Lewis Bruniges: Freelance Actor, Director and Teacher

“Look for the opportunities in life that make you feel proud and empowered and chase them down as best you can”

Current Job Title & Employer:

Freelance Actor, Director and Teacher

OB years:

2006-2013

Brief description of your path after Brentwood

Following a gap year working part time at Brentwood Theatre and performing with the RADA, Queen’s Hornchurch and National Youth Theatre’s, I became a Genesis Scholar at LAMDA on the three year acting training. After drama school I signed with my first agent and began working in theatre productions in London and around the country as an actor and have gradually moved into directing and teaching both in theatres and back at LAMDA.

How has your career path led you to where you are now?

Cultivating connections with other creatives I have met along the way has always been the most productive way to find work as an actor. Nearly every show I have worked on has been a consequence of having worked previously on a project with either the director, writer or a member of the production team. Your reputation always precedes you and if you prove yourself to be a helpful and enjoyable company member to be around you give yourself a much better chance at longevity.

Did you develop any particular skills or attributes at Brentwood that have helped your career?

Performing in the yearly productions at Brentwood gave me the initial taste for acting that has stayed with me ever since. However the variety of extra curricular activities that were available allowed me to also develop a competency with music and dance that has broadened the work I can do as a professional. The value of the academic rigour encouraged at Brentwood cannot be understated either as it has enriched the opinions and insights I can offer in a rehearsal room on a wide range of topics.

Favourite Brentwood memory?

There’s too many good memories to pick just one. Winning the Rugby Essex Cup at both U16 and 1stXV level were euphoric experiences, performing as the Pirate King in ‘Pirates of Penzance’ taught me a huge amount about what I was capable of creatively and performing the solo verse of the school song for my graduating Proms was a particular moment of pride.

Any words of advice for those graduating this year?

Don’t be afraid if your best made plans don’t turn out the way you thought you wanted them to. We can’t know what life will throw at us until it does, so be ready to keep checking in with yourself and be honest about whether holding on to what you thought you wanted is still making you happy. Look for the opportunities in life that make you feel proud and empowered and chase them down as best you can, but remember that what is right for you won’t pass you by, as long as you’re ready for it when it comes!