acting Archives - Capital City College Group

Young stars perform the Broadway smash hit musical Guys and Dolls

Posted on May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 by Paul Cassell

Aspiring young actors brought the bright lights of Broadway to Westminster Kingsway College when they performed the smash hit musical Guys and Dolls.

Performing Arts Level 3 Diploma students starred in the spectacular show for parents, staff and students at the college’s theatre at its King’s Cross Centre.

The musical, which was turned into a 1955 film starring Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons, featured the classic songs Luck Be a Lady, Marry The Man Today, Sue Me, I’ve Never Been in Love Before and Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.

The show set in New York tells the story of gangster Nathan Detroit, who is engaged to Miss Adelaide, and high roller Sky Masterson, who falls in love with mission worker Sarah Brown.

The WestKing cast included Emilis Jarasius as Nathan Detroit, Dalia Ishak as Miss Adelaide, Demani Marshall as Sky Masterson, and Caprice Dawkins as Sarah Brown.

As part of their preparation the cast went to see a performance of the show, which has been recently revived on the professional stage at the Bridge Theatre in London.

Emilis, 17, said: “I loved how this show brought everyone in. There weren’t really any scenes where there was just one person on stage.

“We got to play around with ideas and were always learning from each other. My class was really good for constructive criticism and sharing what we could do to improve on our characters and performance.

“Playing Nathan brought me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never really played a character who has to skate around so frantically. He’s quite smart but anxiously trying to stay in control despite the pressures being put on him.

“What I love about acting is the way you get to become a whole different person and get to live life through their eyes. Through the power of drama I get to be who I want. It’s like living hundreds of lifetimes in one.”

Dalia, 16, said: “Miss Adelaide is very ditsy but lovable. She’s very funny, easy to please and very gullible but very strong-minded.

“I did a lot of research into the role, watching past productions and the film, and we went to see the new production. The Miss Adelaide I play was very different to the one I saw on stage who was much more aware of what was going on. I took her energy but not her personality.

“My passion is musical theatre and I hope to go on to do a course at university after college. I love dancing, singing and acting and seeing amazing shows with songs that get stuck in your head. It’s such a buzz.”

Demani, 17, said: “Sky’s quite a smooth operator. He’s cool and not afraid and ready to do what he’s got to do as long as it’s calculated and makes sense.

“At first, I didn’t want to play him as I didn’t really want to sing, but my teacher said go for it. Over the couple of months we were rehearsing I developed my singing and the character to the best of my ability.

“I’ve learnt many different performance skills and theatre styles at college and how to use them to be effective. I’ve learnt how to follow a script, take direction, voice projection and articulate myself better. My teachers are brilliant, I’d be lying if I said they weren’t.”

Performing Arts courses at WestKing cover acting techniques, vocal skills, movement, improvisation, production, text analysis, scriptwriting, singing, rehearsals and auditions.

Sarah Slade, Lecturer in Performing Arts, who directed the production, said: “The show went superbly well, and the students rightly deserved the rapturous applause they received from the elated audience.

“They worked incredibly hard to learn their lines and the songs and develop their characters, and showed real commitment throughout the rehearsals to bring the show to life. I am hugely proud of them, as they should be of themselves.”

Find out more about Performing Arts courses and apply here.

Former CANDI student stars and co-produces film with acclaimed director Wim Wenders

Posted on November 24, 2022November 24, 2022 by Hannah Fenton

A former City and Islington College (CANDI) Performing Arts student is starring in a short film she co-produced with acclaimed German director Wim Wenders.

Lena Góra also co-wrote the script for Roving Woman with director Michal Chmielewski, which was also produced by her co-star John Hawkes and Orian Williams.

Wenders is best known for his film Paris, Texas, which won the Palme D’or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984 and saw him win a BAFTA for Best Direction the following year. He has been nominated for a Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on three occasions

Roving Woman is a quirky road movie about a woman called Sara who is kicked out of her home after a break-up and steals a car, falls in love with the owner and sets out to find him.

Lena, who studied for a Performing Arts Level 3 Diploma at CANDI, explained that the film was inspired by the disappearance of US singer-songwriter Connie Converse and her own life.

She said: “There’s been a really wonderful reaction to the film. I’ve worked with many acclaimed producers and it feels different with each person. Wim is a really special human being and his movies are a work of art. He inspired us all in every possible way.”

Lena was born in Poland where she performed in theatre before taking the stage in London and New York before her TV debut in the CANAL+ series The King of Warsaw. Last year she appeared in the film Traveling Light, filmed in Los Angeles Light and the Polish crime-romance Saint.

She also co-wrote and received a Special Mention for the film Stillborn at the presentation of the Krzysztof Kieslowski Award, which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, and is set to star in a Netflix dark comedy feature called Night at the Kindergarten.

Giving her advice to future performers or anyone wanting to get into film, Lena said: “Don’t be lazy. Don’t wait to get discovered. Networking doesn’t work unless you have a really solid project that you are pitching.”

Another former CANDI Performing Arts student, Blanka Douglas, was the Production Manager for Roving Woman, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in June.

Blanka is also from Poland and came to the UK in 2013 and after studying at CANDI she went on to graduate with a BA (Hons) Drama from Queen Mary University of London.

The daughter of a Polish film director, she co-produced and appeared in her first short film An Ode to The Order of Things, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. She has also appeared, produced and directed other shorts through her own production company Doorbell Films.

Blanka said: “I will never forget my time at CANDI and the support I got. I came to the UK by myself and was renting a room with people I don’t know, and my English wasn’t great.

“I am so grateful for my teachers who really made sure I had a good experience. They always had a lot of energy and time to pass their expertise. They were wonderful teachers but also exceptional human beings. I made sure I put extra effort to get good grades and they saw it. I truly couldn’t choose a better place to start in London.”

Lena and Blanka are among the many successful CANDI Performing Arts alumni, which includes Charlie Heaton, best known for his role as Jonathan Byers in Netflix hit series Stranger Things.

Other former students include Armin Karima, who has appeared in Netflix series Sex Education and Black Mirror as well as BBC drama Waterloo Road, and Kandaka Moore whose theatre credits include Bernarda Alba, The Bacchae and Yard Girl. She has also sung and featured in music videos for Clean Bandit.

Tim Chaundy, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, said: “It’s so inspiring to see our students Lena and Blanka making such fantastic progress in the film industry. Both were students on our Performing Arts courses and were committed students who also liked to question and push the boundaries, which shows in the work that they have gone on to create.

“We’re very proud of the diversity of students that have trained at CANDI, many of whom go on to high-level industry work in theatre and on screen, or further training at some of the world’s top universities and drama schools.”

Find out more about Performing Arts courses and apply here.

Performing Arts lecturer shares his tips for success in The Stage

Posted on June 22, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Westminster Kingsway College (WestKing) Performing Arts lecturer Rob Alexander has shared his top tips for aspiring actors in The Stage.

Rob featured on the renowned publication’s website that covers all aspects of theatre, drama and entertainment news, features, reviews from across the country on 9 June.

In the article, he shares how he started in acting, what prompted him to move into teaching, his advice for drama students and what he would change about the industry.

Rob said: “The Stage contacted me through Twitter asking if I’d be happy to discuss the provision of the creative arts in further education and how it fits into the jigsaw that is the economy, as part of a series of weekly guest articles in arts training articles they were running.”

Rob, who will be leaving WestKing this summer after nearly two decades at the college, recently wrote and performed his latest one-man show Keeper of the Flame, which premiered at the Young Actors Theatre in Islington and will be performed during Camden Fringe this August.

His acting career includes film and TV roles in The Fifth Element, The Chief, and Devices and Desires, while his stage work includes The Caretaker, Sunset Ship and Alice in Wonderland.

Rob said: “It’s been a pleasure working at WestKing with some wonderfully creative and hugely talented students over the years, many of whom are now friends, including one who is directing my new show!”

Read the article: Course Leader Rob Alexander: ‘The creative arts enrich, embolden and enthuse all our lives. Promote it, don’t demote it’

Please note, registration is required to view the article.

WestKing is home to some of the best theatrical stage and production facilities in London. Our tutors have experience in all aspects of performance and will harness your talent by developing your vocal, improvisation and collaborative skills, as well as giving you the resilience and confidence needed to work in this highly competitive industry.

Our acting alumni includes Babatunde Aléshé, Jamali Maddix, Tobi King Bakare, Francis Lovehall, Romario Simpson, Amy Revelle, Shaday Barrowes and Babiyre Bukilwa.

Apply now for a Performing Arts course here.

Young stars from CANDI perform Annie like there’s no Tomorrow

Posted on June 15, 2022January 23, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

Aspiring actors from City and Islington College (CANDI) headed back to 1930s New York when they took to the stage to perform the Broadway hit musical Annie.

The show featured many of the classic songs written by Charles Strousse and Martin Charnin including Maybe, It’s a Hard Knock Life, Little Girls and the showstopper Tomorrow.

The spectacular production about a young orphan girl was performed over two nights at the college’s theatre at its Centre for Business, Arts and Technology on Camden Road.

The 11-strong cast was made up of Performing Arts Level 3 Diploma students. Different actors performed in the main roles with Shaquilla Farrell and Kerry-Ann Alvarez Trivino starring as Annie.

Africa Blagrove and Xanandu Sheriff played Miss Hannigan, while Marc Roth and James Whittington-Phillips played Daddy Warbucks, Lizzie Estell played Grace Farrell and Tomas Valencia was Rooster.

The rest of the cast comprised Esther Lafa, Bianca Alieze-Luciano and Janel Mevlit who played the orphans, servants at the Warbucks mansion and other minor characters.

Shaquilla, 17, from Islington, reprised the role of Annie she had previously played when she was a pupil at Montem Primary School in Islington.

She said: “I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t very well and had lost my voice a few days before. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, especially singing big numbers, but on the morning of the show I managed to push my voice out and I began to relate to Annie’s optimism. I had to believe in myself that I could do it, and I did.

“The audience loved it and were cheering after each song. At the end they were saying it was an amazing show and they didn’t even realise I was ill. I was very surprised because of how I had been feeling, but very proud of everyone I’d worked with on the show.

“When I’m performing it’s like I’m sharing a piece of me with everyone. I just feel alive.”

‘The audience loved it and were cheering after each song. At the end they were saying it was an amazing show.’

Audiences were quick to applaud the “wonderful” show.

One said: “What made this truly special was not only the impact on the performers, but their family and friends. The pride and joy as they see their children excel, and morph into something truly amazing, is testament to the commitment of CANDI’s teachers and staff.”

The show was directed by Tim Chaundy, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, with choreography and acting coaching from Performing Arts lecturers Caroline Griffiths and Blanka Molnar.

Sound and lighting was provided by theatre technicians Natalie Tomlin, Chevelle Adeko and Neill Brinkworth supported by Performing Arts student Gabriele Jasineviciute.

‘The students worked with absolute commitment and flair … it’s not wonder every single one of them has been offered places to continue into higher education or got work in the industry this year.’

Tim said: “It was amazing to have worked with such a dedicated ensemble to fully realise our interpretation of Annie. The audience were truly impressed with the high energy and confidence of the students’ performance.

“The students worked with absolute commitment and flair, often rehearsing in their own time to ensure that the show was a success. It’s no wonder every single one of them has been offered places to continue into higher education or got work in the industry this year.”

The show formed part of a Summer Showcase of productions, that included stage adaptations of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses and Sonali Bhattacharyya’s Two Billion Beats.

The end-of-year event also featured productions of Cacophony by Molly Taylor and a version of the Greek tragedy Antigone, along with various music performances.

A career on the stage, as well as a lot more confidence for whatever you choose to do, can be yours, with a qualification in Performing Arts. Under the expert tutelage of our dedicated lecturers, supported by our team of support staff and technicians, you’ll get great tuition in our excellent theatre facilities.

Apply now for a Performing Arts course at CANDI here.

Our Performing Arts Students Prove that the Show does go on

Posted on May 14, 2020February 21, 2023 by Hannah Fenton

With no lights and no camera, can there be action? Without a stage to perform on and an audience to receive it, can live performance exist? This is the dilemma facing the performing arts industry across the globe during the Coronavirus pandemic. At WestKing, lecturers are tackling this challenge head on by finding new and experimental ways to allow students to hone their craft whilst in lockdown.

The end of year performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream turned in to a nightmare for Year 2 Performing Arts students when the Coronavirus hit the UK. The perfect location at the Story Garden in central London had been found, and since early January hours of rehearsals had been put in. But with theatres and stages across the UK sitting in the dark, and end of year exams cancelled, it all seemed futile.

Positive that there will be light after lockdown, lecturer Rob Alexander regrouped and found a revolutionary way to allow students to perform. Through the camera lens on laptops and tablets, students are now performing a socially-distanced version of the Shakespeare play from their homes via Zoom. Each day an act is practiced, performed and recorded with the entire play being completed within a week. Once restrictions are lifted, the recorded performances will be edited together by our technicians at WestKing’s Creative Arts Studio to produce one seamless performance.

Student Gabriela Madalina said: “Of course, watching your plans fall away is not a pleasant way to finish college. However, as I thought more about it, there’s nothing new here that an actor shouldn’t be ready for and maybe this is the final challenge college will bring upon us. The online meetings turned out to be the perfect solution and allowed us to continue with the performance. Radio theatre has been around for a long time but somehow it is overshadowed by all the performances meant to impress the eye. Now we get to impress the ear. Sure, it’s not what we were preparing for, but that’s what actors do: we improvise.”

Rob Alexander said: “Like playing an instrument, acting is a skill which has to be practised, and exams being cancelled was no reason to become complacent. In fact, it drove our students to dig deeper and much like a radio performance, learn to perform in isolation. They have had to adapt quickly, for example, getting their timing right and waiting for different cues so there isn’t a lag. This is an experience that they would not have had without the lockdown.”

Our Year 1 students have been working hard too. In conjunction with film and theatre company Broken Hearted Youth, they were set the challenge of writing and performing a monologue which could be unrelated to the lockdown but has the underlying theme of isolation. Artistic Director at Broken Hearted Youth , Michael van der Put said: “For a number of years we have had a rewarding collaboration with Westminster Kingsway College. We were in the early stages of planning a theatrical production around the theme of mental health when the lockdown arrived.

“Luckily for us, being a film and theatre company affords us some flexibility in our approach. In planning what comes next, we’re able to look to Rob and the team to see the adaptations they make in teaching and evaluating their students. This in turn informs our approach to the creation of future work. It’s early days in this period of change, but we know the passion and enthusiasm from both Rob and his students will weather the storm.”

Students have come up trumps with a rich tapestry of stories and will perform and record the final piece from their homes. One student, Nami Olivia, centred her monologue on the faults in the American justice system and racism in the 1920’s – 1950’s. She said: “It is focused on a woman called Aubrey Browne who grew up in downtown Detroit and moved to New Orleans where she got caught up in a murder investigation. Despite the fact she was 17 years old and the evidence was in her favour, she was tried as an adult, found guilty and spent 25 years in jail. The monologue is set the day before she’s due to die by lethal injection and she’s reflecting back on her life.”

Another Year 1 student Alexandra-Stefania Chiran said: “I really enjoyed working on this project I think that it’s really exciting that we get to write our own script from scratch. I’ve been working on a monologue about a girl that is isolating herself from all of her friends and family and everyone is starting to get worried about her. They try and get her to talk to someone about how she feels.”

With Patrick Stewart reading a Shakespeare Sonnet a day on Twitter and the Royal Shakespeare Company enlisting help from the likes of David Tennant with homework, performing artists are very much fighting back. The adaptability at WestKing is the perfect illustration that even though we are locked down, things are very much looking up.

Although the regions also have thriving theatre scenes, London is still the UK’s performing arts hub, as it’s home to West End theatres, TV studios and more. Learn with us and your career options after college include TV and film, radio and theatre in areas such as acting, dance, direction and choreography. Please click here to find out more about studying Performing Arts at Westminster Kingsway College.