Having trained in the UK, Actress Selina Scott-Bennin decided that she would pursue drama training in the US to develop her skill set. Here she talks about undertaking her third and final year of training at the University of Southern California MFA Acting course and what she plans to do after training.
Hi Selina, you’ve crossed the pond to study at USC on their MFA Acting Course, how have you found training so far?
The training so far has been unlike [anything] I have experienced before. Rather than one practitioner’s methodology, we lean into specificity. For that reason my confidence and freedom to work with all the skills I have acquired has come to the fore.
Recovering from the breakdown of a relationship isn’t easy, and we usually deal with the effects of heartbreak behind closed doors. For some, an added layer of humiliation sadly taints the process of moving on by having their intimate moments plastered on various revenge porn sites. The fast paced nature of social media and online forums make it impossible to escape from, and this is becoming a sad reality. Award winning writer and performer Charlotte Josephine draws on this topic to create the very timely BLUSH, which will take residency at the Underbelly, Cowgate next month in Edinburgh. Ahead of the festival, Theatrefullstop speaks to Charlotte about performing at this year’s festival, her inspirations for creating BLUSH and the process to creating the piece. 
Since 2013, multi award winning artist Trygve Wakenshaw has delighted theatre fans with his unique brand of comedy. The modern day clown, Wakenshaw is not at all afraid of challenging the theatrical norm, presenting a range of carefully crafted skits that transport you into his weird and wonderful world of colourful characters. With his works, Squidboy, Kraken and currently Nautilus all receiving rave reviews, Wakenshaw is a force to be reckoned with. Ahead of this year’s Mayfest, based in Bristol, Theatrefullstop were able to speak to Wakenshaw about working with the great Philippe Gaulier, his inspirations for his latest piece Nautilus, and he offers advice to aspiring clowning artists. 
Love going to the theatre, and have a list of shows that you’d like to see this year? Or in your life time? Well, Theatre Tokens may just be the ticket… or voucher for you! Theatre Tokens is a gift voucher scheme, allowing for theatre lovers to purchase tickets for the UK’s best loved theatre shows in over 240 theatre venues. Vouchers do not expire, and range from £5 to £20 denominations. Theatrefullstop were able to speak to Marketing Manager Megan Hall to find out more about the scheme.
What’s great about the UK in terms of theatre is that there is a wealth of shows to watch, and in a range of settings. We celebrate theatre, and support a range of venues, whether it be fringe theatre or larger scale theatres. The Theatre’s Trust is a leading advisory body for the sustainability of theatre in the UK, priding itself on the protection and preservation of UK theatres. The trust are also responsible for publishing the Theatre Buildings at Risk Register, informing the public of buildings that are deemed as being under threat from closure. Theatrefullstop were able to speak to the Theatre’s Trust to find out more about the trust.