Conrad Murray: 'If you have ideas and characters that you are dying to play, let people see them'

My first job was as a performer in a kids show by Kazuko Hohki based on Mary Norton’s The Borrowers. It came about via  a producer of the youth theatre at Battersea Arts Centre, who knew me. I had been in trouble as a participant quite a  lot but had straightened out my ways. The producer, Sarah Quelch, told me that if I wanted to get opportunities, I should hang around the theatre. I thought it was mad, but I just kinda did it. It actually worked, and I got to know a lot of theatre and creative people.

I was really dying to impress and show what I could do. The role was originally much smaller, but I created lines and a whole character and persona. I wasn’t asked to do that – but the director liked what I was doing. Definitely a great example of giving an offering and seeing if it works. I do wish I had also got to know the writer and company more, and learned how they developed the show and the tour. I’ve got more into writing and creating my own work – advice from others could have helped me along the way.

I made friends with producer Sophie Brady. More than 10 years later, we are still friends and she is co-producer of my new show. I also met Paul Cree, with whom I started Beats and Elements to create hip-hop theatre shows. We still collaborate now. Be nice to people. This industry is hard – making friends is invaluable.

If you have ideas and characters that you are dying to play, put them forward and let people see them. It was only by trying out different voices and adding in lines in rehearsals that I was able to showcase what I was able to do. Doing that got me involved in another show and then I was asked to write a small piece. That led on to me writing a full show, which toured the UK and was published. You can feel the energy and momentum snowballing from one thing to the next.

CV

Age: Undisclosed
Training: BRIT School, South Thames College, Battersea Arts Centre’s Young People’s Theatre
Theatre includes: Frankenstein (Battersea Arts Centre/Traverse/Adelaide Fringe); No Milk for the Foxes (Camden People’s Theatre); Crongton Knights (Pilot Theatre); Unexpected Twist (Royal and Derngate, Northampton); Pied Piper – hip hop family musical (BAC Beatbox Academy)
Other credits: Artistic director and founder of BAC Beatbox Academy; artistic director and founder of Beats and Elements
Agent: Self-represented

Conrad Murray was talking to John Byrne