I was officially unemployed in the year between leaving high school and going to drama school. But that didn't mean I did nothing.
Unusually for these #iworkedhere posts the illustration is actually of me doing some work. On stage in the Swan Theatre Company's production of Lark Rise - my one line was "Got my boots wet, Boamer, now 'em's dried as stiff as boards."
I worked on many productions at the theatre on an informal voluntary basis for most of my "gap" year. I was a kind of unpaid acting Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) so I was onstage a lot, moving furniture or being another body in a crowd scene, as well as operating the follow-spot up in the lighting box . It was my version of interning before we talked about that sort of thing here. I think I got some travel expenses paid and people were always buying me lunch and beer - I also got to go to the parties, which were well, you can imagine - actually you'll have to, I think most of my brain cells from that period didn't survive beyond the night of each party.
It taught me loads about stagecraft, I got to sit and listened in on everyone's conversations through rehearsals and drank in the stories of "Whatsisname" and "That Old Queen", picking up the tricks of the trade along with the gossip. It all really helped me get into drama school but also made me a bit cocky once I was at college, I thought I knew everything by then. It also helped me see what a professional actor's life was really like. Nonetheless, I still wanted to do it!
It was Worcester so there weren't any big stars, but working on the "Scottish Play" I got to know Alan Radcliffe who took me under his wing because he'd been to Guildford where I was just about to start. He and Marcia Gresham got married around that time I think and about 5 year later produced little Daniel Radcliffe into the world (you'll have heard of him).
The year finished with me doing a late night show with a couple of women, a compilation of Andrew Lloyd-Webber show songs. The girls were probably quite good, but I hated the material and I think it showed. I also did one of the most embarrassing things of my career singing Jesus's song Gethsemane (I only want to say) from Jesus Christ Superstar. It's a really hard song and horrible and I wish I'd never said yes, even 32 years later. Oh dear, I'm re-feeling 32-year-old stage fright and after-show embarrassment, I need to have a lie down.