Emma Duke

Another week closer to our July production!
This weeks blog comes from student Emma Duke.


EMMA :

" My name is Emma and this will be my third year at ATS, most recently playing Lady Castlemaine in 'Nell Gwynn' in 2017, and playing three characters in 'Table' in 2016. I am beyond thrilled to be involved in this exciting opportunity and to work with this fabulous cast of 2018; performing 3 plays from Noel Coward's series of playlets 'Tonight at 8.30'. 

I play Laura Jesson in 'Still Life' and (the Honorable, no less) Clare Weddeburn in 'Hands Across the Sea'. I am delighted to be playing these two vastly different, but very strong women. It gives me such pleasure to discover more about their lives beyond and their journeys within the two plays as rehearsals have continued. 

The 1930's was such an interesting and dynamic period in our history; so far away from what we could ever begin to imagine growing up as 'millennials' in this day and age. We really don't know we're born! Plus the theatrical boom and musical theatre revolution at that time was so defining. I am passionate about musical theatre, and Noel Coward's music in particular is so delightfully witty as well as beautiful and poignant. There is something so evocative in music of any era, so I'm looking forward to how we can dovetail some snippets of songs into these different stories we are going to tell. Not to mention that I'm beyond excited to take full advantage of the diverse '30s fashion with these two ladies!

Laura is a gentle, polite and kind woman. She is a dedicated wife and mother, who takes the train every Thursday for her humble routine of running errands, socialising and shopping. I get to work very closely with Lawrence Ellis who is playing the handsome Dr Alec Harvey. The 1945 film 'Brief Encounter' is so iconic in cinema history, however, the original play we are performing doesn't include a lot of what you see in the movie. I think this lets the audience connect the dots themselves when time passes between scenes in order to follow the escalation of the story. It all takes place in the refreshment room at the Milford Junction railway station; learning to drink tea with a cup and holding the saucer means I'm now ready for my visit to the Palace, apparently.   

In 'Hands Across the Sea', Clare is quite the opposite to Laura. Her title of 'the Honourable' means she is the unmarried daughter of a Viscount, so already you can tell she is from a very affluent family. She is strong-willed and very comfortable in her own skin. She is also fun loving and loves a good knees up with plenty of booze. I'm lucky enough to work with all characters in this play, however I've been working mostly with Joshua Battaliou who plays Bogey, as our characters have a great team dynamic. We are finding some great moments throughout the farce of one of Piggie's (Velvet Brown) all-too-frequent mix-ups; mostly laughing at her really!   

I can't wait to get further into the challenging world of Noel Coward's writing as rehearsals move forward. Even ordering props this week is such an intricate and precise task (plus there are a lot of them!) 
'The Master' writes his characters so well and he shows how multi-faceted we as humans really are, switching from thoughts and intentions very quickly, an actors dream! The pace is very difficult to master, but on top of that the absolute requirement for perfect diction and the way of speaking in that era make this the most technically difficult play I have ever been a part of. 

In my previous two years at ATS I have only experienced working on one play which involved the entire cast. It has definitely been a new challenge splitting the rehearsal time and cast up to work on the three separate plays. The playlets we are doing are of course much shorter than a full show individually, however, this means rehearsals are full on and very fast paced as many people have two characters and are in more than one play. We all record the notes we get which is vital to be able to work on them during the week. It seems like you have more time when you're working every Saturday for six months, but it only works out as 3.5 weeks in all! That's why it's so important to sponge as much as I can in rehearsal, and go back to my recordings and work more outside of the studio.

Of course, there wouldn't be anything for me to write about if it weren't for Amanda. Her commitment to her craft is unparalleled, and she is unbelievably generous to all of us with her time and guidance. Before I came to ATS I struggled hugely with my confidence. I cannot thank Amanda enough for what she has done for me in my life, but of course also as an actress. She absolutely forces you to raise your game; you can see how her love for the theatre and the arts pours out of her in rehearsals, and it is incredibly inspiring and affirming that this is what I really want to do.    

I would recommend this course with all of my heart to anyone who is serious about acting, and really ready to develop their skills. For every ounce of work and commitment you put in, it is dwarfed entirely by what you get back. If you want to audition or are thinking about it, come and see this show! Follow ATS on social media and get tickets as soon as they go live.     

Each year, though the cast may be different with new faces and some people moving on, the family ethos that has grown infectiously from the very heart of ATS means that once you have been a part of the school for however long, you will always be family. We support each other, learn from each other and often those who have left come back to watch rehearsals, attend our fundraisers or just to socialise. I really think that is the most special thing about ATS. It is a very unique learning experience as a student, and it certainly binds us all together. Thanks to Amanda, and all others behind the scenes who help make the school what it is, I get to do what I love and share in my passion with my best friends.  

Hope to see you there and keep up with the rest of the casts' blogs...more to follow! 

E x "

- Emma Duke

ATS' production of 'Tonight at 8.30' directed by Amanda Redman will run from 19th - 21st July at Questors Theatre in Ealing. Tickets will be available nearer the time.
Join us for our blog next week which will be written by Lawrence Ellis.

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