COVID-19 Closures: Liv Gaidry (The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England)

The COVID-19 pandemic continues change the world as we know it. As closures and performance cancellations have put actors out of school and work, I’ve been reaching out to the artists affected. Here are their stories.

By Liv Gaidry

Hi! My name is Liv and I am studying abroad. Not for a semester or a year, but full-time for the next three years. I am a first year Musical Theatre major training at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.

The decision to study on another continent for my full-time education wasn’t an easy one. However, after many auditions and receiving amazing offers from other incredible stateside universities where I could hone my craft, I knew my heart belonged in London.

Central is an exceptional school with world-class training, boasting an impressive list of famous alumni, but what really sealed the deal for me was the humanity in the audition room. The panel was interested in getting to know who I was and what I brought to the table, not just what they could mold me into, to make me “marketable”.

After accepting my place, finding a flat and securing my student visa, I was off to jolly old Londontown! I experienced two fantastic terms of rigorous training, making friends, seeing West End shows and exploring my new city. My 18 classmates hail from England, Scotland, Ireland, Argentina, Australia and the U.S. We take the majority of our classes together, except for our individual singing lessons. With a small class we got to know each other pretty quickly, as did our tutors. Our tutors critique us in front of the class, which allows us to learn from each other. We are a supportive group, and even our challenging individual “aha” break-through moments were felt collectively. As a company, we depend on each other to be present in order to achieve our goals.

Being in England makes traveling to other countries so much more accessible. Unfortunately, training 10-12 hours a day, 5 days a week, prevented me from traveling much during term, which was disappointing. However since our term dates and holidays differ from U.S. schools, our spring break is 4 weeks long! I was excited for my spring break plans - visiting friends in Scotland and then a trip to France with my family.

Sadly, just before the final week of second term, my class received an email saying that the school term had abruptly ended a week prematurely due to growing concerns over COVID-19. Just like that, our remaining assessments and presentations were out the window. We were all devastated, but after the initial shock had dissipated, another worry needled its way into my brain. Like other countries, the United Kingdom would soon go into lockdown, as France had already done, and the U.S. was initiating a travel ban from Europe. I saw all my spring break plans fall apart before my eyes, and a narrow window for going home was closing rapidly. I had to make a choice - should I stay or should I go? Although I have a great support network of family friends and contacts in the U.K. and Europe, the anxiety of an “indefinite timeline” of the situation compelled me to fly back home to the United States before additional travel restrictions went into effect. Fortunately, securing a flight and re-entering the states went smoothly and now I’m home (and staying home) until further notice.

Currently, there’s an air of uncertainty as to how to approach next term. Thankfully, it has not been canceled and scheduled to resume after spring break. Like many U.S. schools, our classes are planned to be online. But the similarites end there. I’m not sure when I will be able to return to the United Kingdom. With travel bans and international travel not recommended, most airlines have limited or canceled most of their flights. The five hour time difference will make it arduous to be present for live classes, and how exactly does online learning for performance-based majors work anyway? Acting and Musical Theatre is collaborative by nature. We’ve spent the past two terms working together on duologues, duets, ensemble singing and dancing. Collaboration is embedded within the fabric of our course.

Our school administrators and teachers are taking this time to figure out what the next term will look like. In the meantime, while many of my U.S. college friends are busy with their own online classes, I’m in limbo being on spring break for the next few weeks. So I find myself trying to balance and enjoy this time with my family; while working to maintain focus on what I learned during my time at Central. I am using this time for growth by exploring other works and speaking with other artists.

Many students complain they “don’t have time” for anything outside of schoolwork. Now, with more time than ever before, I get to expand my rep book, read more plays, participate in online readings with artists I’ve never worked with, and immerse myself in other genres of literature I haven’t had the opportunity to read in the past. WhatsApp and social media is great to stay connected with my friends abroad. The internet is a great source for movie recommendations, as well as online fitness and dance classes. Finally, my family and I spend quality time together having movie nights and going on long walks (6 feet away from other people!).

I work summers at a professional regional theatre. Right now, they are uncertain of when they are opening for this season, if at all. With all this being said, I’m taking this time to put family first and cultivate my craft within the confines of my home.

“It is through art that we will prevail and we will endure. It lives on after us and defines us as people.” - Rita Moreno

Liv Gaidry is from Connecticut studying Musical Theatre at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.

Instagram/Twitter: @olivia_gaidry

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