Q & A with Dave Bond, Head of Actor Training
Is it possible to train to be a professional actor in
just fourteen months?
There's no denying that it's a considerable challenge for both
staff and student alike. The course is very intensive, requiring
great stamina and focus, and you can expect to be in classes and
rehearsals for at least 30-40 hours a week. However, having had a
little more life experience, we expect you to be able to develop
strategies for coping with a working week that will include classes
in voice, movement, combat, singing and Alexander Technique - and
that's just the mornings!
How many people are taken onto the course each
year?
We have one of the smallest intakes of any vocational
postgraduate acting course in the UK, with just ten places
available each year. This is a deliberate policy because we very
much value the close working relationship this allows between our
tutors and their students.
Why is Cardiff a good place to train to be an
actor?
There is every reason to believe that, free of the many
pressures of London living, our graduates begin their career in
very good shape and ready to take on the very real challenge of
establishing a career in a tough profession, whether they decide to
base themselves in London, Wales or elsewhere. Cardiff is an
affordable, student-friendly, easy place to live, allowing
postgraduate actors to focus on their training during what is a
very intensive period.
Wales has become a lively hub for independent film and
television production companies, working in both English and Welsh,
and is a favourite location for big budget feature films. BBC Wales
and S4C continue to show their confidence in the college by
employing ever increasing numbers of our graduates, whilst leading
casting directors and agents regularly attend our productions and
our Showcase events in Cardiff and at The Royal Court in London,
confident they will find the actors they are looking for.
It's a very happy college and the students often remark that,
for them, the time passes all too quickly!
What do you look for at the audition?
Potential. Passion. Enjoyment. Instinct. Willingness to take
risks.
Does the College use particular methods or systems of
acting?
No. Our strength is that we have a very experienced and
professional team of staff who will use whatever methods, ideas or
systems of work they think are in the best interests of a
particular student. What works for one tutor will not work for
another, and the same is true of each individual student. It may
well be possible to identify the ideas of key practitioners, such
as Stanislavsky or Michael Chekov in the teaching, but there is no
single methodology which is championed by the course. The best
method is the one that works!
How much of the course involves
performance?
The work of the first term is centred on the self and making
essential relationships with other actors in the work space. The
key elements are practice and rehearsal - allowing an actor to
develop through risk-taking and moving outside of their comfort
zone.
In the spring term, postgraduate students join a cast of final
year BA (Hons) Acting students in one of three public productions.
In the summer term, the same students join to perform another three
productions. This is a unique and very successful element of the
course; the public expression of our belief that our students in
the final stages of their training should no longer be defined by
their 'one year' or 'three year' labels.
All in all, the College mounts over 15 fully-realised
performances each year - anything from a cutting edge three-hander
seen recently at the Royal Court, to a large-scale musical such as
the premiere of The Who's Quadrophenia. In recent years
our shows have toured to Italy, Dublin and London (Hampstead
Theatre, Watford Palace and Soho).
How much of the course is devoted to acting for the
screen?
There are two intensive modules, one in each of the spring and
summer terms. Led by industry professionals, the small intake
ensures that you will receive highly focussed teaching from highly
skilled directors, camera and sound personnel. The work will be
edited and subsequently analysed in group feedback sessions. The
college is a member of the Skillset Film Academy of Wales (SFAW)
and it is anticipated that this will offer students increasing
opportunities through an extensive workshop programme, and
collaborations with both the Film Academy (University of Glamorgan)
and IFSW (International Film School Wales).
What kind of reputation does the College have within the
profession?
Our students are always well-represented in the UK's leading
theatre companies such as The Royal Shakespeare Company, The
National Theatre, The Donmar Warehouse and The Royal Court. We are
also very proud of our students' contribution to the success of
Wales' own theatre industry, with its strong reputation for
community and specialist theatre. The cast lists of major UK
television, theatre and radio productions also bear witness to our
students' talent and training. Our graduates regularly feature in
leading roles in flagship television productions including Doctor
Who, Torchwood, Gavin & Stacey, Eastenders, Coronation Street,
Fresh Meat and Above Suspicion amongst others. Radio, it should be
noted, is a particular strength of the College, as evidenced by a
string of successes in the BBC Carleton
Hobbs Competition.
Any final tips/advice/words of wisdom?
Which ever college you hope to train at, do your homework before
you apply. Find out everything you can about the college from
ex-students, current students and, critically, contacts within the
profession itself. Ask the opinion of professional actors,
directors, theatre and TV workers. Visit the college and imagine
how things might be over the year. As for the audition, try and
enjoy it. Sounds impossible, but it will make a great deal of
difference. Good luck!