I hadn't been to drama school and I didn't know if I could make it in this industry. I have an agent now, I'm working in TV, film and theatre - Steph's had a huge impact on my career.
Many actors want to know if they have to go to drama school in order to become a successful actor. There are so many factors involved in making that decision, Here's some lovely words from Nicki Davy and a bit about her journey into this industry.
Hi, I'm Nicki. I'm an actor/writer/theatremaker/facilitator/director... basically, give me anything and I'll turn my hand to it!
I started training with Steph and Both Feet 5 years ago. I hadn't been to drama school and I didn't know if I could make it in this industry. I was a secondary school teacher, I was 33, I had 2 children... I just wanted to give it a go.
And Steph welcomed me with open arms.
Over the last 5 years, I've trained with Steph (predominantly) not just as an acting coach but also in terms of personal development. The impact that Steph and her teaching has had on me is still quite hard to put into words, actually. Not only would I not be doing this job now if she hadn't given me a chance, if she hadn't taken me in, if she hadn't realised the potential in me and been generous with her time and with her talents (her considerable talents). I just wouldn't be doing this. I have an agent now, I'm working in TV, film and theatre, and Steph is still pretty much the only person that I train with in terms of my acting coaching. She's had a huge impact on my career.
On a more personal level, I feel incredibly grateful for Steph for her generosity in coaching. And, more recently, for the retreat that she's opened in Wales. I was one of the first people to go down to a retreat, and I've continued to go as often as I can for the last couple of years. The coaching that Steph offers at Bodlondeb in terms of NLP, in terms of MBIT, even the collaborations that she's done (for instance the Enneagram retreat that I went down to this year) has all had an astronomical effect on the way that I view the world, and the level of acceptance that I have of myself existing in this world. It's all tied to my craft, too - I wholeheartedly understand the need to be open and free in my acting and in order to do that I need to understand how to be open and free in my life. Steph has pulled me back from the brink of chaos before, and I am incredibly grateful.
My husband also went down to a non-acting retreat at Bodlondeb, and has returned with a whole load of tools that means now we have a common language between the 2 of us. This means that our communication is just so much stronger than it was before. So it's actually fair to say that Steph and her teachings have played into improvements in my marriage as well - which isn't what you can say about most acting coaches!
I don't see how I could have had any better entry into this industry than to work with a coach who isn't just acting focused; she's focused on the whole. Steph's warm, she's generous, she's welcoming and she cares - she fucking cares - about the welfare of the actors she works with.
I know that when I'm training with Steph she is going to welcome every part of me into the room; everything I've got at any given time. And that not only makes me more secure in my craft but also more secure in the 'real' world. The work that she teaches encourages me to bold, it encourages me to be brave, it encourages me to embrace all of me. And I'm so grateful to have found that grounding along with Steph's help, to allow me to be the best actor and the best human that I can possibly be. Basically it's fucking ace!
Find out how to start your journey with Steph here with or without going to drama school, Steph can support you to be the best version of yourself.
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