SPOTLIGHT: Grace Dunne will appear in Memento Mori at the Mercury Studio Theatre

What or who got you interested theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?

Well apparently I’ve always loved to perform in some way or another, mimicking voices and accents from as soon as I could speak. I was always involved in local theatre but just for social reasons I think, but I remember thinking acting was the coolest thing ever when a touring production of Macbeth came to our school year 9. It was in the round and so captivating I left the performance saying ‘I want to do that!’ I then did ‘Grease’ at school and got the bug and wanted to be involved in every production I could. Most importantly, I joined the Mercury Youth Theatre which was a fantastic learning experience.

Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in the theatre?

When I was growing up I was the only immediate family member to be involved in theatre but over the last few years my mother has taken to the stage to strut her stuff in local amateur community theatre and she’s actually really good.

Who is the most inspiring person you’ve worked with and why?

I feel like I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with some amazingly inspiring people, actors and directors. There’s too many to choose from. I suppose those exceptional people who worked with us at the Mercury Youth do stand out as being really influential in my decision to enter this profession. They were great actors and directors who really cared about the craft.

What formal training have you done?

Before Drama school, I studied Drama at the University of the West of England which gave me a fairly comprehensive knowledge of plays and a good foundation in Theatre. I then went on to train in Postgraduate Acting at Drama Studio London in 2012. It was a brilliant year, doing what I love every day, learning every aspect of the actor’s role. I made some amazing, special friends and also some contacts who I have gone on to work with professionally.

Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your career to date?

Last year I was fortunate enough to tour Italy for five months with George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, performing at some beautiful 1,000 seater theatres. It was the most incredible experience and with such a classic, funny play. I was also very lucky to multi-role five parts so I never got bored as in every scene I had a different accent and a different wig.

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage?

One of the most exciting aspects of live theatre is that anything can go wrong. Usually, I can improvise around it. In December and January I played The Giant in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and at one point my trousers fell down. Luckily I was wearing a fat suit underneath. The kids all laughed, presumably thinking it was part of the show, so I just gave them my best “ boo” and ran off to hastily fix my costume.

What role would you most like to play and why?

My dream roles would be Lady Macbeth and Nancy in Oliver, cliches I know. Nancy is just so inherently good and vulnerable it’s heartbreaking. And those songs! Lady Macbeth, so alluring with a powerful, deadly nature. I’d also love to be in an open-air production, something I haven’t done yet.

Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?

I’ve managed to stay composed (mostly) though one time springs to mind where I just lost it. We were about three months into the run of Pygmalion and in this particular show Eliza bounds in and spins around to show off what she’s wearing to the other characters. She completely misjudged her spin and mid line just fell and ended up sat on her bottom! It was the shock on her face that made us all just lose it! Luckily it was a lighthearted moment in the play.

Any big plans for the future?

This summer I’m fortunate to be going to Australia with an in immersive Absolutely Fabulous show playing Patsy. It’s a great part, very funny with plenty of opportunity for improvisation. Much of my work is voiceovers, mainly in the advertising sector. I have just signed with an exciting new commercial agent so you should hopefully all see and hear a lot more from me in the future.

Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to other actors/directors?

It’s hard work and there’s no way round it. Once rehearsals begin, it gets easier as you can visualise the action whilst learning the words. It also helps to keep focusing on the play as a whole not just your own lines.