As a community, Norwich School recognises the talent that is widespread throughout pupils and staff alike. To celebrate this we have introduced a new blog segment, Who Knew, in which we find out about staff members hobbies, passions and talents.
Next up on this segment are Will Stephenson, AV and IT Technician, and Eleanor Lewis, Graduate Marketing Assistant, who tell us about their love of film and theatre.
Where did your love of performing begin?
Eleanor - “I have loved performing ever since I was little; whether that be in the primary school talent show or putting on made-up shows for my parents with my little brother, it was something I have had a passion for so long. I remember when I got my first lead part in the year 6 play, and I was so excited I memorised my lines within days, I can still remember the songs from it somehow!
I enjoyed acting all throughout secondary school, in the house drama plays, and in pantomimes outside of school. However, when I was 15, I stopped, I am sure it was because of a few casting disappointments which messed with my confidence, which all seems silly now.
I decided to get back into it when I was in sixth form through a youth theatre I joined and fell in love with it all over again. This ended with me deciding I wanted to study Literature and Drama at university instead of Radiography which was a huge life change, but I have never looked back.”
Will - “A precursor to my love for performing, was an ignited passion for film, something which has stuck with me. During my time at secondary school, I would spend weekends out in the woods with friends, trying our best to film something that would make us laugh, all before the sun went down. In the evening of the same day, we would return home and edit what we have filmed, always feeling too confident in our own taste of humour. Writing, filming, and editing silly videos was simply good fun and I kept doing it up to and through college.
I battled with a few degree choices when I eventually decided to go to university, one of which was Drama. In the end, I chose to study Philosophy. I never had regrets on choosing Philosophy, and I still don’t now I have graduated. But I can’t help but think about all the performances I could have taken part it had I chosen otherwise.
I think that is probably why I spent most of my 4 years at UEA involved in so many film projects – if I wasn’t studying for my degree, I was on set. From day one, I joined the Filmmaking Society, and this is where my love for performing flourished. While most members of the society wanted to stay behind the camera, I was eager to be in front. Actors were always needed, so this drastically helped me become a crucial part of many projects and meet other fantastic filmmakers.”
What has been your favourite role? Why?
Eleanor - “I think the role I am proudest of is my final performance for my degree. It was not really a role as such, we were given the task of transforming something into a dramatic form, such as a book or a song. I chose to use the song “Mad Woman” by Taylor Swift for mine. It was the first time in a while I had been given so much creative freedom and I loved every moment of it. The piece ended up being a 15-minute monologue that I wrote, directed, and performed and it was the perfect end to 3 years of studying. The character was called Genevieve, a woman who was mistreated by the most important people to her and been manipulated to a state of “madness”, in both senses of the word. I put my heart into it completely and I’m so proud of how it turned out.
Another stand out one was my role as Gwen from Witches which I will say more about later!”
Will - “I am ashamed of the fact it took me until my final year at university to get involved in theatre. For years, I was adamant that acting on stage was not something I would really enjoy. The thought was that I like acting because I like filmmaking; I enjoy visualising a particular shot and how a performance comes across on screen. But when a friend of mine asked if I was interested in acting in their dissertation play, I decided to take a risk. To my surprise, I fell in love with rehearsing and the practices that come with theatre. Contrary to short student films which commonly places the highest importance on cinematography and gives little to no rehearsal time, this medium favoured a character/performance driven approach and was exactly what intrigued me.
My favourite role, however, was found in the second theatre production I did. I played the role of Keith Clark, a lonely and stubborn prison guard, in the play Stitchers. It was perhaps the first time I got a sense of real acting rehearsals – warm up exercises, building a backstory, improv character work. It was no easy task, especially having the added pressure of being the only non-drama student, but it was an incredibly unique experience to be welcomed into. The set design in particular was unlike any theatre production we had encountered on campus before. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever have a performance quite like it again, so I will forever hold it with high regard!”
Are there any other aspects of theatre/film you are interested in?
Eleanor - “For a long time my only involvement in theatre/film was acting, the thought of trying anything else was terrifying, especially when I compared myself to the talented people I’m friends with and those on my course.
A stand-out moment for me was when I assistant directed a play with UEA’s theatre company Minotaur called “The Hollywood Man”. The rehearsals were intense but so rewarding; this shaped my directing style into a collaborative approach which I still use now. Whilst working on this production, I decided that I wanted to help with the promotional aspects of the production, which is the first time I combined my love of photography with drama.
In my final year I also wrote my first short play which was featured in Minotaur’s short play festival, it was amazing to see something that I had written down be brought to life in front of my eyes without any of my influence.
Last summer, I was the Marketing Officer of the production of “Hot Summer” in the Maddermarket Theatre, produced by my friend and I’s theatre group “Trial One Theatre”. I was given so much creative license and enjoyed every moment of this; I am so lucky that my role at Norwich School allows me to incorporate my love of photography in so many of it’s various theatre productions.
I hope to go back to directing and writing one day in my free time, but we shall see.”
Will - “As I have tried to illustrate, I have a big love for all aspects of the filmmaking process. This is rather problematic though as it is hard to figure out which area I enjoy the most and should commit more time to. I have written, directed, acted, and edited my own short films. I’ve also acted in and edited projects that are not my own, as well as taken on producer type roles like casting director and locations manager.
I’ve recently been experimenting with foley (reproduction of sound) in a project I’ve been editing for the past few months. It is rewarding to see how small sound effects and music ques deliver such an engaging momentum towards a scene. I’ve also made a few fan edits of my favourite cartoons, combining video and audio clips from the show with a song that I feel creates an emotional resonance. I suppose I do therefore have a particular interest in the combined storytelling of sound and visuals.”
Any recent or upcoming projects?
Eleanor – “Yes! A close friend of mine is studying a master’s in film and television at UEA, and I had the honour of being cast in her dissertation film, “Alone”. This piece explores a world in which everyone has disappeared, leaving the main character, Farrah, completely and utterly, alone. In her isolation, Farrah is forced to face her complicated family issues particularly surrounding her sexuality all whilst experiencing the grief of those she loves. I loved playing this character due to the emotional range and flexibility required, it was difficult at times, but I think the experience has made me a better actor, hopefully at least! Farrah was also by no means a perfect character at the start of the short film and developing her relationship with herself and the world around her until she reaches self-acceptance is something that became very special to me.”
Will - “I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by friends who similarly adore this creative outlet so there is always something in the works. The editing job I’ve spoken about previously is one for a fantasy webseries that a team of around 30 individuals worked on in the latter half of 2021. We released the first two episodes in August 2022 but only just released the final three in December 2023 due to the busy lifestyle of trying to juggle every facet of studying at university. In hindsight, taking on such a large project was perhaps not the best idea for the newly formed committee of UEA’s Filmmaking Society. However, it was undoubtedly a great learning opportunity that introduced us to the various departments required to make a film. And looking back over all the footage from two years ago, I do find myself reminiscing on both the stress of the scheduling and the enjoyment of the filming.
Another project I’ve had the chance to work on, more recently filmed in 2023, is a queer-supporting horror-drama film. It is stylistic, moody, and written with exceptional charm, a common characteristic trope from the experienced writer and director who I am happy to call a dear friend. As standard, I’m a bit all over the place, providing help where I see it is needed – location managing, gaffer, runner, extra, occasional directing when the assistant director is too busy. From the footage I’ve seen on set and the teaser trailer that was released a few months ago, it’s looking to be our most professional film to date, hopefully beginning to step outside of the student-film category.”
What are your future hopes?
Eleanor - “I want to slowly get my way back into the theatre world I think, in whatever way I can. My current goal is to write and direct my own play at a local theatre, but I’d have to start writing again first! I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many creative people, in both film and theatre so there’s always something on the horizon, whether that’s taking some behind the scenes shots on set or being an extra in a scene.”
Will – “I would love an opportunity to work in the industry someday. It takes a lot of time, commitment, and money to make films so earing a source of income from all the hard work would be a dream. For now, however, I enjoy doing smaller cast and crew work where I can. In fact, I received a message from a friend only last week asking if I would be interested to act in her short film! In the future though, I would like to commit some substantial time to writing and directing my own larger short. It is the areas I am least experienced with, and I am itching to expand my abilities.”
Have you ever performed together?
Eleanor - “I met Will during the filming of a short film called Witches. It was my first experience in film acting and being cast as the lead was beyond exciting. My character, Gwen, was one of the most interesting and powerful characters I have ever played! Mine and Will’s characters had a complex relationship and in experimenting with this is what I think made us such close friends. Will’s dexterity in film was intimidating at first glance, especially with this being my first short film, but I feel so privileged to have been working alongside him. We have acted together since then in our friend’s short film “Salad Spinning Detectives” since, which is as strange as it sounds! I very much hope we work together again soon…”
Will - “Working on Witches alongside Eleanor was a very special experience for me. I hadn’t worked with such a stellar cast before, and it was eye-opening to see Eleanor bring her experience on stage-acting to the screen. Her dedication to the performance seen in the final moments of the film through a monologue was captivating, something I hadn’t encountered so strongly before. I learnt so much from Eleanor and I sincerely hope we find another opportunity to share the screen or stage in the future!”
