The things we wished we’d known at uni...
Five well-known NI faces recall their student days and pass on their hard-earned advice to those taking the same path.
‘Drama school was the most fun, intense time of my life’
Iwent to drama school in England, Rose Bruford College in London,” Declan says. “It was where Gary Oldman trained. My degree is technically from the University of Manchester and it was a First Class Honours degree in acting.
“I lived in shared accommodation in Plumstead in south-east London with my friends. I ended up being there for 15 years. I am still mates with the people who I lived with there.
“We didn’t have the normal student experience, in that some students get six hours of lectures a week and that is that. We had five full days a week and not turning up was not an option. You turned up and you studied everything from Stanislavski and acting techniques to running around in black tights in movement classes for four hours a day.
“I think, in second year, we were all delighted that, finally, we got to be trees, which is like the classic drama school thing. It was movement, voice and acting technique and theatre history and all that kind of stuff.
“But turning up was absolutely mandatory. And when you are 19 years old and you’ve just moved away from home, you have lots of excuses to go out at night. But we were always in class at eight or nine o’clock in the morning. The thing about drama school is that there is a huge amount of psychology involved in acting. On a simple basis,
it’s about why characters do what they do. So, what you end up with is three years of pseudotherapy almost, you learn why people do what they do and why they react in certain ways and you apply that to characters.”
Declan says he will channel his father’s words of wisdom to help guide today’s students: “I am loath to pass on advice that my dad gave me, but it was good advice. He said if going out at night stops you from getting up in the morning, stop going out at night. That was something that his dad told him. The net result of that was that I always went out at night, but I always got up in the morning.
“The best bit about going to university was the friends I made, who are still my closest friends. When you’re 19, moving to London and being able to spread your wings and find your feet was amazing. People say that your childhood is the best days of your life, but it’s absolutely not true. My drama school days were, without doubt, the most intense, fun, stimulating time of my life, both personally and professionally. I didn’t end up being an actor — I just didn’t love it enough. But I would go back to drama in a heartbeat.
“I think the worst bit about it is you move from home and you’re in your 20s, you think you should have it all worked out and I didn’t. You are really just a grown-up teenager. Life becomes more exciting, but the worst bit is that you are still trying to find yourself and figure out what kind of person you are going to be. I found that a bit stressful.
“I would say to my 18-year-old self to be less obedient. I would like to say to myself not to worry about it all so much. I’m not saying be an anarchist, just don’t be afraid to push and shove.”