West End star
Burbage actor first starred in school play aged nine
BURBAGE-BORN Mark Hawkins has gone from being that daydreamer in school who failed his exams to being a regular on the West End stage in London.
The former Grove Road Junior School pupil has landed himself a leading role in Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel The Woman in Black as it celebrates an incredible 30-years in the capital.
Mark, 34, was born and raised locally, by his parents Anne and Alan Hawkins.
Acting was not something he had imagined himself progressing into.
It was during a school production at the age of nine that Mark was first cast as Shakespearean fool Hawkins in a school play at his junior school in Burbage.
“I remember my mum helped me with the costume,” Mark recalls.
“I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but people really laughed and seemed to like what I did.
“I received a lot of praise and attention from my teachers and classmates, so I suppose that’s when I got the acting bug.”
Mark continued on his acting journey, appearing in three productions at the Concordia Theatre in Hinckley, starring in Aida, Copacabana, and The Best Little Whore House in Texas.
He says that despite being involved in numerous amateur productions, at 15-years-old, he still regarded acting as more of a hobby and never seriously considered it as a career.
However, his opinions changed when he received what he describes as, terrible GCSE results.
“I was never particularly academic, I was a bit of a day dreamer, and I struggled with exams,” Mark said.
“I decided to leave sixth form and join the performing arts course at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
It was following that decision that doors began to open for Mark, who was unaware that his acting career was shortly about to erupt, propelling him into the professional world of acting among West End legends.
Mark has said that he owes a lot of his time to the college, and to one lady in particular, Sharon Fulleylove, his acting teacher, who he says gave him the support and courage he needed to apply for drama schools instead of university.
It was in 2004 that he successfully received his place at The Royal Centre School of Speech and Drama. And from this moment onwards, Mark was projected into the capital where he has since appeared in numerous theatre productions including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Railway Children and The Night Before Christmas.
His first role in London saw him appear as Frank Thorney in The Witch of Edmonton and numerous features since this have meant is sometimes recognised while he is out and about in the capital.
“Once or twice people have come up to me to say how much they’ve enjoyed the performance, it’s always a bit of a surprise, but very flattering,” he says.
Mark, who is now used to playing to hundreds of people packed into the theatre, says he will never forget the moment he played in a professional theatre for the first time.
“At college I was in a production called Teachers, by John Godber,” he said.
“We were asked to perform at the Courtyard Theatre in Hereford, it was the first time I played in a professional theatre so I was very excited.
“We didn’t think anyone would come to see us so we were all so shocked when we walked out on stage and saw a full house.
“To have that support from family and friends was quite overwhelmingI’ll never forget that,”
Mark is now used to acting in front of hundreds of people in venues across London’s West End.
Since June, he has been playing the role of The Actor in The Woman in Black at The Fortune Theatre, which he says has been an honour to be a part of.
“It’s such a privilege to be a part of the show and even more to be part of its 30th year,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a dream come true to be honest.
“I’ve seen the show a few times over the years and it’s wonderful to be a part of its history.”
Although a far cry from the countryside, Mark says he misses being back home but considers the hustle and bustle of the city as his permanent place for the foreseeable future.
“The pace of life is much faster obviously, and it can be a very hectic place to live but it’s a wonderful city with so much to see and do,” said Mark.
“I love visiting home and my family, but I’ll go wherever the work takes me to be honest.
“It’s an unpredictable industry and you have to be ready to go where you’re needed.
“Who can say what will happen in the future, but I love my job and I’m very grateful to be doing it.”
Mark will continue to appear in The Woman in Black until March 2, 2019.
Tickets for the show are still available online through various websites or via the box office on 0844 871 7626.
Performance times are; Tuesday to Saturday at 8.00pm; Tuesday and Thursday at 3.00pm and Saturday at 4.00pm, at The Fortune Theatre on Russell Street.