12th October 2023
Welcome to In the Limelight. Over the next academic year we will interview a new member of the BOVTS community every week, casting a spotlight on the creativity and diversity at the heart of our drama school.
Hello! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Martha Maloney. My pronouns are she/her and I’m a third year BA Professional Acting student.
What’s a standard day at drama school like for a final year acting student?
Right now, we’re very busy because we are in the depths of rehearsals for Jekyll and Hyde which opens on Sat 4 Nov at Tobacco Factory Theatres. A typical day involves going into the School for our calls depending on which scenes we are rehearsing, and the rest of your time is spent on learning lines or researching characters. We’ve also been emailing agents and casting directors and inviting them to come and watch our performances.
You’re also involved with the School’s LGBTQIA+ Society. How’s that been?
It’s been a real joy to organise. The Society is only in its second year, so we’re exploring a lot of different ways to socialise and come together as a community – for example, last year we organised a Love Always Wins scratch night fundraiser in honour of Stonewall which was a huge success. I’m head of the Society this year and I’m excited to facilitate more safe spaces and create experiences that I wish I could have been a part of as soon as I joined the School.
Does the Society have any events planned for this term?
We had a welcome drinks event last week, so that everyone across different courses and year groups could mix. We had a brilliant turn out and it was lots of fun. There may be another event coming up in the next month… but I’m keeping it under wraps for the time being because who doesn’t love a surprise?!
You were recently part of a rehearsed reading at Bristol Old Vic of Matthew López’s play, Reverberation. What an amazing opportunity! How did it go?
It was a stunning experience. Jack Sain was our fantastic director; he skilfully guided the company in a research and development process (R&D) in which we explored the intimacy and dialects in the play for two days prior to the rehearsed reading. There were five other BOVTS acting students in attendance which was great. We were very fortunate to have Matthew López in the room with us, as well as intimacy coordinator Robbie Taylor Hunt who guided us through certain scenes.
The rehearsed reading took place on the third day with professional actors Stuart Thompson and Sopé Dìrísù playing the two male characters, while I played Claire. It went brilliantly, and to be able to perform in front of the Bristol Old Vic producers and Nancy Medina (Artistic Director and BOVTS alum) was a real honour.
Do you have any advice for young people who are considering drama school training?
As someone who joined BOVTS at 18, freshly out of college, I think it’s the best choice I’ve ever made. Moving to Bristol, and being part of the drama school completely flipped my life into the best possible version it could be.
I would advise anyone reading this to get the training. Not only does training give you the traditional building blocks often needed for theatre, it also brings so many networking opportunities and exposure to the creative industry, as well as the freedom to function in your craft without shame or judgement surrounded by like-minded people.
Each week we hand the mic over the interviewee. Last week, Craig Fuller wanted to know: “If you could be world class at one job (outside of the arts) for one day, what would it be and why?”
I would definitely be a barrister, as law is something I’ve always been entirely fascinated by. To go into a court and legally defend someone would be incredible!
Finally, what’s your question for the next face of BOVTS?
What is an interesting fact about yourself that often surprises people?
