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Spotlight on Jigsaw teacher Liam

Liam spotlight Jigsaw teacher

Liam is our superb 5-6’s Performing Arts and drama teacher in both Broxbourne and Ware. He is approaching his one year Jigsaw teaching anniversary with us, so we thought we would catch up with him to find out what he enjoys most! He is currently rehearsing our Broxbourne students for their end of term Jigsaw presentation as well as our Ware students who have their show ‘Funny Goings On in Gloobury Mansion’ next week!

Where are you from?

Pontypool, in South Wales.

When did you start working at Jigsaw?

January 2015.

Which Jigsaw schools do you and have you worked in?

Broxbourne and Ware.

What subject do you teach?

Drama in the upper school, though I also teach 5-6’s in Performing Arts.

Where did you train?

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

What did you do before Jigsaw? Have you had any of jobs that you loved/hated?

Before Jigsaw I was working as an actor, and still am. My best acting experience was a touring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We visited some stunning theatres throughout UK and also got the opportunity to work on Shakespearean texts with school groups. This was a real eye-opener and I quickly realised that I wanted to teach drama and run workshops.

My love/hate job would have to be from when I was younger and worked at Thornton’s (the chocolate shop) for about five years. It was a great job in my teens because I could get my hands on as many sample chocolates as I could eat, but I quickly discovered that too much chocolate does make you ill; that was a sad realisation!

What’s your greatest career achievement?

Performing in the 24 Hour Plays on the Old Vic stage in a play which was written and performed in twenty-four hours, hence the name. It was a thrilling experience and put me in contact with some amazing actors, directors, writers and producers.

What do you enjoy the most at Jigsaw?

THE STUDENTS!  Every week they make me laugh.

What has been your favourite moment at Jigsaw?

The first show I did at Broxbourne was a highlight. We did Wizard of Oz and everything came together really well and the students came across brilliantly in front of their parents. It was so rewarding to see all our work over the past eleven weeks come together and, more importantly, to see everyone having fun on stage; I think that’s one of the most important things to me as a teacher, that my classes are having a good time and enjoying their experience at Jigsaw.

What’s your favourite show?

My favourite musicals would be Miss Saigon or Songs for a New World, because both are great musicals for actors, they have so much drama. My favourite play I’ve ever seen was Enron at the Royal Court, I can’t explain, it was immense.

What would be the most rewarding role or show for you to do?

Richard III is an amazing role and I’d love to play that part. It would be a huge challenge, but if I ever got the opportunity to play Thenardier in Les Miserables then I would be a very happy man; that is a dream role.

Who is your favourite actor/actress?  Why?

I think Toni Collette is a really impressive actress, she always manages to portray really interesting characters and a huge range of emotions.

Do you have a favourite song?

Every week I think my favourite song changes.

If you had a film of your life who would play you?

My friends all think that it would be Chris O’Dowd. He seems like a good bloke so I’d be alright with that.

Anything else you think we should know about you?

I love custard.  I would eat custard with anything if I could.

Jigsaw Performing Arts is dedicated to developing performance skills, promoting self-expression and building confidence. We offer performing arts classes for children aged between 3 – 18. Find your nearest school by entering your postcode into the search on our home page