Behind The Curtain: A Journey Into Theatre In Education.

 

Theatre In Education.

When I left acting school I had never even heard of TIE (Theatre in Education). I found out from, what was then Casting Call Pro, about a job opportunity in Spain. I would be based in Valencia for the duration of the contract (approx. 6 months), travel all over Spain performing 4 different shows to children and teenagers, AND I would be earning money as well. My first thought was “this is a con.” I spoke to my dad who was dubious, to say the least. I applied and I was offered an audition. The auditions were being hosted by a rather prestigious acting school. My Dad kindly paid for my ticket to London and off I went to audition. It was not a con after all. I am still baffled by the fact that a lot of universities and Acting Schools still do not talk about theatre in education. There seems to be a stigma attached to it, like it is not real acting work. To cut a rather long story short, I met two key members of the company who were lovely. A group audition was the first round and the second round was one on one. I got the job and I flew to Spain in December 2014. I worked there until the following June. I then worked there again from December 2015 until the following June. Cut to January 2024 and I worked for them again until March. What can I say? I love Spain.

Side note; this years contract ended poorly for a few reasons, but this is a story for another time. 

What it isn’t.

It was not, in my experience, a great way to hone Stanislavski or Meisner training. I say this because the shows were somewhat melodramatic, geared specifically to teaching English words and/or phrases. Sometimes I found myself performing to children who did not know they were seeing a show. The result of this was disruptive and noisy children. Conversely, teachers would see this as a mini vacation, taking full advantage of the free time to audibly chat to each other during the performances, check their phones and stroll about like the theatre has become their smoking room.

I was traveling more than I was performing. Travel takes up a lot of your time compared to the shows which come to about 50 mins per performance. The most we performed in one day was three shows. For 6 months I was just a traveller who acts every now and again. At the time it was the best 6 months of my life.

It was not a great way to save money. For both jobs I was earning between 300-400 euros a week. We contributed some money towards our accommodation in Valencia (not much), food was paid for on tour as was accommodation. If you are smart you can save a fair amount. I was in my early twenties. I was drinking most weekends, eating amazing food and I was dating. It all adds up.

What Theatre in Education is.

It is an opportunity to make friends. I am referring to a specific experience in Spain throughout this blog since it was my first introduction to TIE work. When I arrived at my accommodation I met 3 other actors who I would be living with. These people quickly became like my family, and we had the best time together, celebrating Christmas, Birthdays and eating out together. We became each other’s support network. On my tour in Italy, this was not the case, but I will speak about that another time. All together there was around 15 actors. Some of us became closer than others. A lot of people coupled up (including myself), and this dynamic can come with its own pros and cons, which I will go in to later.

Touring life in general allows you to live in your own bubble, earning a steady wage, with like-minded people, in shared accommodation.

It is a great way to see the world. I did not know that I was going to travel the world and perform when I was at acting school. Since graduating I have even lived in the Middle East! I have travelled to parts of Spain and Italy that citizens of those countries have never been to. As performers we can work in Japan, China, all over Europe. The work is out there, you just need to search for it.

Travelling can be tiring, especially when you have been driving for over an hour and you have to do a show in a small gymnasium to noisy kids. Most of the time the audiences are responsive, interactive, energetic and the shows are a pleasure to perform. You might be touring with someone who does not enjoy sightseeing, eating out or drinking as much as you do. You must be okay with being in your own company, especially during 6 moth contracts. I am an introvert. I love my own company; I could bathe in long silences for hours. I also enjoy being around small groups, socialising, going for meals, sightseeing and red wine. It is important to find a balance for yourself and the people you are working with. In Spain, I have travelled to Leon, Logrono, Almeria, Madrid, Murcia, The Basque and many other places. Make the most of the places you travel to, either with people or on your own. Don’t miss an opportunity to go on that hike, eat in that restaurant, go ziplining or whatever it is you enjoy.  

Rehearsals.

In acting school I was spoiled for rehearsal time. We would focus on one performance for weeks during certain modules. Then, in our final year we put on a production of The Government Inspector. The rehearsal period was two weeks. All of us were terrified. Putting on a show in two weeks seemed completely unattainable. To cut a long story short, we did it, and the show was great. Cut to a year later and I am rehearsing in Spain. We have approximately three weeks to rehearse four 50 minute shows. Once again, I was terrified. Here's the thing; preparation is everything. It is the one thing that will make or break any endeavour. This is how we prepared:

• We familiarised ourselves with our lines before the rehearsals began. This meant that our scripts did not become permanently fixed to our hands during scenes. 
• We blocked the plays in the first week, and we wrote the blocking on the scripts. 
• Our free time was spent learning our lines that, by now, had become part of our muscle memory. 
• The second week was spent drilling the shows into our bodies and heads. 
• The third week was spent rehearsing and easing ourselves in to performances in front of audiences, usually with somone who has been touring for a few weeks. 

Broken down like this, it doesn't sound so daunting, does it? Much easier when you have a whole group of people with you who are in the same boat. Most rehearsals I've had have been two weeks or less. Two weeks sounds like no time at all. Take the rehearsal process a day at a time rather than focusing on the bigger picture. You will be surprised at how much you get done in two days, let alone two weeks. 

Dating?

What a segway! But this is important. 

Most actors I know who are in long relationships have met their partners on a theatre tour. Usually, one that requires living together or within a short distance of each-others apartments. Dating, relationships and one night stands occur frequently on long tours. Put a bunch of actors in one area where they can drink, socialise, work together; something is going to happen at some point. My advice is to be clear about what you both want from whatever it is you are doing. A one-night stand can be problematic if it is with another performer. I have been standing on the sidelines watching the drama of this play out. It is not pretty and things quickly become weird for everyone else around you. I began dating someone whilst I was working in another country. I am from England and her home was another country altogether. Neither of us wanted to do long distance so we just enjoyed our time together for what it was and then we said our goodbyes. It sounds sad, but it was great for us and there was no heartbreak, anger, or misunderstandings. To sum up, don’t do anything with anyone that you would not be willing to talk about afterwards. In a bubble as small as a theatre tour, there is no getting away from each other.

One final word on this. Anything you do will get round the other cast members, assistants, directors, everyone. Everyone talks.

The Discipline of Theatre In Education. 

My typical work day. 

Awake – 6.30 AM

Breakfast – 7AM/7.15

Drive to theatre – 7.30

Arrive – 8.30

Load props, set, costume in to theatre.

1^st show – 9.30

2^nd show – 11.00

3^rd show - 12.30

Take down set, reload the van.

Leave theatre, 14.00

Lunch

Leave for next location – 15.30

Ariive at next hotel – 21.00.

Sometimes the drives after shows are longer or shorter. Sometimes there is time for a big lunch, other times it is just a baguette and then you’re off again. We had 6 day weeks in Spain, Saturday was ours and then Sunday was usually a travel day. With some companies, tours can be in a company as big as your imagination, and as little as two people. One, if you are the driver, tech and the performer. We had a company of three. Two actors and one assistant. You are part of a team and everyone has to pull their weight. If one person is slacking, everyone feels it. Be mindful of each other. If you’re someone who likes to make it everyone’s problem that you’re hungry or tired, kindly get in the bin. Of course you should be honest about how you are feeling. Don’t suffer in silence if you’re having a particularly bad day. You might be missing your partner, pets, parents, home comforts. We are all in the same boat. Most people are happy to help.

Long car journeys can hurt your back, so remember to take a cushion for your back or neck. Massage guns are a great investment. Download movies on your phone. Have plenty of music for the long journey, otherwise you might be at the mercy of whomever is driving, and their music could be shite.

Stretch, stretch, stretch. Everyday. “I don’t have time,” is never an excuse. Five minutes of stretching is still great on a busy day. Find time to exercise if you are someone who needs it. Don’t feel pressured in to socialising just because someone else doesn’t like being alone. Take time for yourself to do the things you know you need. I personally need to write, exercise, stretch, watch movies, read. Taking some down time is necessary when you’re touring. Otherwise you can burn yourself out.

Performing the same shows repeatedly can be tough after a few months. Your mind will go on autopilot and you may find you forget lines that have been in your head for weeks. Where it is possible, suggest swapping characters. This can bring new life in to the shows. The audience won’t know any different, but it is more fun for you and you might even find new ways of doing parts of the show. Suggest swapping partners. If you have worked with the same person/people for a while, think about swapping for a week. Sometimes it is good to take a break from one way of doing a character and acting out scenes. It is also a great opportunity to get to know the other actors in the company and learn from new people.  

The Most Honest Audience You Will Have. 

If you want to know whether or not your show is good, show it to a room full of kids. Children are brutally honest. They will show you that they're enjoying themsleves, and they will have no problem telling you loud and clear if they would rather be somewhere else. During a show aimed at children around the ages of 8-12 years old, a boy stood up and told me my Mum was a prostitute. It was said with absolute confidence, and no air of sarcasm or hatred towards me. I spluttered over my lines for a second, and then I carried on with my groundbreaking performance. Suffice it to say, that child did not like the show. I have even been told to shut up whilst on stage by an angry teenager. Equally, if a child is enjoying the show, you will see it written all over their face; it will be in their body language. Smiles don't lie, their entheusiastic dances to the songs you're singing will give you the boost of energy you need after your 12th performance that week. Children and teenagers will show you where you stand within the first minute of your performance. So make that minute count. 

I would also like to say this; children are not stupid. I have seen performers speaking to kids on stage like they are puppies in a basket in a pet shop. The same way I see some care staff speak to the elderly. It's infuriating and children will look at you like you've had some kind of injury. Again, I am specifically talking about TIE in a foreign country. If the child is not getting the superlatives you're teaching, or the noun you want them to repeat in English, it's probably your fault. This is where you need to go back and adjust they way you're teaching. Speak to people who are fluent in the language. Ask them where you are going wrong. Just don't continue to hammer the poor child over the head with your overly pronounced months of the year.  

Learning what you can and can’t handle.

Things can, and will go wrong. Props may be missing, the school will forget you are coming, the theatre will be closed, the tech for the theatre is at home, blissfully unaware that there is a show they should be working on. You might forget your mic, the mic may not be working, your tour partner may be sick, in a mood, hungry, sad, or you may be one or all those things all at once. My point is, shit happens and you must roll with the punches. If you are someone who likes to be in control of every little thing, who gets frustrated when things are forgotten, sound queues don’t appear when they should, people are late, children don’t listen; you will find this kind of work a struggle. A common catch phrase that has frequently been used by myself and many others I have worked with is “It is what it is.” I can only control what I think and what I do. Nothing else. This is not to say that when things do inevitably go wrong you shouldn’t discuss them, improve them, or come up with solutions. That is absolutely what you should do. If you begin every day by making piece with the fact that their will be eventualities that you can’t plan for, you will be less likely to lose your shit, and more likely to enjoy your time doing this crazy, unpredictable and, sometimes, life changing job.

Is it for you?

For new graduates, Theatre in Education is, in my opinion, a great way of learning the discipline of touring theatre. I learned how to work as a team, how to fend for myself in a country almost a thousand miles away from home, how to get by on broken Spanish/Italian, and how to be around many different types of people. I learned what I can and can’t tolerate in others, things I wanted to change about myself. I saved a couple of grand in my first season in Spain. That money funded my book and magic DVD collection. Money well spent. I did not expect to make as many friends as I did. I did not expect to start dating anyone. I did not expect to have as many parties as we did. Touring life can be incredible. I travelled to many cities and performed in some of the most beautiful theatres. If I had only stayed in the UK, I would not have performed in any theatres quite like the ones in Spain.

To sum up. If you enjoy travel, performing and you are relatively new to the industry, I highly recommend this type of work. If you are further down your career, you want a break from England, or wherever you are, it is a great lifestyle change for a few months. For people who have large amounts of rent to pay, or a mortgage, it might not be worth your while.

Last words on Theatre in Education. 

I am not an expert on TIE. Not at all. I have just had a few experiences, and these are things that I have learned. 

Theatre in Education is not just about teaching English in foreign countries. There are companies all over England who have shows about anti bullying, knife crime, cyber bullying, recycling, mental health, safety at home and sex education. Too many themes and topics to go in to right now.Shows like these are a great way to practice your skills as an actor. You need skills in comedy, dramatic acting, a good level of emotional intelligence, improvisational skills, singing skills, sometimes you will be playing characters much younger than you, which you must be able to do convincingly. 

At the beginning of this post I said TIE was not a great way to hone my skills as an actor. I take that back. If you have read this far, you will know that I have learned a great deal about discipline; the discipline of learning lines in a short space of time, rehearsing 4/5 shows in 3 weeks and then taking them on the road, working as a team doing get ins and get outs, finding new ways to keep the same shows interesting for the audience and myself, week in and week out. 

In conclusion, I was talking bollocks in the beginning. If you have read this far, thank you. If you have a TIE tour coming up and you have any questions, please reach out. X