Interview with Kheira Bey, theatre practitioner

London-based, RADA-trained aspiring actor Kheira Bey talks to Voice about making her one-woman show debut at King’s Head Theatre, managing her creative endeavours and the importance of preparation.

Interview with Kheira Bey, theatre practitioner

What are you up to in your creative work at the moment?

Well, a lot! I’m a trained actor, down to institutions such as: IDENTITY School of Acting, National Youth Theatre and now the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. 

I’m currently working on playing ‘Suad’ in ‘Voices From The Deep’ at the King’s Head Theatre and ‘Smile, Darling’ at the Arcola Theatre, alongside a to-be-named one night only drama piece in Canterbury. I also somehow to manage multiple short film projects too! But hey, they’re only short so that helps. 

How does your role of Suad in ‘Voices From The Deep’ role compare to your other endeavours?

I’m the only human being on stage! Voices From The Deep is a collection of four stories combining different experiences of four different women across the globe, tied together by some snazzy Shakespearean pentameter. So yes, I will be the only person on stage, telling one woman’s single story to a paying audience for the first time in my life.

What are your thoughts on your main role as Suad?

I highly respect Suad. She’s only my age, but the number of things she’s been through in her short life are more than people double her age in the UK would have experienced. At the beginning she’s been trapped in her war-torn situation for way too long and does contemplate doing things deemed scandalous in her culture, such as singing odes to the Arabian sand. Is there a happy ending? Well, there is an ending. But as a company, we’re not sure whether it’s the release Suad is rooting for. 

How do you prepare for your shows?

I’m quite a physical actor, so getting the text up on its feet is crucial. I’m working with a brilliant director Verity Hosken on this piece who is really great at getting the parameters of this piece just right. It is just one person on stage, but the effect has to be bigger than that. Once the lines are learnt, the playfulness of the text can really come out, as then the actor is more relaxed in what they are doing. Therefore, as Stanislavski championed, when the mind is relaxed the body can make new discoveries to really reflect the elasticity of meaning behind a text. 

What do you prefer to be labelled as – an ‘actor’ or ‘actress’?

Do we really need to define an occupation by the gender of the person doing it? It’s the same job at the end of the day, but it’s sad that a different version has to exist. I think gendered pronouns imply a lesser version of the real thing. 

For example, an ‘actress’ springs to mind something from a 1920s musical with a pretty lady standing there looking pretty, whereas, the role of the ‘actor’ may be more emotionally demanding. Can’t we both be equal? I’ve never seen a surgeoness, lawyeress or dentistess – but female versions of each of those professions still exist. 

I’m an actor, because why not be efficient and erase another word from the dictionary. It’ll save a space, meaning less printer ink being used and damaging the environment. 

b1effb4c4e87b0f3de33a1c5df265242003f1537.jpgCreative/Disruption 18 at Arcola Theatre

Why do you think the arts are important?

The arts are the only place where we can really do what we want. We can ask as many silly questions as we want, we can give answers to the questions we don’t know of, we can give life to our suppressed thoughts. It’s a shame that for the short period of time that we’re on this planet, we can’t do that all the time, but hey, when you’re an artist there are no rules and I think some people need that adventure in their life to make it less dull. Otherwise it is a very tiring construct of ‘we get a job, we pay to live then we die.’ That’s it. 

Given how competitive it is here, do you have any advice for other young actors who are struggling to find what makes them stand out from the crowd? Are there many sources of support out there?

I think if you are really, really struggling and you’ve really exhausted your networks- then it’s time to put on your own work. Personally, you will learn a lot more about yourself and what you like when it comes to creative work. If you’re someone crazy busy like me, you can’t always really tap in and read all of the plays you want. But if you’re struggling, you definitely can read and read away. There’s also plenty of advice right here on Voice! 

Start to take note of what you like – themes and issues that capture you, theatres which you like the style of, directors who you enjoy, writing which makes you feel something. Mesh that all together with a few friends and see what you can create. Then, research places where you can obtain funding, for example the Arts Council, who are likely to fund something which will make a difference to the community. 

Ticket links

Global Female Voices - https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/global-female-voices/

Smile Darling - https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/smile-darling/


Fancy reading about how you can support female voices too? Check out this!

Fancy getting started in the arts world but not sure where to start? Why not read this how-to!

Header: Karen Scott

Author

Tom Inniss

Tom Inniss Voice Team

Tom is the Editor of Voice. He is a politics graduate and holds a masters in journalism, with particular interest in youth political engagement and technology. He is also a mentor to our Voice Contributors, and champions our festivals programme, including the reporter team at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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1 Comments

  • Kayt Button

    On 25 April 2018, 09:04 Kayt Button commented:

    All aspiring actors should read this! Partly because of her great response to whether she is an actor or actress, and partly because it is just great advice!!

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