Interview: James Boyle on being the first Deaf man to train at prestigious drama school, RADA

Deaf actor James Boyle has become the first Deaf man to secure a place at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) – a prestigious drama school based in London.

James announced the news on his social media channels on Monday, writing that he had “made history” after being accepted.

Commenting on the moment when he first received the good news, James told The Limping Chicken: “I just couldn’t believe it. I’m the first Deaf man to get in. I’ve got no words!”

The audition process saw James take part in four monthly auditions from February to May, with successful applicants told they were through to the next stage one week after each audition. Three weeks after his fourth and final audition, James hadn’t heard back – until today.

“I was surprised, emotional, but at the same time, I just couldn’t quite believe that was happening. I think the magnitude of what that meant to me just sort of hit me and I didn’t know how to react,” he said.

For James, acting has been on his mind for years, having tried to get into theatre for a couple of months when he was around 13 years old, but was bullied because of his size and the fact he was Deaf.

“So I associated performance with trauma and I decided I would only do art and that’s why I did my clothing brand for six years. Afterwards, I tried to go towards acting so I tried to do dance, but it didn’t make me happy. I knew that was performing,” he told The Limping Chicken over video.

https://twitter.com/jamesjoeboyle/status/1404465208781910022?s=20

Then lockdown happened, and stuck in a flat for 16 weeks, the freelance artist and activist took to YouTube to “overcome my fears”. On 10 May last year, James uploaded a video titled ‘Introducing Myself to YouTube’. He now has more than 4,500 subscribers on the platform.

He continued: “I started to vlog, and it was absolutely terrifying at first. I was really insecure in myself, deleting videos and content but I eventually got used to it. I started to play around with my confidence and I just really enjoyed the creative process and playing with different characters.

“So I realised I obviously had something special, so I started to do Deafinitely Theatre [and] RADA classes – the short courses, I did one in January. I applied for RADA [the same month] and I started to work with the teachers at RADA and I just felt a very natural connection to the teachers on the course.

“With RADA, I knew that they were the right school for me because I did a summer course with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland last year and it was fantastic, it was brilliant, it was acting, but I didn’t feel that connection.”

The London school, he explains, were able to “climb inside” of him and pull out talent he didn’t know he had. They needed him, James says, and he needed them.

He also went on to mention Sophie Stone, who became the first Deaf actress to study at RADA and has since gone on to star in shows such as Casualty and Doctor Who, as well as on stage in Emilia and As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe. James described her as a “creative friend” and “guiding light” during the audition process, offering acting tips.

“She was the one who said, ‘you don’t need the experience to apply; people do it all the time. It’s about talent, the skill and the drive’.”

“I don’t think I would’ve trusted myself as much if she wasn’t there, and also I do think that because she got into RADA before, that solidified my confidence in getting in because I knew how much I wanted it,” James said.

In a statement commenting on James’ success, Sophie said she was “incredibly proud” of him and “the work he’s put in to venture into the unknown and challenging landscape of drama school training”.

“RADA is a world renowned prestigious training ground, producing some of the greatest actors on the planet. It’s an adventure not afforded to many and it’s taken a lot of changes in the industry and the institutions that feed it, for these opportunities to arise.

“I hope that after myself and James, there’ll be more training opportunities and more faith in Deaf and disabled artists that should have the right to receive it. I look forward to seeing more people graduate but also more investments in the arts for younger generations so they’re strong enough and ready enough to smash through the auditions into drama schools.

“Until then, we must pull each other up and offer support in areas we can. Together we’re stronger. Let’s celebrate James today, and push for those that follow tomorrow,” she told The Limping Chicken.

Asked about what this means for the wider Deaf community, James replied: “I think [they] are going to think, ‘wow, diversity, it’s starting to happen, we’re moving forwards and big schools are starting to accept more Deaf people’. Yes, that is true, but we still have a long way to go.

“I really do believe that some Deaf people hold themselves back, like I did at the beginning, because we’re a little bit nervous and we don’t believe that we can actually get in. I think if you really push yourself and show them it’s what you want, show resilience and a willingness to learn and do what they ask, you can get in.

“Change is happening, but it just needs more Deaf people to start applying, get themselves out there and to show them what they’re capable of.”

RADA has been approached by The Limping Chicken for comment.

Photo: James Boyle.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.

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Update – 15.06.21: A spokesperson from RADA told The Limping Chicken: “James’s work is engaging and spontaneous, and he was an outstanding candidate in a very competitive audition process, and he follows in the footsteps of Sophie Stone who was the first Deaf person to train at RADA.

“We are very much looking forward to working with him for the next three years and seeing his potential flourish in the training and in his future career as an actor.”