Stephanie Morgan (Upsall): 'Learn to love yourself as much as your craft'

When did you first become interested in the arts?

Watching The Young Ones with Cliff Richard on repeat as a child.

What is the best piece of advice you have for drama students and graduates today?

Learn how to love yourself as much as your craft. You are your foundations and without that love for yourself, this industry has the potential to devour you. With strong foundations you will stand taller than the majority, work more dynamically, your energy more infectious.

What would you change about the industry if you could?

Financial distribution needs to be reviewed. We have head-led companies profiting off of heart-led creatives. It’s crushing.

What is the best part of your job?

Experiencing change when people least expect it. The glow that radiates out of them makes everything worth it. The moment someone realises they are capable of more. I get many texts, too, telling me how it’s expanded into their broader lives. That’s my joy. 

And your least favourite?

People forgetting I’m human, too. Having to be a business. And also, turning people away.

Who are the arts practitioners you admire and why?

Barbara Houseman has had a huge impact on my work. I did one of her courses when I was pregnant and knew my work would never be the same again. She gave me hope. And a different language. She is kind and knowledgeable. And swears as much as I do, which sounds daft but I realised I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else, that I could just be me.

What is the one skill that every successful theatre professional should have?

The ability to pick it up and put it down. And by ‘it’ I mean the circumstances, the emotions, the job, all of it. Most actors I know do not have this skill and it’s running them into the ground, squeezing the joy out of the work, ruining relationships and affecting their casting. We have to be able to go to the extraordinary, and return – that is the job.

Could you give a tip that readers could put into practice today to increase their mental and physical well-being?

That’s an easy one for me – breathe. Right now. Breathe a little slower and a little deeper. Remembering to use more of your lung capacity as often as you can will bring more colour into your life than you can imagine.