Biography

Toby Lord, from South Queensferry, was spotted as ‘one to keep tabs on’ when he attended a workshop on stage combat while still a first-year acting student.

Currently in the final year of a degree course in musical theatre at Guildford School of Acting, Toby has developed into a skilled and exciting performer, recently showing dexterity and playfulness in his portrayal of Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew.

Toby’s particular passion is stage and screen combat in which he has already achieved impressive qualifications. His quick responses and awareness of his surroundings, as well as a great deal of hard work, have helped him to become an Advanced Actor Combatant. He will be in great demand for both TV and film work.

Toby has already been offered an apprenticeship with a fight director when he completes his degree.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the expenses of his final year at Guildford.

Since the Award

Biography

Glasgow-born Samantha Shields has already had a taste of film acting, having played the lead role in the Scottish feature film “Wild Country” alongside Peter Capaldi and Martin Compston. But her first love is of musical theatre. Samantha started her training at Stow College, where her formidable talent and skills were first noticed.

After gaining a degree in theatre performance at Stow College Samantha appeared in the production of the musical ‘Faeries’ at the Edinburgh Festival, where she attracted attention. She has won a place on the Master of  Musical Theatre Course at RSAMD, despite having had no formal training in singing. Samantha is seen as hardworking, reliable and extremely talented, a winning combination.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help with Samantha’s costs to complete the course.

Since the Award

Biography

Hailing from Lanarkshire, Derek McGhie has worked as an actor for ten years. He has impressed with his talent, creativity and sheer determination to get on in his chosen art form.

Derek brings great passion, commitment and integrity to any role he plays. His long-term ambition has been to pursue a career in musical theatre and so he grasped with both hands the opportunity to pursue a Masters in Performance in Musical Theatre at the RSAMD. This study will help Derek to build on what is already a promising career.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help with the tuition fees for the Masters course.

Since the Award

Biography

Wishaw-born Samantha Blaney began studying musical theatre at Motherwell College before going on to win a place on the RSAMD’s MA in Performance in Musical Theatre.

Samantha is considered to be a talented all-rounder, in drama, singing and dance, with a successful career in the theatre ahead of her. Her main reason for going back to college to pursue a Master of Musical Theatre was that she found herself in a point in her career where she felt she needed to expand her skills in order to sustain a long-term career in the theatre.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will contribute towards the costs of the tuition fees at RSAMD.

Since the Award

Biography

Sophie started to learn to sing at the age of two and to learn to dance at three. Her first audition was at the age of five in Aberdeen for The Sound of Music.

By the time she was 18, Sophie had been a member of Aberdeen Youth Music Theatre for seven years and been accepted into the National Youth Music Theatre three times (once as the youngest person, twice as the only Scot).

She has performed twice at the Edinburgh Festival, danced in The Nutcracker with both Siaga Ballet in Japan and with the Scottish Ballet and toured with Atomic Kitten, Liberty X and Steps. When she supported one of her favourite pop bands 5ive, she performed solo in front of a 15,000 crowd at the Glasgow Exhibition and Conference Centre.

How the Award Helped

Since she was thirteen, Sophie dreamed of becoming a performer. Being accepted by the Guildford School of Music and Drama brought her a huge step closer to the fulfilment of that dream.

Since the Award

Sophie graduated in 2008 with a first class honours. After the final Showcase she was signed up by an agent and immediately walked into a job at Greenwich Theatre playing the female lead in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ where she got excellent reviews. Sophie writes, “without the scholarship I would have not been able to accept my place at Guildford School of Acting.”

Biography

Judith already had an impressive array of TV credits to her name, including Taggart, Heartbeat, River City and the Channel 4 comedy success ‘The Book Group’ – winner of a BAFTA Scotland Award – when she was nominated for an Award.  Her professional theatre life began with Raindog and her film debut was in Peter Mullan’s award-winning Orphans.

From Glasgow, Judith is described as “a rare and wonderful talent”. A leading drama tutor wrote of her that  “there is no question that Judith has the vocal and dramatic ability to succeed professionally. Her vocal instrument is ‘big’ and she has the ability to engage emotionally with her material.”

Judith writes of her experience at the Royal Academy of Music that “the opportunity to be educated at one of Europe’s leading conservatoires has been immense, a really vital part of my development.”

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award funded Judith through the prestigious postgraduate performance diploma in musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music.

Since the Award

Judith graduated with Distinction, winning a coveted Dip. RAM for outstanding final performance.  Since graduating, Judith has appeared in the lead role in Grant Olding’s musical, Three Sides, at the Shaw Theatre, London, filmed the second series of Hightimes and has been working at the Citizens Theatre in James and the Giant Peach, The Bevellers and Wee Fairy Stories.  Shortly she starts touring Scotland with Dundee Rep’s Sunshine on Leith.

Biography

Despite her young age, Hannah is already an experienced stage performer. In her first year at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, she successfully auditioned for a part in the critically-acclaimed musical ‘Billy Elliot, The Musical’, London.  She performed in the first three runs, starting as one of the ballet girls and progressing to a solo part.  As a member of the cast, Hannah made regular appearances on stage and TV.

In 2005, Hannah sang with Il Divo at the Royal Variety Show and was a soloist at both a charity gala and at a Christmas Show in London.  In 2006 she performed the role of Peter Pan in a charity concert in front of Princess Anne.

When Hannah started at Sylvia Young’s she was a strong dancer, but as yet untrained in singing and drama.  In her third year she won awards for achievement in both singing and expressive arts and drama.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award is funding Hannah for four years at the Sylvia Young Theatre school.

Since the Award

In her final year at Sylvia Young’s, Hannah managed to cope with a number of professional engagements as well as gaining 9 A Grade GCSE’s. Hannah successfully auditioned for the Laine Theatre Arts where she continues her studies in musical theatre.