CAREER INFORMATION
Resident Director, London
Nicholai La Barrie
I started acting when I was 10 years old in a company called Liliput Theatre. It’s a children’s theatre company in Trinidad and Tobago, where I was born. It was a way for my parents to get me out of the area that I grew up in. They didn’t really want me hanging around, because it wasn’t the best environment to grow up in.
They sent me to drama classes and all these kids came up to me and asked me loads of questions and I didn’t have answers for those questions , so I thought “I will go back the next week with answers”. I did and the class stuck. Some of my best friends that I have today are those that I met in that class.
When I was 16 I directed my first show for Liliput Theatre and soon after that I got a part in a show that was touring to London. When I arrived in London the Oval House in South London asked me to work with their youth company, for the summer. I ended up working there for nine years, directing shows and training young performers. I then worked at the Lyric Hammersmith as the Director of Young Lyric developing shows and projects with emerging artists.
In my time in the UK I have directed shows and worked with so many brilliant people. If I could give you one bit advice as you are starting out, is to do the scary thing.
If you think, or feel like you want to do that but it’s really scary, DO IT. In addition, enjoy yourself.