Interviews
Name: Lauren Coe
Trinity Qualification: B.Histr. (2014)
Title: Actress, Kate Loughlin in The Halcyon for ITV
About: Since graduating from The Lir Academy at Trinity, Lauren has played roles such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Catherine in A View From the Bridge (both at Gate Theatre Dublin) and Lucy Honeychurch in a UK stage adaptation of E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, directed by Adrian Noble. She can currently be seen in ITV’s period drama series The Halcyon.
What was the impetus for undertaking a degree in acting at The Lir Academy at Trinity?
I knew I wanted to act, and had already applied for various Drama and Theatre Study courses, but wanted less of an academic experience and more of a specific actor’s training course. Being only 18 at the time, I wasn’t ready to move to the UK on my own to train. I had heard of a new drama school opening up in Dublin, and I decided to try my luck and audition. The fact that it was to be affiliated with The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) excited me, as it meant we would receive high quality classical training based around the RADA model, as well as receiving a BA degree from Trinity.
What is your favourite memory of studying here?
I loved my third year. Like most drama schools, our third and final year was focused completely on performing plays to the public, with full time rehearsals taking the place of class modules. We got to work with professional directors like Selina Cartmell and Wayne Jordan on some really wonderful plays… it was such an exciting and challenging time. We also made a short film and performed in an industry focused showcase.
What role did The Lir Academy play in getting you to where you are today?
I now have this arsenal of acting, movement and vocal tools that I refer to constantly. It’s an empowering feeling and it helps a huge amount in preparing for a role. Also, because we performed our showcase in London as well as Dublin, I signed with a top London based agency who came to see the show.
You have worked across television, theatre and film – what has been your favourite medium and why?
Screen acting is fun in lots of ways, but theatre is an experience like no other. I think I love it so much because you get to play out a full story every night, and each unique moment that has passed before informs the next unique moment that is about to happen. You don’t have that with screen acting, because for the most part scenes are shot out of sequence. There’s an element of danger in live performance which is sort of magical.
Tell us about your new role as Kate Loughlin in The Halcyon for ITV.
Kate is a sixteen year old Irish maid working at a five-star hotel in London during The Blitz. She takes great pride in her work at the hotel even though she is very low status and being away from her family in the middle of a war is a very overwhelming experience. She’s very young and energetic and open hearted, but has to summon up an enormous amount of maturity to cover up and cope with all the personal trauma that happens to her. She mostly keeps this very private, but the one person she confides in is Billy, a young bell boy at the hotel and the apple of Kate’s eye.
What advice would you give to current students that are budding actors/actress’?
Find a way of making peace with your insecurities. I still have trouble with confidence, and will go through phases of beating myself up about all sorts of tiny things. Facing constant rejection is all part the job, but it can do funny things to your head. I keep an acting journal that I write in after auditions or when I’ve learnt something new, even if it came out of a strange or scary experience. I try to be rational and fair to myself when I write, including both the positive and the negative. I think it’s really important as an actor to develop a healthy way of talking to yourself.
What are your ambitions for the year ahead?
I’d love to work on a new play, or a contemporary TV drama. I’ve been doing mostly period stuff recently so something modern would be fun.
Read more: The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin