Kings Youth Theatre – Alumni – Heads to Drama School

Kings Youth Theatre (KYT) alumni student, Kerrie Thirlwell, is about to bid a fond farewell to her home city of Portsmouth as she travels off to Kent to realise a dream as she accepts a place at London’s International Drama School; Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.

Since joining KYT in 2013, Kerrie has participated in numerous productions and opportunities including Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Kings Theatre and Theatre Royal, Brighton), Oliver! (Kings Theatre) and Peter Pan (Kings Theatre) to name but a few. It was through her time with the youth theatre that she realised that acting was her dream career choice. Since then Kerrie has been concentrating on both her mainstream educational studies as well as enjoying the opportunities offered through membership of the Kings Youth Theatre, to give herself the best shot of getting into a drama school of her choice.

And after not being successful the first time around, lessons learned through the youth theatre have given her the drive and motivation to give it a second go.

I originally went for the BA (Hons) course as I have been trying to gain experience of different auditions at different places. The audition went well; I had the tour of the campus and then I had the opportunity to perform my two monologues. I then heard back a few weeks later that it was a “no”. So whilst I was trying to plan what I was going to do next year, I got an email out of the blue asking whether I could audition for the “Foundation Acting” course instead. So I thought, ’yeah, sure’.”

“The course’s aims and objectives are really simple; to give me all the basic skills; in acting, movement and voice that will help me to move forward in my career.”

“One of the monologues I had chosen to perform as part of my audition was a piece called “People, Places, Things” by Duncan MacMillan; a play about drug addicts. The monologue focussed on how reality is really difficult to deal with and how the modern world is changing people and how no-one can come to terms with themselves anymore.

However, they asked me to rework the piece and perform it as though I was playing “Piggy in the Middle” at the same time. I found myself doing this really serious monologue, in a completely different tone of voice than it should have been but it was really good to explore; I really quite enjoyed it.”

“KYT has definitely helped me with this journey; the group gave me the basis and foundation of what might be involved in the industry; what it was like to put on a production and be part of an ensemble and a cast. Not only that but the relationships that you get here; with the members of staff and the rest of the members of the youth theatre, it really fed my passion for acting more. Without the theatre, if I hadn’t become a member, then I wouldn’t have found out how much I really loved it.”

Everyone at the Kings Youth Theatre would like to wish Kerrie all the best of her future at Rose Bruford, and we look forward to welcoming her back as a guest tutor in the future.

whois: Andy White Freelance WordPress Developer London