“Never give up! If you love what you do, keep doing it… Enjoy the journey… Don’t be a snob… Be brave!” Tanya Franks
In June, I was invited to perform a monologue from Steven Berkoff’s play East at the stunning venue of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End (if you haven’t seen the theatre already, it’s worth a look!!) It was a Masterclass held by talented actress of stage and screen Tanya Franks. Tanya worked with Masterclass members, including myself, onstage where we presented our characters and worked on our pieces. The experience was amazing and of significant importance. I always see every opportunity as a means of learning, whether it be about myself and the industry that I love, or about someone else or something new. Tanya, like many of the Masterclass guest speakers, was bubbly, energetic and enthusiastic about everything. She gave some invaluable advice about the industry. It was refreshing to be able to speak and work with her and to learn about her journey in such a competitive and challenging job.
Tanya Franks and Abbie Steele Photo credit ‘Tanya Franks Masterclass, Theatre Royal Haymarket 2016’
The very first thing Tanya spoke of when she came on stage was a quote from Picasso that reads “The more technique you have the less you have to worry about it. The more technique there is, the less there is.” She then went on to say “Practice your technique and learn it so well that eventually it will cease to exist, yet be ingrained in you.” I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to do this and to put this fully into practice.
Abbie Steele Photo Credit ‘Tanya Franks Masterclass, Theatre Royal Haymarket 2016’
It was a pleasure to watch other performers present their monologues on stage too and to discover more about East and Steven Berkoff together. My heartfelt thanks go out to the team at Masterclass and Tanya Franks, for inviting me along and presenting me with an opportunity to perform and learn. It was wonderful to meet such an inspiring, talented woman as Tanya, whose final piece of advice I have taken fully on board; “You don’t ever have to be un-employed. Write and produce your own work.” Noted and acted upon! Pen has been pushed firmly onto paper these past couple of months and the wheels have been set in motion for filming in October. Thank you!
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