Name Jay Taylor
Age 20
Hometown Hebden Bridge/Leeds
Where did is all happen?
At an outdoor performing arts festival in Bradford
How did you make it happen?
I put myself up for work on an acting agency website and walkabout performance company Mischief La-Bas got in contact with my theatre school head, who then referred myself and a few others to them.
Why did you do it?
I had no experience of working with an independent theatre group so decided that this was an opportune chance to get that all-valuable experience to put on my CV, as well as experiencing something new outside conventional theatre. And they offered to pay us. How could I refuse?
How did you get there?
I hopped on the train
How long did it last?
Only a single day in the summer, but we also had a day of training
How old were you?
Seventeen and starting my first year of college
What did you do?
It was improvised street theatre. The concept was that a creepy and twisted carnival had come to the city and established itself overnight. Tomorrow they would be gone. For one night only we were to allow them to come into this bizarre and dark world of freaks, sideshows and games, and allow them to witness the burning of a giant wicker man.
I had to help an actress with moving because she had a heavy bodysuit on. I also had to pick up imaginary arrow bolts and return them to a stall vendor and help anyone who needed it, all while in character of a creepy young gypsy boy pretending to be a Roman centurion.
The work itself only lasted a couple of hours. But having to remain in character for so long, no matter what the circumstance, and having responsibility for someone’s safety was slightly hefty, but all manageable and good fun.
What did you learn?
Doing spontaneous street theatre is very demanding. You must be quick-witted and always pay attention to the world around you. Working with established actors who thought a bit ‘highly’ of themselves could be a real chore. However, now that I have an idea of what it’s like, I could do it again quite confidently.
I also got an idea of how to handle people who think you’re below their station – especially when they are wearing giant body suits that they can’t move in without your help.
What was the best thing about it?
I grew in confidence. Having worked with professionals once made me realise that they need you as much as you need them, so asking for assistance is never frowned upon.
I knew my CV would look a little less empty after the event and I gained a new life experience. I also now play a really realistic dark/twisted carnival-folk freak!
How would you advise someone else to get themselves some work experience?
Write to organisations expressing your interest for experience. It helps if you know something about the groups you are applying to, so do some background research on them, and make sure that you at least sound a little bit interested in the work they do.
Don’t wait for the offers to roll in because they generally don’t. Thousands of people want work placements with theatre groups or production companies. You need to actively seek them because they aren’t all out there looking for you.
Be persistent and don’t be down-heartened at the first hurdle.
What would you do differently if you were able to do it again?
I wouldn’t be so nervous. I’d smile more and enjoy it. I would also definitely just let myself go and be over the top with my character. One of my mates got asked to do more work with them because they liked him so much.
