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[0:09] John Schwab: Hi, John Schwab here, and welcome to Take Your Bow, a new bite-sized podcast series from the Curtain Call Stable that shines a spotlight on the people that make theater happen.

[0:18] John Schwab: In today's climate of increasing isolation, we want to bring you a daily dose of inspiration.

[0:22] John Schwab: In each episode, we're gonna give somebody in the theater a chance to take a bow, from the seasoned professional to drama students, vocal coaches to the life coaches.

[0:30] John Schwab: You'll find them right here, giving insights into what drives them to be in the business and who inspires them.

[0:35] John Schwab: On today's episode is theatre student Bethany O'Halloran.

[0:39] John Schwab: Beth is currently in her first year of training at the Oxford School of Drama.

[0:43] John Schwab: And as you can imagine, it's a pretty crazy period of transition anyway into a first full year of drama training.

[0:49] John Schwab: But then to have it curtailed in the way it has been with the coronavirus pandemic, well, it hasn't stopped her from staying on top of that training.

[0:57] John Schwab: And I'll let Beth tell you how.

[1:45] Bethany O'Halloran: This happened and everyone had to go home. Um, but the school have been brilliant. So we've started doing online classes, um, and they've sent all through the information about the production we're going to be doing. And that means whilst we're not at the school, we can start work, and hopefully, when we go back, which fingers crossed won't be too long, um, it will mean we can get straight up and running with the production um and other work that we've missed.

[2:16] John Schwab: Sure. I think you'll have plenty of time to get the on-stage experience and things that you're going to do. This is an opportune time. I mean, the silver lining is that you know, studying the theory and reading the plays and doing a deep dive into the industry that you're joining is um that you know the opportunity is there right now. Is that kind of how you're approaching it?

[2:38] Bethany O'Halloran: Yeah, definitely. And it's a brilliant time to just connect with others in the industry and research um because the training is so intense um and it's full on that you don't really have the time to get to see what is going on um outside of the drama school bubble. So yeah, it's really lovely.

[3:01] Bethany O'Halloran: Yeah, it's a really lovely way actually to just see what other areas of the industry is what's going on at the moment. Um when did you know that you wanted to work in the business?

[3:12] Bethany O'Halloran: I'm gonna be honest with you, John. I really I don't have like I don't have a set memory of when I knew I wanted to exactly go into the business.

[3:23] John Schwab: That's fine.

[3:23] Bethany O'Halloran: Um, but I think it was probably during my high school years. Um, as like I went through high school, I just got more and more passionate, really.

[3:34] Bethany O'Halloran: Um yeah. You know, I can identify with that. Um although I remember in grade school, and people have heard me saying on this podcast before, I did your good man Charlie Brown and sang happiness and then you know the applause and things. I was like, oh, this is something cool. I didn't know you could do this as a job really until around high school when you saw people were when you actually were watching television and watching a drama or film and going, Oh yeah, people must get paid for this.

[4:01] Bethany O'Halloran: And yeah, um, that's around the same time, absolutely. And was it one thing that really stood out to you though that you kind of went, actually, yeah, this is this is good. It doesn't have to be a specific memory, just as I started to get older and watch, you know, more and more films, um, things like that. It just it inspired me more to just ri just go through it. Um the cinemas, well, don't we all gosh. Um is there any one person in the industry that inspired you then?

[4:36] Bethany O'Halloran: I mean, I know it's between high school and the first year of drama school isn't that long ago, but um when you is there any difference of who inspired you at that point or the people that did, and then who inspires you today?

[4:50] Bethany O'Halloran: Good question. Um I think the people that inspire me today are definitely the ones around me. Um I always find inspiration just from the people I work with um constantly, and they always challenge me, and yeah, that definitely that's definitely what drives me. Um who inspires me in the industry? That's such a good question.

[5:16] John Schwab: Th there is no right or wrong answer. I mean, you've I think you've just uh answered it. Uh and uh being inspired by the people you work with is like long may that continue. I think that I again can identify with that because if I wasn't inspired with the people I work with, I wouldn't want to be working with them.

[5:33] Bethany O'Halloran: Definitely. And I think it's um the case of with the actors that I do see on screen or in the theater, again, it's um constantly inspired by those as well.

[5:47] John Schwab: And what do your family think of you uh going into theater and and film?

[5:52] Bethany O'Halloran: I'm really lucky. Um they are really supportive and my mum and my dad um are behind me and Well, right now? I know I can't see you, but are they right there?

[6:07] Bethany O'Halloran: Yeah, that's it, and just just behind my bed just. But they um I think if I didn't have that, I j I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing right now, really. Especially with the drama school process.

[6:19] Bethany O'Halloran: Yeah, I'm really lucky. Even though I don't think they my mum blessed, I don't think she fully understands the industry and what actually we have to do.

[6:29] John Schwab: Beth, I've been doing this for nearly a quarter of a century and I'm still working it out. You're fine.

[6:34] John Schwab: It's a minefield, it really is.

[6:36] Bethany O'Halloran: It's yeah, it's bonkers.

[6:38] John Schwab: Bonkers is a good way of describing it. And um it's good that you know that now while going through drama school because it just gets even more crazy once you get out. Uh and the landscape's gonna change. I mean, I think being at drama school, you're lucky to be in a um in an institution that's going to be evolving with the times and and the fact that you're gonna be training for is it another two years after this year? Is it a two-year course or three-year course?

[6:48] Bethany O'Halloran: Another two years after this year.

[7:03] John Schwab: So another two years, it's really you're in a great position where you can adapt to how it's going to change. Um, 'cause it will change. I don't think it's gonna be the same. Um having that time in a drama school to take a lay of the land um with your teachers and mentors, and then kind coming out on the other side of it, you're in a very, very good place, I think.

[7:25] Bethany O'Halloran: Yeah, definitely. One thing I ask everyone is about having more than just one skill. I mean, I tend to do a lot more things than just act, um, you know, producing and directing or uh writing short stories, whatever I like to turn my hand to. How important do you think it is as somebody who will be coming into a workforce that can sometimes feel like they're uh 200 people, 500 people applying for the same job. How important do you find it to have other skills that you can take along with you and build on your theatrical training and performing training?

[8:03] Bethany O'Halloran: I think it's so important. I think not just to help branch um your opportunities, but to give you a better understanding of the industry. Um so since going to drama school, I found that I really I love writing. Um if that's writing poetry or short plays, um it's it's helps spark um the right the writing opportunities um as well as acting. And I think when leaving drama school, the more um experience you have under your belt and the more branches, if we can call it branches, but yeah, it's uh the other roots um definitely definitely helps.

[8:52] John Schwab: How are you spending your days, Beth? I know you mentioned it j early on that you're getting coursework through um remotely from your from your tutors. How what else are you doing to to fill the the days that the groundhog days we send you know we're into our fourth week now of of lockdown um what what are you doing on a daily basis?

[8:58] Bethany O'Halloran: Um I am I'm trying to watch a catch up actually on a lot of TV and films that I haven't been um able to see recently so I've been doing that a lot and that's been really lovely actually because it's helped me to again see what's going on in the industry at the moment and again be inspired by other people's acting just a last one before we um we kind of get into some quickfire questions what cast album uh I I mean I don't know if you're you're a musical fan or you know a more of a drama fan I you know is that are you a big fan of musicals?

[9:49] Bethany O'Halloran: I do like musicals actually I really do yeah what cast album then would you self if it can only be one which one would you self once with um uh it's got to be probably it's got to be Hamilton because yeah yeah I'm listening to that yeah the the good thing about that cast album is you you can listen to the entire story I mean there's only a there's only about five minutes of the of the play that isn't in it.

[10:18] John Schwab: It's a popular choice.

[10:19] John Schwab: It's a popular choice. Um right let's let's get into some quickfire questions. I you don't know what I'm gonna ask you you've you I think you've heard the podcast before so you you kind of have a um uh a general sense but um let's just see how we get on Beth.

[10:34] Bethany O'Halloran: Okay.

[10:35] John Schwab: Okay. So movies or theater?

[10:41] Bethany O'Halloran: Movies.

[10:41] John Schwab: Twitter or Instagram?

[10:43] Bethany O'Halloran: Oh uh Instagram.

[10:41] John Schwab: Tom Stoppard or William Shakespeare?

[10:41] Bethany O'Halloran: William Shakespeare.

[10:41] John Schwab: Broadway or West End?

[10:41] Bethany O'Halloran: Oh um West End yeah West End you don't have to feel guilty about it it's fine I just oh no I love Broadway but no it's got to be West End.

[11:03] John Schwab: Okay clotted cream or jam first?

[11:05] Bethany O'Halloran: Jam first.

[11:03] John Schwab: Okay Netflix or Amazon Prime?

[11:03] Bethany O'Halloran: Netflix.

[11:03] John Schwab: Cinderella or Snow White?

[11:03] Bethany O'Halloran: Um Cinderella.

[11:03] John Schwab: Wicked or Les Mis?

[11:03] Bethany O'Halloran: Les Mis definitely.

[11:03] John Schwab: Okay dogs or cats?

[11:03] Bethany O'Halloran: Oh no oh I've got a dog and a cat um oh well here here's where I hope they're not listening because here's where it's all gonna fall apart oh no um dogs yeah dogs okay good.

[11:03] John Schwab: Steven Sondheim or Lin-Manuel Miranda?

[11:03] Bethany O'Halloran: Lin-Manuel Miranda.

[11:03] John Schwab: Beth, those are all fantastic answers and thank you for telling the truth um I feel guilty for some of them it's okay it's okay now Beth how do people find you online if you want them to follow you on the socials and follow your progress through drama school if uh and things like that where and how do they find out about the school?

[12:10] Bethany O'Halloran: So you can follow me on Instagram um as Beth um underscore O'Halloran and that's the same for my Twitter and then for the school. Um it's the Oxford School of Drama. And that's again for both Instagram and Twitter.

[12:27] John Schwab: Perfect. Um Beth, thank you so much for joining me today. And um I think um I look forward to hearing from you and and keep in touch and let us know when the showcase happens and um definitely maybe we'll catch up again and we'll uh see how you're getting on.

[12:42] Bethany O'Halloran: Thank you, John.

[12:50] John Schwab: Beth O'Halloran there, drama student at the Oxford School of Drama. We all need a little bit of inspiration and happiness these days, and hopefully today's chat gave you just that. Thank you to everyone who has responded to our call out so far. If you'd like to take your bow, get in touch with us via any of our social media platforms at curtaincall. That's all one word, or email me at John at CurtainCallOnline.com. Join us again when another theater professional somewhere across the globe will be taking their bow.