Ray Castleton
Ray is an actor, playwright, director and founder of Hand On The Tap.
In May 2020, we launched a brand new series ‘In Conversation With… ‘ and had the pleasure of interviewing our very first guest, Ray Castleton. Below is an overview of Ray’s interview. You can find recaps of the series on our blog pages over the next few weeks and saved interviews on our IGTV. Find us on Instagram at @junctionartsUK
After finishing university Ray was a freelance actor until 2014, when he then became the co-founder and director of The Melting Shop Theatre Company until 2019. During Ray’s time at The Melting Shop, he wrote and toured two new plays; ‘Striking Dilema’s’ and award winning play ‘On Behalf of The People’. His work has toured around the county showcasing in a variety of venues and untraditional theatre spaces such as community venues, museums, arts venues and working men’s clubs. An important part of Ray’s work is to make sure that his plays are performed in places where theatre is rarely performed, making is more accessible for all. In 2019 Ray founded Hand on Tap Theatre.
Ray mentioned that during lockdown we have seen the temporary loss of theatre and much of the arts and this has highlighted how important the arts is! Without the creative industry, we lose so much entertainment as the arts are behind the scenes in so much of our lives; from tv, music concerts, live performances, books- the list is endless! It has been a struggling time for the arts and for the people, as we all share a mourning for a space that brings us together, to share experiences and to create memories.
Ray talked about how theatre and story telling can engage and connect people. People can react in different ways to theatre, some can relate to the stories, others are there for entertainment and enjoyment, people can escape to another world and people can also understand real life situations and feelings through watching a performance. The arts can be a powerful drive in many aspects of peoples lives. Theatre has been around throughout history and is an important part of our culture and culture around the world.
Ray’s advice to anyone who wishes to become involved in play writing, theatre or acting, is to just have a go and keep practicing, keep asking for help and don’t give up! Don’t be afraid to take new opportunities and give something a try. He is a strong believer that you are never too old to learn a new skill, or try something different.
You can see more interviews from the series by visiting the ‘In Conversation With’ project page here.
Follow us on instagram @junctionartsUK
