Neve O’Brien

What is your name and what did you study?

Neve O’Brien, and I studied Acting BA

Why did you choose Chester?

I wanted somewhere away from home but also close enough to visit. I also really loved the friendly staff and interesting course offered here, and after my experience day, I fell in love with the place. Chester is much smaller than my home city of Birmingham, but it was nice to have a walkable city that I could explore.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

I enjoyed the freedom to create whatever felt right. We had briefs to hit, but especially in the third year, we could explore those briefs widely and be as creative as we wanted to. I also enjoyed that most of our classes were physical workshops that challenged us to think about different perspectives and styles of theatre.

Do you have any advice for someone who is thinking about a career in acting

Do it. If you truly love performing or creating, you should follow those dreams. I spent my 2 years in A Levels trying to convince myself that I wanted to be a journalist, but it never really satisfied me, and as soon as I began my Acting degree, I knew I’d made the right choice. Do what you know will make you happy and enjoy the ride!

What graduate role have you commenced? What area(s) are you working in and what does this entail day-to-day?

During my time at university, me and a couple of friends set up our own theatre company and we’re currently writing our second play together. As we’re from all over England, our weekly meetings are on Teams, and we regularly update each other in our channel together. We hope to tour our next play as we did with our debut play. I also have a scare-acting role at Warwick Castle coming up this October, which I’m so looking forward to! Aside from performing, I work part-time in retail. Acting really helps with customer service, as you are so used to remembering lines, performing for people and always remembering to smile!

How did your time at Chester prepare you for your current role?

Chester really prepared me for auditions, as I didn’t really know what to expect. I was taught the importance of your appearance (outfit), attitude and preparedness. I also believe that the physical workshops helped me to be more in touch with my body and the ways it can move, so I could demonstrate a wide variety of movements and physicality within different characters.

Did you take part in any extracurricular activities, societies, or internships while studying?

Yes, I was part of the roller skating society! We met three times a week, and we did beginner sessions, assault courses, skill-learning and our weekly roller disco where we usually had a costume theme. My personal favourite was the Halloween one!