Amanda Crewes Talks THE MERRY-GO-ROUND IN THE SEA and New Acting School in Perth

The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for The Actors' Hub director Amanda Crewes. In addition to starting her own acting school - in Perth - with its first lot of students graduating at the end of 2013, she was also named best director at the annual Finley Awards for her production of The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea with the Graduate Dramatic Society.

Featuring several students from The Actors' Hub, it also took out third place for best play and received nominations for best male and female other than a lead and the Yvonne Lunch Breakthrough Award, as well as adjudicator's certificates for musical direction, score and performance and choreographed human scenery.

In 2014, Crewes is now getting ready to launch part-time, after-hours adult acting classes known as The Beginning.

"The Actors' Hub is all about providing people with opportunities to further their skills in performance and the rehearsal process," Crewes said. "The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea was a fantastic opportunity for the students to practice what they had been learning in class. They also were able to seek support from Actors' Hub tutors if they were grappling with any issues of performance or the demands of the rehearsal process.

"It's great to be able to teach and then sit back and watch your students practice what they have learnt in a very real situation," Crewes said. "The after-hours adult course runs throughout the year and is designed to challenge people in finding their true potential and uncovering hidden talents."

"The Beginning allows actors to keep in training for their next work opportunity and is open to anyone interested in honing their acting skills," Crewes said. "Each class is designed to add to their skills repertoire, so students can remain in this course as long as they want to keep working and improving their skills."

"They can also move on to the process of devising and rehearsing a performance piece which culminates in a public performance and then doing something similar with a scripted work. It's so important to remember that actors, like athletes, need to remain in training to keep up their skills."

Several cast members from The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea have since auditioned for The Actors' Hub various programs and are now students.

"The Actors' Hub provides a serious focus for anyone interested in pursuing performance whether it be as a hobby or a career," Crewes said. "We also have a special cubs program for younger aspiring actors."

For more details, go to www.actorshub.net, email info@actorshub.net or call 6143 3568. The Actors' Hub is located at the Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco.

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