Cherry C：Get Offer from RADA
On Wednesday 18th of May 2022, we were delighted to have a short interview with Cherry C, a year 13 student at Dulwich International High School Suzhou, who has recently received an offer to study a Foundation in Technical Theatre & Stage Management at RADA in the UK. RADA is an acronym for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
RADA is a drama school in London, England, which supplies vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senate House complex of the University of London and is a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. It is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, founded in 1904 by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree.
RADA offers a number of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Its higher education awards are validated by King's College London (KCL). The Royal Patron of the school is Queen Elizabeth II. The President is Sir Kenneth Branagh, who succeeded Richard, Lord Attenborough, following his death in 2014. The Chairman is Marcus Ryder MBE, who succeeded Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen in 2021. Its Vice-Chairman was Alan Rickman until his death in 2016.The current Director of the Academy is Edward Kemp.
Just one of the remarkable things about Cherry’s RADA offer is that RADA is an incredibly selective academy to get into. Each year over 3,500 students apply for a course that only accepts approximately 90 applicants. Putting it another way, RADA rejects roughly 97% of all applicants.
Cherry explained that she first became seriously interested in the Stage in Year 11 at our school, when she took the Morrisby Careers Test, and it suggested Stage Design as the ideal career for her.
“It was destiny!” Cherry said. “It was the first time I had heard about this major. I started studying art and found I really liked it. I like art and design. I love the process of turning something from a design into a real thing.”
This is clearly something that is a very important part of any stage production. Cherry explained that she chose to apply to RADA after researching the best stage schools in the UK:
“I’m a person that believes that you should always learn by doing.” She told us. “So, RADA really is my dream school. The focus on education there is all about making real shows and productions.”
Drama Lessons at Dulwich International High School Suzhou
Cherry told us that:
“There are only a very few schools in Suzhou that even have a drama course. I feel tremendously lucky to be able to study drama and have the experience of a drama class, in which I can learn about drama and performance, and all aspects of a production. In our class, our teacher encourages us to perform shows by ourselves and video them. I really like the feeling that experience gave me, and I included it in my application.”
Her Portfolio
Cherry was very keen to talk about her portfolio, which she is justifiably proud of.
“I think my portfolio is really very special. One significant part of my portfolio is about an escape room. I love escape rooms and I made a real model of an escape room full of my own experience.”
How has life at Dulwich made you a better University Applicant?
Cherry described how her experience of the English only environment at our school had been a tremendous help for her during the grueling interview process for RADA:
“For RADA I had lots of interviews during the application process.”
Dulwich gave her the confidence she needed to impress the RADA admissions team.
“After four years studying a Dulwich, I feel comfortable speaking in English, to English people. I’m used to it! I have the confidence to share my opinions, even when I am dealing with questions that I haven’t prepared for. ”
University Counselling Department
Cherry was full of praise for her university counsellor, Mr. Coffey, who she explained, had been a fantastic help during the application process.
“I think he’s very kind. He was so patient with me during the application process. Even though my major is a very specialist one, he remained highly professional, checked every word of my essay, and helped me find the information I needed.”
Hobbies and Interests
Cherry explained that:
“I really like to record my life. P-logs and V-logs. I really think that photos can capture a moment in time. If I have forgotten an experience, I can look at a photo and remember it clearly again.”
Agatha Christie
Cherry told us that one of her favorite novels is “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie is most famous for writing detective mystery novels, with highly complex and convoluted plots. It is no surprise that Cherry, given her love of puzzles, was drawn to Christie’s complex detective narratives.
Christie described “And Then There Were None” as the most difficult book she had ever written. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939. The book is the world's best-selling mystery, and with over 100 million copies sold is one of the best-selling books of all time.
“I’m a big fan of mystery fiction! I like this book so much I chose this book as the one-off project in my portfolio!”
Future Plans
We asked Cherry what her plans were when she graduates from RADA and it fair to say that she is very ambitious:
“My Dream Job is to go to a real theatre and design my own show. I want lots of people to see and cheer for it!
Advice for Younger Students
Students who have achieved the heights of university application success are ideally positioned to reflect on what they have achieved and give meaningful advice to younger students.
"There are lots of different university majors, not just art, or science or economics, many majors are detailed and specific. Don’t be afraid to apply for a less common major! Apply for a major that you care about and love. "
We wish Cherry every success and can’t wait to see what she achieves as she sets out on the road to realize her dreams.
