Graduate Profile
Freddie Machin

I'm currently touring in the World Premiere of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' with the New Perspectives Theatre Company. The show tours throughout the rural East Midlands and then nationally.

The moment I graduated, I became a freelance professional. My first acting job was a short film which I got through my agent after signing with them at the MMU Acting Showcase. The acting profession is an ongoing apprenticeship - for a committed actor a working life is constant training.

The acting course is classical training to a very high standard with the benefit of a BA (Hons) qualification. The teaching is rigorous and the scope of the work broad and detailed. I graduated with a greater understanding of myself, a good knowledge of the work and work I would encounter and most importantly the ability to analyse my own process. The course taught me that theatre is an eclectic art and I must continue to scrutinise and adapt my own working methods for as long as I am to remain creative. It instilled in me the knowledge and confidence to formulate my own opinions, have the courage of my convictions and respect myself.

My year group was made up of about 25 very dedicated student actors. We worked together 40+ hours a week and played together at the weekends. Naturally we understood each other very well, so by the time it came to public performances in the final year we felt like an ensemble. We had learnt together and through one another and had grown into a company of actors.

It was certainly difficult to leave home for the first time, but nevertheless, my University experience was exhilarating. I became independent. I could feel myself changing and growing all the time.

The Capitol Theatre is right on Oxford Road in the centre of Manchester. So it feels like it is part of the mechanism. We weren't tucked away on campus miles away, but in the heart of the city with everything available to us. The course never felt insular or excluded because life was rushing on all around us and access to that is essential for any artist.

My aspirations are to be continually challenged by interesting and innovative work. The theatre is the actor's true medium and it is there I want to write and perform and continue to create.

Somebody said this to John Simm while he was at drama school but it helped me too – "take what works and if it doesn't work - don't worry about it". Also, read Stanislavski and be prepared for a fight.

Some recent examples of my recent productions are,

Theatre: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and On Saturdays this bed is Poland (New Perspectives), Night Train (Action Transport), A Taste of Honey (Lowry Theatre), Vent (Contact Theatre), Kes (Royal Exchange), Coitophobia (Edinburgh Fringe 07), Like A Prayer (International Transgender Festival 07).

Recent play readings include: Oldham Coliseum, Operating Theatre Co, Contact Theatre, Zeitgeist Theatre, Bury Met and Central School of Speech and Drama.

Films: Dirt (Peeping Tom Productions), The Wake (Shoreline Films), Young Offender (South West Screen).

Radio: Germinal (BBC Radio 4 Drama)