Hi Emma, thank you so much for answering our questions today. Why not start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Well hello everyone. I’m Emma and I am an actress and performer currently based in my family home in Cornwall during isolation. I am 23 so still learning tricks of the trade and working on my craft.
How long have you been acting and what made you want to pursue it as a career?
I suppose in professional terms, I have been acting for three years as I graduated in 2017, but I really started while I was in the penultimate year of primary school. My passion for performance began with singing in Year Five, when my school put on an outdoor concert where each class had a different part to play. I particularly remember trying to convince my teachers to let me sing one of the solos that they’d already cast a boy in the year above me for. I eventually subsided. After that, singing lead me to drama in secondary school and from then I joined drama club and performed in the school shows, studied drama, joined a youth group and finally trained in Acting.
You trained as an actor at Bath Spa University – what was that experience like and would you recommend aspiring actors try universities instead of drama schools?
In a nutshell, I adored it! I had the best classmates, which are now life-long friends, and the tutors were simply incredible. They have a priceless knowledge and have all experienced the industry so the training we received from them was invaluable.
And I would absolutely recommend aspiring actors to consider university courses alongside drama schools. It is so important that students look at both because there are so many benefits to a university that most drama schools do not offer. With my university course, we were given time to work on our own. We had our brief and we had our deadline, and the rest was up to us, so we learnt how to work on our craft independently. When we did work independently, we could contact tutors when we needed direction or assistance to make our work better. They were always on hand when we needed it. It prepared us for the outside world where you’re not in constant work and you have to promote yourself. Surprisingly, very helpful skills during a lockdown!
While drama schools can offer an agent showcase and usually have an appealing location, the contact hours we had from staff differed by three or four hours to that of the drama school and we did have a little more free time to be students. I adored that aspect because it did mean that we could explore all the benefits of student life, while still having a full week of training.
What were you up to before the theatre shutdown?
I have been performing since the start of the year with The Market Theatre in Hitchin in their comedy farce Peter Panties, an adult panto based on the beloved children’s story. I was performing that each week and returning to my base in Bath to work on my craft before getting a part time job working at a cafe in the city. I had received work to return to the theatre in April in a second comedy, but unfortunately the director closed its doors for the foreseeable future. I’m sure everyone will come back bigger and better when the lockdown is raised but we must keep everyone distanced until it is safe to do otherwise.
How have you been coping with this new existence of social distancing and staying indoors?
Quite well! I am very lucky to have grown up in Cornwall and that I arrived at my family home a good week before the lockdown. It has meant I’ve had some safe outdoor space to explore and access to my music. It has been a real breath of fresh air being here (literally and figuratively) and the space has helped keep my mindset free and uncluttered. I do miss my flatmates in Bath, though.
What’s your top tip for other creatives struggling with quarantine life?
Exercise! I absolutely love to get myself moving and grooving in one way or another. I cannot stay still for too long and I have found so many online outlets that will shake up a very sedentary day. Joe Wicks’ home workouts are a life saver for anyone looking for a quick workout and he has an option for every ability and age. CBS Dance have started putting up dance classes on Instagram Live and I am loving those. They also have a selection for different abilities but make it easy for beginners to follow. And finally, my fellow trainee from university and wonderful friend Charlotte Gray, a qualified personal trainer, has also started to put workouts up on YouTube to follow along to.
Your agent was recently caught in a controversy after they asked their clients to film a self-tape on a tight deadline, only for it to be an April Fool’s joke – how did you feel about the prank?
I haven’t been with my agent very long, two weeks at most, and this was the first self tape I’d received from them so I jumped at the chance to record it. I did think there were some things strange about it. The breakdown was a bit vague and the fee was quite small for a commercial on prime television channels, but I thought it sounded fun and so I gave it a go. Before I even submitted it I had been making myself laugh with it so I was more than happy to submit. When I found out, I did feel a little down hearted for a moment, but I looked at the positives of it. I had had so much fun recording it, my family found it entertaining and once my agents explained what their intention was, I could see there was no malicious intent behind it. They apologised several times to all clients.
I can understand the hardships others felt and during a time like this, a prank was not ideal, but I have shared my creation to the internet and friends and family have had a few giggles from it, which is the whole reason it was done in the first place.
Overall, future work will still come, we should all support each other and continue to be kind, even when feeling low.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do once the lockdown is lifted and we’re allowed outdoors again?
A good question! There are three things I’d like to do; go to the beach, see my partner and go to work, ha!
I miss exploring with friends and family and I’ve definitely missed my partner. I’ve been envious of everyone isolating with their other half and, simply put, I would just love to go back to work.
What shows are you looking forward to seeing once theatres re-open?
I have been wanting to see Magic Goes Wrong for a while, so I think that’ll be top of my list once we can go back to the West End. I love what Mischief Theatre do and have watched each of their shows aside from this one. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (both parts) and &Juliet are also high on my list of shows. If Jason Robert Brown’s Last Five Years returns, that will also be one I have to try and see.
What would be your dream role and why?
Johanna from Sweeney Todd. Sondheim’s work continues to excite me and Sweeney Todd was always a favourite. I performed a youth production of Sweeney Todd as Johanna and that show made me fall in love with the role and with the production. I played her to be very timid and impressionable, but I think she has a lot more to her that can be played with and I’d love to have that chance again.
What was the best show you saw last year and why?
The best show I saw last year was Waitress. The set, the songs and the performances were wonderful and the show had a wonderful feel-good manner to it. There was a lovely journey for each character and I left feeling light and entertained.
Finally, this year marks three years since you finished your actor training – what advice would you give to yourself three years ago?
Trust in yourself and listen to feedback. It’s not a bad thing and will help so much in your development. Oh, and the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet is not an old woman!
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions – stay safe and keep washing your hands!
The hugely successful Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked is about to open at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We speak to the star of the show …
Linus Karp
Hi Linus! You’ll be performing in Rob Hayes’ intriguingly titled one-man show “Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked” this August at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, nine whole months since you last performed the piece at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in North London. How has it felt resurrecting the character of Bobby once more? Has much changed in your approach and views on the piece since last November?
I can’t believe it’s been so long! I was scared I’d forgotten everything or wouldn’t be able to find him, but when rehearsals started it all just came back. I don’t think I’ve ever played a character that resonates with me like Bobby does, and it was almost as if he’d been waiting to come back all these months. This time I’m also working with a different director – Katharine Armitage. I think that has helped looking at the text with fresh eyes. She’s brilliant and we’ve really taken time to explore what’s led Bobby to end up in the bizarre and horrible situations depicted. I feel as if we’ve dug even deeper into Bobby emotionally this time around.
Could you describe the show for any readers unfamiliar with it in three words?
Hilarious, tragic, surprising.
Will this be your first trip to the Edinburgh Fringe? How are you preparing?
This is my second time, I was in Edinburgh during the fringe last year performing an improv show called Geraldyne (and we’re back again this year – shameless plug). Though last year I was only up for a week so it will be different doing the full run and doing it as a solo performer.
Having done the show before with very good reactions, I don’t feel as terrified as I did last time, which is a big relief. It has been great to rediscover Bobby’s journey and see where we can take it this time, not necessarily changing things – but making sure that the actions I take are truthful and not just because they worked last time.
“Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked” tackles what some may consider obscene and a discomforting subject matter – how have your audience reacted to the piece?
I think the title is great – it grabs your attention but can also work as a warning. If you see a show titled “Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked” you can’t be shocked to learn it’s about a guy who’s f*cked animals, people who don’t want to see a play about that I think naturally stay away from it.
People’s reactions have been great, most people find it hilarious but a lot of people also said afterwards that they didn’t expect to get as emotionally invested as they did. The story is so bizarre and funny – but also very human and truthful about things like relationships, loneliness and our need to be loved. It was wonderful to see how that resonated with the audience, though there are also times when they are noticeably uncomfortable. Which I love.
What is the most awkward conversation you’ve ever had?
Haha, too many to mention! It’s so nice to have finally found a play where my awkwardness comes in as an asset! Though one time that stands out is during one of my first professional acting jobs back in Sweden. I had a tiny part in a TV-series and having finished my one day on set I had a brief chat with the lead, an older quite famous Swedish actor. I kind of just started telling him how great he was and started exaggerating saying that I’d looked up to him my entire life and how amazing it was to be on set with him. I don’t know why I did that, I’m cringing just thinking about it. I mean, he’s a good actor but I made him sound like he was Beyoncé or something.
Bestiality is a subject the British public is oddly familiar with since Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott brought the subject to the forefront of British politics. Why is “Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked” a story worth telling again now?
That’s funny, I’ve never thought of that story in relation to the play! I think what the play does really well is questioning what’s right and wrong. It never defends or normalises bestiality as an act, but it raises questions in regards to how we treat animals – how we are allowed to control and kill animals as we please but bestiality is still one of the biggest taboos. And although sex with animals is, of course, the core concept of the story, the play really is about much more; male fragility, a child’s need for parental love, coping mechanisms and unsuccessful relationship attempts – which I think most of us can recognise ourselves in. At the end of the day it is the story of a tragic young man, made very funny and moving thanks to Rob Hayes’ brilliant writing.
As a Swedish actor currently working and living in Britain, what differences have you noticed between the two countries, and their approaches to theatre making?
Like in the UK, much of the Swedish theatre scene is based in the capital. I’ve never lived in Stockholm, and having moved to London soon after finishing acting school I don’t know if the way I see Sweden’s theatre scene is completely accurate. However, I do feel like serious Swedish plays can sometimes feel humourless, whereas in Britain I feel like even tragedies are often hilariously funny, “Awkward” of course being an example.
If I am to praise Sweden though, I do feel we have generally been better at giving women more of a voice and more nuanced characters than the UK – the changes and steps towards gender equality in the arts we’ve seen here over the last few years are great, but still a few steps behind Sweden. Needless to say, both countries still have far to go in that regard and theatre is of course just one of many areas that needs tackling.
Are you able to observe the chaos surrounding ‘Brexit’ with amused disdain, or are you at all worried it may hinder European performers’ (such as yourself) ability to live and work flexibly in the UK?
As we all know, Brexit is a car crash and I doubt its impact on the performing arts will be anything but negative. I think it’s a big shame if it means the UK will see less European shows, as I already feel non-British shows/performers/playwrights (US not included) aren’t given enough opportunities here and a lot of the theatre can be UK-centric.
Could you give our readers a quick insight into what brought you to the UK in the first place?
Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to work and live in London. Soon before I moved, almost five years ago, I found a book I’d written in school when I was about 11 where you had to say what your life would be in the future. I had written “I live in London and work as an actor.” The theatre scene in London is wonderful, the opportunities as an actor are bigger and I already spoke the language, it just seemed like I had to give it a go!
How has your actor training abroad differed from training offered in the UK?
My training was very method based, it specialised in the Ivana Chubbuck Technique, focused on creating a very driven performance using your personal life. It was incredibly intense and during school we were made to think that this technique was the only way to become good actors. I learned loads, but it was great to discover after acting school how other performers actually work, and how many different ways there can be to find a great performance. One of the main differences I think is Shakespeare. We hardly touched on Shakespeare in acting school. Whenever I have to do a Shakespearean piece for an audition here I’m terrified, I just feel like everyone here knows it so much better as it’s basically in their blood!
What is the best piece of theatre you’ve seen in London and why?
I wouldn’t be able to choose one, but here are a few …
The Judas Kiss by David Hare. I saw this soon before moving to London when I was here as a tourist. It was one of my first theatre experiences in London and it’s such a well written play and again, tragic but still funny. And how I’d love to play Lord Alfred one day!
Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton. Also one of my first London theatre experiences. I already loved the story and the music, but I don’t think I’ve ever been as blown away by a performance as I was by Imelda Staunton’s Mrs Lovett.
Fleabag. Maddie Rice took over this amazing one woman play from Phoebe Waller Bridge when Phoebe went on to do the TV-series, and Maddie has now toured it both nationally and internationally. Seeing how wonderfully Maddie carried an intense, dark and funny one person show like this made me ask her to direct “Awkward Conversations” for its first run last year. I was so thrilled that she said yes and learned so much from her as a performer. Make sure to catch her new one woman show “Pickle Jar” this Edfringe!
Hammerhead by Joseph Morpurgo. Shown at Edfringe last year. He’s so amazingly creative and funny that I’d do anything to steal his brain.
Angels in America. The production at National last year was near perfect. 7-8 hours of theatre I just never wanted to end.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Because Harry Potter. And what a production!
Slightly Sillier Questions
Voulez-Vous is by far one of ABBA’s greatest songs – do you have a favourite?
The Winner Takes It All. Easy.
If you could give our avid readers one Swedish travel tip, what would it be?
If you do speak to the locals…
Do Say: Får jag bjuda på en fika? (Four jah b-ew-dah paw en Fee-kah)
