Q&A: Lewis Bruniges, LAMDA Graduating Actor, 2017
24 August 2017
We caught up with Genesis LAMDA Scholar Lewis Bruniges after his performance in the new production of Edmond Rostand’s classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac.
Talk us through your third year at LAMDA, how did it go?
There’s almost too much to reflect on! It’s been a great way of getting us match ready for the way we’ll be putting our training to use in the industry and we’ve had exposure to a number of industry professionals. The shows we’ve done have varied from contemporary pieces to classical texts with a short film project to cover all bases. Most of all, really, I’ve learnt how to guide myself through a process and to be helpful to the people in the rehearsal room with the goal of putting on a show of a high standard.
What have you been working on?
I’ve just appeared in my final show, an English adaptation of the French classic Cyrano de Bergerac. As I’ve had a lot of opportunity playing leading roles in previous productions, this time I took on the challenge of playing six different supporting parts. The style of the show was larger than life and the set and costumes played a big role in giving the audience a sense of historic Paris and the characters that might have inhabited it. It was a great deal of fun whilst still being challenging and a great show to end on.
LAMDA has recently inaugurated its new building, with a state of the art technology studio. How has that impacted your practice, and your taste even?
It’s already been well worn in, in such a short time. For the last half of this year we were able to rehearse in the new studios which are very well equipped with new sound systems. We also held our annual ‘Fight Night’ in the new Sainsbury theatre for the first time, an in-house event where the whole school gets together to rehearse for our fight exams in front of an audience. Our ability to stay at home for these kinds of events is really exciting and I think makes the new facilities really feel like they’re becoming part of the LAMDA we know and love.
What’s your approach with stage vs. film acting? Does it feel different?
I’d say at the core they’re very similar. At the end of the day the most important aspect of performance is the sense of communicating truthfully, whatever medium you find yourself in. The real difference is in the techniques you apply to carry your performance to the audience. Just as you would choose to use projection and clarity of diction to get a Shakespeare performance to reach the back of the Olivier, you have to be aware with a camera that the audience are sitting right beside you. Inside as the actor you’re still using your imagination in whatever way you can to believe the situation your character is in, all that changes is how you technically manifest that reality with your voice and body.
Do you have any plans for after graduation?
At the moment my main plan is getting a job to pay the rent! Amongst all my other goals of moving forward in my career and taking my first steps into the profession I’m looking forward to taking some time to get back in touch with family and friends and to get a steady form of income, whether that be bar work or waiting. Acting is my passion and if I get one day to earn a living from it, that’ll be a bonus.
Take a tour of LAMDA’s new building here.
