Long hours spent learning lines, rehearsing or waiting in the wings is time well spent when the roar of audience applause reaches crescendo in the theatre, according to a young, Belfast actress.
| If you have got the guts, go for it. You can make it if you want it hard enough. |
Since the age of six, Katherine OHare has had an unquenchable thirst to act. Determined to sample life on the stage, she attended drama classes, took part in primary schools plays, joined youth theatre groups and took every opportunity to act.
I have always known I wanted to act. I never thought that it was possible to be a professional actress but I am going to go for it anyway, 19-year-old Katherine said.
Annie, Oliver, The Snowman and Fisher King a re some of the shows in which Katherine has performed, and according to the budding actress, Belfast is a good starting point for young people who want to try the stage or even just sample acting workshops.
There are a lot of theatre companies in Belfast and there are more groups being set up for young people, Katherine commented, but more places are still needed.
One of Katherines fondest memories was her first semi-professional stage appearance at 13 years old when she played the role of an orphan in Annie at the Arts Theatre. The atmosphere in the theatre was electric.
I was very nervous but once I got going, the buzz, the lights and the music - it was brilliant.
Katherine admits that working on the stage comes at a price, but her family, who are all involved in acting, are supportive.
I wanted to go to drama lessons, they drove me there and paid my fees, put up with a lot, gave me a lot of lifts. They were just behind me 100 per cent.
Acting sometimes disrupted school and family life, and Katherine had to study hard to keep up with school work, sometimes missing out on family holidays.
But she believes that her commitment to acting has helped her through difficult times.
You do get to meet new people and I have made some of my best friends through drama, she said, and when you know that an audience came to see something that youre in, thats a real buzz.
People are paying, as opposed to your parents and friends coming to watch you at festivals.
I love it, its my life. I think it is brilliant and I love doing it. I want to act and act well enough that I can support myself, she said.
Guildford School of Acting in England recently contacted Katherine to offer her a place on its acting degree course, which begins this September.
She is delighted and believes all the hard work is beginning to pay off. Her advice to young people interested in acting is if you have got the guts, go for it. You can make it if you want it hard enough.
About the team
This article was produced by Orlaith Graham-Wood, 11, and Laura Osborne, 13. It was published in Smart, a Belfast City Arts Newsletter.
