Alumni Stories - Callum Tilbury (AKA Lady Aria Grey)

As part of Central’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, we’re speaking to students and alumni who have received Scholarships and Bursaries whilst studying at Central, to showcase the impact that these can have on them, and their future careers. 

Callum Tilbury (AKA Lady Aria Grey) moved to the UK from South Africa to study on our MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media course in 2017, and is now an award-winning writer, drag queen, and comedienne. 

What have you been working on at the moment? 

I’m currently in a show at the Vaults called Mulan Rouge (a drag mashup of Disney’s Mulan and Moulin Rouge!) which runs for the next three months. I’m also writing for an animated Disney kids show called PJ Masks, and I’ve just heard that my one woman show as Lady Aria has got into Vault Festival 2022. Sometimes I also do shifts on the Hampstead Theatre box office, so have lots on the go at the moment!

I think in order to be a working creative person in London, you need to have your fingers in several pies at any given point. Sometimes I wish I had the luxury of focusing on one project at a time, but that’s sadly not how it works (at least, not for me). But the upside is that I’m never bored.

Sounds like you have a lot on the go, what does a typical working day look like for you?

The show I’m in at the moment runs five nights a week, Wednesday to Sunday, so that takes up most of my evenings. Sometimes I’ll do a morning shift on the box office at the theatre, or spend my mornings writing. It’s unusual for me to have a five-day-a-week job, so I’m trying to enjoy the structure while I can.

Can you tell us more about your drag persona Lady Aria Grey; what was the inspiration behind her, and how did you go about creating her? 

I started performing in drag in 2014, during my undergrad studies at the University of Cape Town. Before I ever tried drag, I knew I wanted my drag name to be Lady Grey (who was a villainous character in my favourite video game, Fable). I added ‘Aria’ because I wanted her name to be a play on the phrase ‘grey area’. Even though she mostly takes the form of a grey-haired older woman, she’s not a fixed character, so it’s difficult to nail down a specific inspiration for her. I just wanted an excuse to play with gender, experiment, and try different things, so I chose a name that could make sense in whatever form she takes. As for creating her, I went about it the way that most new drag artists today do: watching endless makeup tutorials on YouTube, trying and failing until eventually I started to look the way I wanted to!

What have been some of your career highlights to date?

As a writer, I think winning the Edinburgh TV Festival New Voice Award for Best New Comedy Script, which I won with a TV pilot I wrote as part of my MFA at Central. My other proudest moment has been winning the London Horror Festival Playwriting Competition, which I also won with a play that I wrote at Central, so, I’d definitely say that studying at Central has served me well! Both of those projects have been slowed down by the pandemic, of course, but the play is going to Vault Festival next February. And as for the TV pilot… we’ll see!

As a performer, the highlight has been performing alongside Taylor Mac in A 24 Decade History of Popular Music at the Barbican in 2018, which was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had on a stage.

What made you choose to study at Central, and what impact did your training have on you?

I really liked the look of the writing course. It looked practical and well-structured, and it ended up being exactly that! It was great to have some structure to my first two years in London – I moved here just before the course started, and was brand new to the city.

Studying at Central was extremely useful, in that it helped me to orientate myself to London, and the UK in general, both socially and professionally. It’s very difficult moving to London without knowing anyone, and studying at Central was a great way to make friends, and learn more about the industry I dreamed of one day working in – and now am.

You benefited from a Scholarship whilst you were at Central, what impact did this have on you and your studies?

It really helped me make the decision to study here. Without the Scholarship, the international fees would have been simply too expensive for me, but having a Scholarship made the whole thing affordable.

What would you say to those thinking of donating to provide Scholarships and Bursaries for our students?

Please do! In most cases, a Scholarship or Bursary is the deciding factor for a talented student in making the choice between studying at Central, or a different school… or studying at all. They can really make a significant impact on a young person’s life, and career prospects.

And finally, what advice would you have for those hoping to follow in your footsteps in the industry?

Try to have as much fun as possible, (but still meet your deadlines). The best work comes from a place of enthusiasm, so if a project is boring you, try to find a way to make it fun.

Central’s Big Give Christmas Challenge raises vital funds for Scholarships and Bursaries for our students, and this year will run from 30 November to 7 December 2021.

Find out more about our MA/MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media course