8 Dream of the stars

Reading and Use of English |
1BSU


1 You will read a newspaper article about five actors
at the beginning of their careers. Before you read,
discuss this question in pairs.
t
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
working as an actor?

2 Read questions 1–10 and underline the main idea in

each question.
8IJDI
BDUPS
believes actors must be ready to accept 
negative comments?
feels that they have learned a lot from 2
people already working in the theatre
and TV?
says that listening to other people’s 3
suggestions improves their acting?
has always been excited by having people 4
watching their acting?
had planned to enter a different profession 5
before training to become an actor?
prefers working in theatre rather than in 6
cinema or television?
did not want to work outside the theatre 7
initially?
feels worried about performing in front of 8
some important people?
originally tried to train as an actor 
somewhere else?
wasn’t so interested in acting in the theatre 
initially?

3 Now read the newspaper article. For questions 1–10,

choose from the people A–E.

Exam advice
s Many of the sections may say quite similar things.
You will have to read carefully to decide which section
answers the question exactly.
Starting off s Guess difficult words from the context when you think
1 Work in groups. Look at the photos and compare it will help you to answer a question.
these different types of star. Talk about: s Underline phrases in the texts which give you the
answers and check them against the questions.
t
income/money
t
preparation and training
t
length of career 4 Work in groups.
t
the advantages and disadvantages of being famous. t
Have you ever performed in public (e.g. acting,
speaking in public, dancing, doing a sport)?
2 If you could be a star, what sort of star would you
t
How did you feel about the experience? What did you
like to be? Why?
84 enjoy about it? What did you dislike?
 Five
F young
C Allan Scott-Douglas
Dream of the stars

Although 23-year-old Allan has been interested

in performing since his early teens, it was only in
his second year of a primary teaching degree at

actors
Edinburgh University that he decided to pursue
a career as an actor. “I kind of got into it by
accident,” he admits. “I was more of a singer, but
I ended up doing musical theatre and absolutely
loved it. I’m pretty much open to anything. I suppose
my heart will always belong to theatre, as there’s a
live audience there in front of you, but the film and
TV work we’ve done has been great fun too, so I’d
love to do some more. If you want to achieve your
ambitions as a young actor, you’ve got to go where
the work is. If I’m offered a job down in London,
there’s no way I’d ever be able to turn it down.”

The curtains open in the theatre as a group of young actors make

their way on to the stage. These are some young Edinburgh-based D Romana Abercromby
actors doing the final performance of their drama course.
26-year-old Romana says she got involved with a lot
of drama productions when she was still at school.
A Scott Hoatson “When I left school, I realised that it was the only
thing I wanted to do. I tried applying to drama
22-year-old Scott is already a step ahead of his classmates, as he
schools down in London, but after being rejected by
has been offered a year-long contract with the National Theatre
them, I took a year out to go travelling. This course
of Scotland’s under-26 theatre group. He was discovered by
has given us so many useful skills and brought us into
someone from the theatre while performing in plays in Edinburgh
contact with so many actors and directors who have
and St Andrews, but he admits the students’ final performance
told us all about the industry. And we’ve been able to
in front of directors and agents is still nerve-wracking. “It’s so
gain some experience with TV as well as stage acting,
important for all of us. The fact that there are artistic directors
which has been great. When it comes down to finding
from the big theatres who come to watch makes it such a big
work, if it’s in Scotland, that’s great, but I’d love to
opportunity. There’s so much happening in Scotland at the
travel around, too.”
moment. There are a lot of opportunities up here, so it makes
sense to stay closer to home. When I started the course, I thought
that stage acting was the only thing I wanted to do, but now I E Neil Thomas
want to do everything I can – whether it’s on stage, TV, film or
radio.” 20-year-old Neil was just seven years old when he
joined an after-school youth theatre company, which
gave him his first taste of acting on stage. “I went
B Kim Gerard once or twice a week and adored it,” he says. “I
was always keen to show off at school, so it was the
21-year-old Kim got her first taste of performing as a ballet
perfect outlet for me to perform properly. I’ve had
dancer when she was just two and has been hooked on performing
the chance to do a lot of different types of acting,
ever since. Although her ballet days are now behind her, she
and the training has been invaluable. It’s intense,
admits that it gave her a great introduction to the profession. “It
but everyone knows that’s the nature of the career
was just so exhilarating to get up on stage and perform in front
and you have to be prepared. People will give you all
of an audience. Acting is the only thing that I have ever really
sorts of advice about your acting, which helps you
wanted to do, and this course has let me do my training close to
to strip away your bad habits. In our profession, you
home. Even though I’d done some theatre before, I always wanted
have to be prepared for brutal criticism, because
to get into TV. I really liked the idea of being a famous, well-paid
that’s what you’ll expect when you start working.”
TV star in a drama series. But now, I’ve realised acting on stage
is just as good.” Adapted from The Scotsman

85