"My dream job? I'm already doing it"

Hometown
Leicester

What do you do?
I’m a self-employed actress

How long have you been at it?
Three years

What was your very first role in theatre?
My drama teacher Jez Simons put together a show at Phoenix Arts each year. This was my first time on a professional stage and the first time I realised what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

What else have you done in theatre?
* Stage roles for Hathi Productions, Four Squared, Haymarket Theatre and Women & Theatre among others
* Television and film roles including Doctors and Banglatown Banquet for the BBC
* Radio roles including Silver Street and Stranger Faces for the BBC

Have you got qualifications?
BTEC national diploma in drama; A-level fine art; NOCN (National Open College Network) credits in world theatre at level 3.

Did you do work experience?
Yes. I was preparing to go to university to do a degree in textile design, which I knew deep down I didn’t want to do. I wanted to perform but didn’t know how to get there. That’s when my drama teacher Jez Simons asked me if I wanted to take a year out with another aspiring actress to try making it into the business.

During that year I learned how to run a theatre company, how to produce a show, new acting techniques, marketing skills and best of all, Hathi Productions (Jez’s company) sent me on an audition to the BBC and that’s when I got my first professional job.

And to think if it wasn’t for Hathi I’d be a qualified textile designer right now thinking ‘what if…?’

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Too many things

What do you do all day?
Each day is different to the next, auditions, rehearsals, strategy meetings, sending out details to employers, research.

What’s the best thing about your job?
The excitement of knowing each day can be totally different, and I’m doing what I love and getting paid for it! I think one of the best things in this job is that you learn a lot about yourself, and you’re constantly faced with challenges.

And the worst?
Tax returns

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I’m already doing it–actress

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
Work hard, take each experience as a learning curve, this business has more ups and downs than most. Take risks.