I’m an actor, writer and director. I predominantly work in theatre and I love it. It’s my sanctuary; my home. I watch theatre (I try to go once or twice a fortnight), I write for theatre, I act in theatre and I direct theatre. Not all at the same time though obviously! It really depends what the project is as to how I want to get involved. For example if there’s a story I want to tell, then I’ll write it; if there’s a particular character I want to play then I’ll act; if there’s a play I have a vision for, then I’ll direct. Some people believe you should only choose one discipline and train solely in that. For me though, I find working within a multitude of disciplines makes me grow and develop more as an artist, with my work becoming more dynamic as a result.

Toolbox of skills

I studied BA (honours) Performing Arts at Salford University and I’m very proud to call myself a Salford Graduate - we’re known for bringing talent and a no-nonsense, hard working ethic to our work. Right at the start of my journey and training, I wanted to act, but I was lucky in that my degree course encouraged its students to train in more than one discipline. Our lecturers drilled into us that if we were to survive in the performing arts industry we would need to have a whole toolbox full of skills and for this I am eternally grateful. Every performance piece we did we had to specialise in one area, but then take responsibility for another area as well. It opened my eyes up to what other strengths and skills I had and encouraged me to develop them further. For example, you could major in acting or directing, but would then also be responsible for the costume design, stage management, lighting design, or publicity of your piece. I embraced this, trying to learn as much as possible and it has served me well. Since graduating 3 years ago I’ve acted in festivals, written two plays, produced and directed a play, but also secured work in stage management, lighting and arts admin. Even if you can’t get work in your chosen field – if you can still work in an arts environment, then that’s a great place to be. It can be a nurturing environment, you can learn and grow from a different vantage point and make valuable contacts you’ll use later on. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been far from rosy at times. I’ve often had to work either full-time or part-time in waitressing and bar work in order to pay the rent, whilst still working the full-time hours needed in order to progress in the arts. It can be exhausting and draining, but inevitably makes you stronger and work harder.

Why do I do it?

For me, there’s something about live performance that you just can’t beat – be it watching it or performing. As an audience member, whether naturalistic theatre, comedy, dance, absurd theatre or physical theatre is your thing, there’s this moment … where something brilliant, something live, something very special is happening just a few feet in front of you and you share in it with all of the other audience members in the room… Strangers you’ve never seen before and probably will never see again, share in these same moments with you. You’re united in watching something legendary. It makes you feel alive and like you want to go out into the world and LIVE. Your head and your heart are in sync and adrenaline pumps fiercely through your body. The 50 or 100, or 200 or however many people who watch that brilliant piece of theatre will remember it forever. They will share that memory forever and be forever linked to each other because of it… It’s really very cool when you think about it. I suppose as a performer / director / writer, we do what we do so that audiences can have these moments. These ‘live’ moments. So they can be touched in this way… So they can be entertained, intellectually stimulated and moved. After all, they don’t call theatre cathartic for nothing! I also do it because I’m fascinated by people, their relationships, their thoughts, feelings and emotions, how they react, how they think, how they behave in different situations and theatre is the perfect place for me to explore this.  It’s my playground. My playground of life if you will.

If you’ve never felt this way, or never really watched any theatre, don’t be disheartened! I’d recommend you book tickets for a variety of shows in different theatres and see what you like. Manchester has a multitude of fantastic theatres such as The Lowry, Royal Exchange Theatre, Contact, Zion Arts Centre and Studio Salford, each of them with several spaces, putting on countless works. Don’t forget about site-specific work and the different festivals, such as Not Part Of and 24:7 which take place in various venues in the city!

Future blogs

So apart from harping on about how brilliant live performance can be, what else will I write about? Well I basically thought I’d start this blog to share some of my experiences with you. Whether you’re a fellow artist or simply interested in the arts there’ll be something for everyone! I’ll be writing about the projects I’m working on, what the rehearsal and creative process consists of and is like, (trust me, it’s not at all glamorous!) the people I meet, the training, workshops and events I go to, the theatre I watch and pretty much what life is like as a performer! I want to develop more in screen and radio in the future so I’ll be letting you know how that goes too!

Additionally I want to hear from you. If you like my blogs then let me know or if you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment and ask

I’ll be blogging every week, so click on the RSS feed to receive notification of all of my new blogs. For more information about me have a look at my website: www.jemmahoughton.co.uk

You can also follow me on Twitter – just click here!
Thanks for reading.
Hope to see you soon!

Jem x