Give us a bit of background about you.
DH I have always had a great passion for the arts and, as a performer, I am very eager to experience and work in different spheres. Studying abroad was not easy but it was a great opportunity and a step towards what I want to achieve in life.
PC I was brought up in a family of theatre addicts and literally pushed onto the stage from a very young age! My parents were both very much involved in theatre, and that is in fact where they met. Theatre occupied a large part of my life - from school at De La Salle College and, later, with the theatrical company DLS Productions and my participation in numerous plays and musicals. I also followed courses and sat for Trinity examinations in individual acting skills.
Tell us about the Malta Arts Scholarship. How did it come about?
DH The scholarship was presented after we had the opportunity to be a part of A Week in the Life, an organisation run by actor Ben Darmanin to introduce aspiring Maltese performers to the life of a full-time performing arts student in the UK. The Malta Arts Scholarship fund has been a great help in supporting me throughout my training.
PC The scholarship came as an unexpected surprise! It's funny how my life changed in just that one moment. I had just finished my A levels and Intermediate examinations and was all set to read engineering at University. Everything I had planned for myself took a massive turn, and I'm glad it did! Thanks to the initial training I got from Alison White and the continuous support and instruction from my mother, I was on my way. The Malta Arts Scholarship fund let me focus more on my training, without having to worry too much about expenses.
What is the best thing about Margaret Howard Theatre College?
DH Since the amount of students is kept to a minimum, we got a lot of individual attention and opportunities.
PC Definitely the atmosphere and sense of family and community it instils in its students. In addition to this, the teachers serve not only as tutors, but mentors and people we can talk to freely.
Tell us about your course and what it entailed.
DH It was a three-year course filled with acting, dancing and singing from all genres, as well as a teacher training course in modern, tap, ballet and commercial street dance which offers many qualifications and opens many doors for any performer or teacher.
PC Our course was split into two sections, the performance course and the teacher training course, led by Kevin Fountain and Vivienne Saxton, respectively. I feel that my career will be a mix of these two because I am as passionate about teaching as I am about performing.
What did your family and friends think? Were they supportive?
DH My family and friends have always been supportive and proud about everything I do and they were very excited that I was offered this opportunity. I owe them a lot! I would like to thank everyone who has helped me on this journey, such as Alison White and all my wonderful tutors at college, especially Margaret Howard. Most of my dreams would not have been fulfilled without the sacrifice and support of my family.
PC My family were the most supportive people ever when I got this scholarship. In fact, initially I was reluctant to go, but amid the tears and fears, my family insisted that it was an opportunity not to be missed. Everyone knew I had a knack for this sort of career and seeing I had the opportunity to pursue it, they were behind me all the way.
What's next for you? Will you be staying in Malta or going back?
DH I definitely want to perform and gain as much knowledge and experience as I can in this industry and hopefully come back to Malta and share what I have learned.
PC I will be staying in England, auditioning and hopefully landing a job in the industry. I'll also manage to sneak in a flying visit to Malta to present a few master classes for DLS Productions.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
DH I would very much like to be performing on a West End or Broadway stage, as well as take part in a film/series.
PC I look forward to an exhaustive career on stage, film, teaching, music videos and TV in years to come. The ultimate dream is to be on the West End stage or even in a film, being the best that I can be. Having said that, however, my wish is to eventually split my time working both abroad and in Malta.