In the Spotlight is our regular feature where we meet current students from our Performing Arts faculty, made up of Institute for Contemporary Theatre, Northern Ballet School, and Performers College. This week we meet Shea Ferron, a third-year Contemporary Musical Theatre pathway student from our Manchester campus.
What inspired you to train?
From a very young age, music and performing has been a massive part of my life. Joining the local church choir at the age of 7, I began having classical singing lessons. This is what I would was the start of performing journey. It wasn’t for another 4/5 years that I decided to join my local amateur dramatics society in Llangollen, playing the role of Buggins in the production of Half a Sixpence, and going on to play various roles in lots of different productions over the years.
It wasn’t until 2019 that I decided that musical theatre was a career that I wanted to go into, after watching a performance of Blood Brothers in Llandudno. Looking through the programme, I came across the name, Daniel Taylor, who was playing the role of Sammy at the time. I messaged Danny for some advice from an experienced performer to someone who was only just starting out with their training. The advice given was always believe in yourself, and never give up, advice that I keep with me throughout every project. I’m very fortunate to have made a great friendship with Danny and look forward to potential future projects and performances with him.
Why did you choose ICTheatre Manchester?
I chose to train at ICTheatre because of the ethos of the course – to train and become unique performers in an industry that is very competitive. I’ve always tried to stand out from the crowd rather than follow, and I think the course at ICTheatre really shows you how to make something of yourself in the industry.
What’s your personal highlight of your time at ICTheatre so far?
I think a massive highlight are the industry professionals that we work with at ICTheatre. A big part of the industry is to network with professionals, and the tutors and guest workshops that we take part in are a great way to start the networking process, and build professional contacts.
Another highlight is the fantastic venue that ICTheatre Manchester is. The Dancehouse Theatre has a wide range of facilities perfect for your professional journey, and there also is the beautiful theatre space that we get to use. There’s no better feeling than performing on the stage in front of a packed-out audience of 400 people.
I have also made some fantastic friends, and hopefully future colleagues at ICTheatre. Its great that we all have our own unique perspectives on the industry already, and can share advice and support each other throughout our training. I think it’s important to make friends in this industry – it’s a very small industry in term of everyone knowing everyone, and you’ll find that lots of people you meet have mutual friends with you.
Where do you hope your career takes you in the future?
For me, any job in the performing arts industry would be a dream come true. Whether that be working on cruise ships, touring the U.K. or even local theatre events, it’s all part of the creative industries. One particular thing I am passionate about is Youth Theatre. This is where I started and I’d love to give back by teaching the next generation of the creative industries.
What advice would you give to someone applying to ICTheatre?
The first thing I will say is that you need to ‘trust the process’ and this is something you will hear a lot whilst in training. Sometimes creatives that you work with on projects and performances will say something that you may not agree with or feel it makes sense at the start of the project, but then further on, there is something that will usually spark and make you realise that the advice has actually helped you and made you a stronger performer. Trust the process and believe in yourself and you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll develop!
As mentioned above, networking is a huge part of the industry and is something I would strongly advise whilst studying. Over the last three years of my time at ICTheatre, networking has helped me to get into some exciting jobs and opportunities, all of which are useful credits and experience. A big example of this is that through networking, I was lucky to be involved in a premiere show at the Liverpool Theatre Festival, with this production potentially heading out on tour next year.
What else have you been working on?
I’ve just taken part in a U.K. Concert Tour with Johns’ Boys Male Chorus, a choir in which I’m a part of from North Wales who were successful on the ITV Talent Show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in 2023. It’s been an amazing start to our tour and we have lots of beautiful venues up and down the U.K. that I’m very fortunate to be visiting. I’ve also just completed my final ICTheatre show, Made in Dagenham.
I’m looking forward to be helping to organise The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where I happen to be one of the Directors/Trustees. It is a large celebration of international culture through the medium of music and dance that happens every first week of July. This year we have a whole month’s worth of events in June and July, welcoming acts such as Tom Jones, Jess Glynne and many other bands and acts. It’s a festival open to all and I would highly recommend visiting.
To discover more about Institute for Contemporary Theatre, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or book an Open Day on our Events page.
