Whoever these graduates may be one thing is absolutely
certain: they will be embarking upon one of the most unique and invaluable
experiences available to someone who wishes to pursue a career in the theatre. They
will be given a year’s worth of productions in order to learn, develop and
flourish under the tutelage of some of the best theatre practitioners in
Britain, and, most importantly, in total financial security. All of this past
year has was made possible by the generosity of the Robertson Trust. It is
their organisation that funds the Graduate Scheme and should a graduate actor
wish to achieve a similar level of professional activity in their first year outside
of drama school it would prove to be very difficult indeed - in the entirety of
the UK only the Dundee REP provides a similar scheme.
Due to the opportunity the Robertson Trust has
provided I have spent the past seven months steeped in the Scottish theatre
industry and, naturally, have learnt a great deal as a result. I have been
given the chance to take things I learnt at drama school and put them into
practice whilst learning an entirely new set of skills from a plethora of
different actors, technicians, assistant directors and audiences; I’ve been on
tour to Leeds at the West Yorkshire Playhouse learning the intricacies of ‘digs’
and how fantastic it is to spend every moment of your day with the company your
working with, your offstage relationships bolstering the ones onstage. I have
made incredible friends.
There are several more tangible successes I can cite
as to the importance of the Graduate Scheme. As a direct consequence of my time
at the Citz I have had two further offers of employment and Lucy is doing equally well and straight after Far Away finished began rehearsals for a production of Lee
Hall’s Spoonface Steinberg that will
be opening at the Jermyn Street Theatre in early July.
The Robertson Trust’s continued support for the
Graduate Scheme at the Citizens Theatre can only ever be an immensely valuable
thing. It will ensure that a wealth of opportunity continues to be available
for graduates when they need it most within an industry that is overpopulated,
financially precarious and, at times, incredibly frustrating, however, one that
is incredibly special. For me, it is something I have longed for since I was
young, have worked incredibly hard to succeed in and will continue to do so buoyed
by the prospects the Robertson Trust and Citizens Theatre have made possible. I
am immensely grateful for the opportunities both organisations have given me
this past year and would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all concerned.
Thank you also to all of you who have been reading
this blog. It started off as something we thought would be rather cool to do
and although some bits didn’t come to fruition quite as we intended (including
Lucy’s coverage of Takin’ Over the Asylum
– she apologises) we hope it has been interesting and gave a small insight into
all the various goings on that this incredible building allows.
For Lucy and I now begins the tricky bit. A rather astute
man once said of the acting profession that “it’s a marathon not a sprint”. By
this he was referring to the fact that in this profession longevity is the true
prize to aim for, to make your career last from a fledgling graduate just having
left drama school to a seasoned RSC actor, still throwing yourself about the
boards in your old age. To put things in perspective: out of the 19 other
students that I graduated with on the BA Acting course at the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland last July five have already changed careers.
But it all keeps coming back to love. It is why Lucy and I auditioned
for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in the first place and why we
will continue to keep throwing ourselves back into this most ridiculous of professions until it kills us. Love is also what
you will find permeating through every splinter of the Citizens Theatre’s ancient
Victorian architecture, it
is present in every piece of work that it produces and is itself produced by some of the most dedicated staff I've ever seen.
Will Lucy or I see this sight again? We really don’t
know. But whatever the future holds one thing’s for sure: It’s been quite a year.