It's the age old question: Do i go straight to drama college or do i get a degree in something more solid and if by the end of my degree i still want to act, go study in *London?
What to do...
When i left school at 17, i had no idea what i wanted to do. It was 1996. I couldn't even decide if i preferred Blur or Oasis. I was still playing football at a decent enough level but i had also been introduced to a guy called Al. Alcohol. He was a blast. Still is...but in less frequent amounts. I found him mostly at parties with my local Drama Group. He was the Tyler Durden to my Ed Norton. With the frequency of rehearsals for various shows, i had a choice to make. Continue playing footie with the lads...some of whom would assume i was gay because i "did that gay sh*t on stage!" or continue doing shows with a group that had lads but also some pretty good looking girls in it too...who happened to like the "Gay sh*t!" and coincidently, were familiar with my mate, Al!
Decision made!
It was around this time i got my first paid gig. A musical called Requiem for Julie. It was a comedy. I'm joking, of course. The Rupert Guinness Theatre, Dublin, was the venue for my professional debut. What a buzz that was. Getting paid to do something i loved! From there, i went into another show. This acting lark is easy!! Do a show. Party like tomorrow is never coming. And move on to the next gig.
I had a slight problem though. I never had any focus. By the time the second show came up, I had started a Journalism course. I have no clue why! But of course it clashed with rehearsals and i dropped out. My folks, slightly worried that they're youngest was living a more Bohemian lifestyle then his 3 predecessors, asked me what i was doing with my life. I DON'T KNOW! STOP ASKING ME STUPID QUESTIONS!! That response was brought to them by Puberty. "Go to college, get a qualification and if at the end, you still want to do your acting, you can do it." It was as if they had rehearsed the answer to their own question! Which is ironic. Considering they had to 'rehearse a line' that would stop me acting & send me to do something 'normal.'
So off i went to do Computer Applications in college. I excel-d! BOOM!! Sorry, couldn't resist. Truth is, i didn't really. I did what i had to. Got my Diploma and left.
The following years were spent going from job to job (the Celtic Tiger had just been born along with the Cappuccino & Ciabatta). There were intermittent breaks from the proper job world to go on stage. I was consistently inconsistent. Culminating in leaving Ireland for New Zealand on a Gap Year then coming home and finally saying to myself: Get an agent and do this properly. I was 25. And i did. I haven't had a proper job since. I finally had a focus. What i didn't have was 3 years training in London or similar. Still don't. I did do a course in the Gaiety School of Acting, though. And although i'm doing relatively well, i wish that back in my late teens / early 20's, i'd had the foresight and ambition to go and study in London.
It's hard to know what you want when you've just left school. But wanting to be an actor is something that is in you. Like wanting to be a Nurse or a Teacher. We do these jobs because we love them (most of the time!) I've met people that say to me, "I wish i'd given it a go." Is that who you want to be?
The way i see it, you have 3 options:
1) Do your degree in whatever and by the time you're 21,22 you'll have it and you are still young enough to do your training as an actor
2) Go straight to London. Do not pass go. Learn to act, daaaaling!
3) Don't follow your heart and live with a regret!
I've gone about being an actor arse-ways, if truth be told. But i'm here now. And i love it (mostly). If i could go back, i'd do option 2 (I couldn't bring myself to typing "Number 2"...Oh wait, i just did!!) I was never intelligent enough to get a degree! You probably know what you want to do. It's the courage you're looking for!
*I've used London. It could be anywhere that has excellent training.
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