Man in a suit talking
Matthew Allen in an extract from Extras. Photo credit: Keir Burrows

Today we are speaking with Matthew Allen, the winner of our Joy of Creating competition and a current student on Acting Collaborative and Devised Theatre (CDT), BA course about all of the things he has been working on.

Tell us a bit about what you are getting up to

I have just finished filming ‘The Devil’s got all the best tunes’, which was devised by us and our director Tom David Hughes. We’ll be streaming our production from 3 - 17 of June 2021.

I am also rehearsing for our final production of the year Holes and for a solo storytelling role working at the National Trust’s Corfe Castle in the summer.

A man sitting at a table, with a guitar visible behind him
Matthew Allen in 'The Devils got all the best tunes', written by Tom David Hughes and The Company. Photo credit: Patrick Baldwin

How has this programme related to your coursework?

On our course we are encouraged to create our own work. I run an event called Studio where CDT students are given the opportunity to create their own work and present it to other students twice a term. So, I’m very used to devising short pieces, but when tasked with creating one piece to show myself off as an actor in 2 minutes I was stumped. We do so much on our course that is very specialised that I wanted to show off, so I created a piece on how I worked my way around that.

What has surprised you most about your experience?

The positive feedback I have received was amazing. I was never expecting people to be so supportive. It’s given me hope in the industry that I am entering and the confidence to continue creating.

A low angle view of a man with a cloudy sky behind him
Extract from Matthew's Joy of Creating competition winning piece 'once upon a showcase'

The Joy of Creating competition was open to all Central students to submit a filmed performance, animation or other video which sums up what the joy of creating means to you. The work was to be inspired by the phrase “the Joy of Creating to me is…”.

The winning work, was included in the programme for the Keep Creating Gala, an online event to raise funds to support students affected by COVID.

What did you submit to the Joy of Creating competition?

I created a short 3-minute film for my showcase in April and also submitted it for the Joy of Creating competition. I feel that this short film was an amalgamation of all the short films and projects I have made within the last year, Which has been a lot! It felt fitting to put it forward for a competition about the joy of creating work.

What made you want to get involved?

As I’m sure it has been said before, graduating during this time has been very tough. As a year group, we have not had the same opportunities that previous years have had when graduating, both within school and without. There were fewer opportunities to meet agents, but also to create work and be guided as an actor / creator.

Part of winning the Joy of Creating competition came with a mentorship of my choice, which I hope will help guide me in this ever changing industry.

View Matthew’s winning piece, ’once upon a showcase’ below

How did you find out about Central and decide to study with us?

Central is a world renowned institution and I was particularly drawn to the Acting Collaborative and Devised Theatre (CDT), BA course. This is because it is one of the few courses out there that I felt would give me the well-rounded, yet specific training I am after. The more physical and collaborative approach to acting and creating is perfect for me.

What are you planning to do after graduation?

I am from Manchester originally, although after graduation I’m going to try to stay in London working as an actor, both down here and up there. Additionally, we have formed a small group of actors/creators/writers and are going to create a show to perform at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

If you want to keep up with Matthew you can check out his Showreel on YouTube or view his Spotlight account.

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