Actor Rachel Denning on Drama School

Rachel Denning is an actress with restricted growth. She graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2008. Here she gives us her views on drama training and the industry as a disabled actor.

Find out more about Rachel Denning.

“It may sound corny and a bit predictable, but I had three of the best years of my life at Mountview and will be eternally grateful to them for giving me the chance I had been hoping for.

During my training we were all treated as individuals, which I think was invaluable. The staff focused on the difference in our acting strengths and weaknesses, rather than our physical differences in appearance.

I think drama training is really important for disabled actors as it gives everyone the chance to play, learn and develop from a variety of roles, without being limited by what we look like. It means we will be better, rounded actors and it is a lot of fun, and is what acting is all about.

I truly feel I got the most out of my training and I graduated a confident actor ready to enter the industry. I feel if I hadn’t trained I would be entering the industry being very naive and being of restricted growth for could have thought my career would be limited to Panto for example and I wouldn’t have the confidence to say ‘NO’, I want to do this, and why can’t I? However on the other side I do have a sense of reality and feel it is highly unlikely I will be playing the next bond girl!”.

~ by scenechangetheatre on November 7, 2008.