Class of 2021: Seb Chambers

Seb Chambers was mesmerised by physical theatre when he watched third-year East 15 Acting School students perform during his Certificate of HE Theatre Arts year and now he’s landed his own dream role with one of the UK’s leading physical theatre companies.

“I got into theatre quite late and at 13 was shy and extremely introverted,” said Seb, who is graduating with a BA Physical Theatre.

Despite always enjoying physical theatre shows and visual storytelling, it wasn’t until he studied GCSE drama that Seb caught the acting bug.

“My confidence in performance grew and simultaneously so did my self-confidence,” he said.

After watching a show by third-year physical theatre students at East 15 Acting School he knew that was the discipline for him. Now he’s about to embark on a UK tour with Highly Sprung, appearing in their exploration of the future Urban Astronaut.

Seb believes the show, about a group of astronauts who return to Earth many years in the future to see if it’s once again habitable after being abandoned, will teach audiences the importance of hope.

“My role is an Astronaut, working as part of an ensemble, who have returned to Earth. We find a young woman, Hope, who has re-cultivated the land. We’re showing audiences a possible reality, how ignorance will push the Earth further and further away from being repairable. It’s a hard message to swallow but the idea is that the character Hope is proof that our planet will be able to fix itself.”

Despite being disrupted by the pandemic Seb will be touring with the show this autumn and is excited to witness the “innovation and detail that goes into creating Highly Sprung’s work".

Despite the dreadful impact Covid-19 has had on the theatre industry, Seb believes his East 15 Acting School education has prepared him well for what lies ahead.

“East 15 has really instilled a sense of play when working, it allows me to be open and responsive when I’m working. Being on this course has inspired me to make more of my own work, I’ve found a lot of space and freedom to make the work I enjoy as well as working with other creatives, which is a great way to stay stimulated when you’re between jobs.”

After Urban Astronaut Seb hopes to develop some of his own work and maybe travel, with friends, to New Zealand and get involved in its creative scene.

Regardless of what the future holds, he believes in the transformative power of theatre: “Theatre has the power to make any person feel better about themselves, whether they’re watching or performing, it can help people’s spirits shine brighter.”