Fred Parker
Is there anything you know now that you wish you'd known three years ago?
Three years ago, prior to starting my training, I wish I'd known just how much I would benefit from the training and how much I would love my three years at drama school. When you are applying for drama schools, it is a rigorous and demanding process to audition. A process that leads to rejection in some circumstances and success in others. Knowing what I do now about the nature of drama school training would have helped me apply to schools with a greater perspective and understanding that receiving a rejection isn’t a reflection on yourself as a person and simply another chapter in a journey of perseverance and determination.
Do you feel like you’ve changed much during your time at drama school? How are you different?
I have changed a lot during my time at drama school. I am very different to the person and, indeed, actor I was three years ago. The sense of self-understanding and acceptance I have developed has helped me grow into a person and performer I can be immensely proud of. I will continue to learn and grow for as long as I live, and I recognise and appreciate my training as a catalyst for my transformation.
Has it been pretty much what you expected, or quite different?
We all naturally have preconceived notions as to what drama school training will be like before we undergo the training. Ultimately, whether you are accurate or mistaken in your prior perceptions, the greatest thing you can do is embrace all aspects of your training without judgement and with an open mind and a hungry imagination.
What have been the most valuable skills you’ve learnt that you’ll take into your career?
The valuable skills that I’ve learned during my training will serve me as a strong foundation for the way I undertake everything I approach in my career. So many skills and lessons are assimilated through training that it becomes almost impossible to quantify just how much you have learned. One of the benefits of the training at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is that you will learn a plethora of skills and approaches to understanding and utilising your skills in the profession. You are provided with a groundwork from which you learn to develop your own personal working process.
Do you think you’ll keep in touch with your year group?
The people you meet during your time at drama school often become friends for life. The nature of the training brings together people from every background, age and experience imaginable. You will meet people you would have never met in another capacity. As actors, we operate around a state of vulnerability; sharing your own essence with people in this state forms a bond that makes for the most rewarding and long-lasting friendships you could hope for.
What have been your highlight(s)?
There are many highlights from my time in training that will always remain with me. The training is poignant and significant in very aspect to you as a person. In other words; too many to choose from!
What have you found particularly challenging?
The nature of drama school training proves to be very challenging. You will be pushed in ways that you would not have previously understood or welcomed. The most difficult aspects of the training are the most beneficial in my experience. As a person who thrives on challenge, the training excited me and the demands it placed on me were invigorating.
Is there any advice you would give someone just starting drama school?
Again, I will invite those starting out to embrace all aspects of your training without judgement and with an open mind and a hungry imagination. That is truly the best advice anyone can give you before undergoing your training. Prepare both to fail and succeed in ways you never before thought possible, and recognise how to learn from both outcomes.
What are you doing next?
Upon completion of my training I will be entering the industry as a professional actor with all the tools I need to start my career. I have gained representation from an agent through my final year showcase and look forward to building my brand and working relationships in the industry as an actor.
What are your lasting memories of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire?
My lasting memories of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will be as the place and, more importantly, the people who helped me become the actor and person I am proud to be today.