you select the one that you did?
The audition process at East 15 really impressed me, I felt they knew the most about me as an actor after a really in depth audition. We worked for about 6 hours throughout the day on various aspects of our audition speeches. I also felt that the teaching standard at East 15 was one of the best to take me forward as an actor.
What were your audition pieces?
The 3 speeches I performed were all extracts from plays. The first was Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, the second was Road by Jim Cartwright and the final piece was Henry V by William Shakespeare.
Can you share with us what the audition process was like?
It's not easy but it's only really difficult if you make it that way. Everyone is nervous and the teachers understand and are mindful of that, but if you prepare fully and memorise your speech then you'll be fine. My biggest advice is that if you do forget your lines then don't break character, just go back to a point you remember and start again. It says a lot more about your disposition and you as an actor if you can recover when things go wrong, so don't worry!
Was this the first year that you auditioned?
What did you find the most difficult challenge?
Again, the nerves were difficult but that usually turns into excitement and anticipation to show people what I can do, so I would have to say travelling up and down the country to different schools to audition.
What are you looking forward to most and why?
A new challenge and the opportunity to better myself as an actor is something I can't wait for. The chance also to live away from home and be my own independent person is definitely
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