Tilly: How hard work, courage and opportunity have shaped a performer

Tilly’s pathway in performing arts has been shaped by consistent hard work, courage, and a readiness to seize every opportunity. From early performances to regular appearances on the Sedbergh stage, she has developed discipline, resilience and artistic curiosity — qualities that have led to her already being offered a top musical scholarship in the United States. As she prepares for additional auditions at other leading conservatoires, Tilly reflects on the experiences and teachers who helped her grow, and on the values that continue to guide her progress.

Your journey in performing arts has led to a remarkable scholarship in the United States; when did you first realise this was more than a hobby, and something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I think I knew from the moment I stepped out onto an actual stage in the West End in Year 7. I was part of a dance troupe competition, and while I’m not the best dancer, this experience allowed me to grasp that I wanted to be performing in front of people for the rest of my life, whether it’s singing, acting or dancing.

Performing requires courage and discipline — what drives you to keep working, rehearsing and improving, even on difficult days?

I think what drives me on the difficult days is probably a love for what I’m doing. While sometimes it’s really hard with long rehearsal days and tech runs, I realise that everything you want in life is going to have to take hard work if you want to really succeed. I find great comfort in singing, so even on difficult days it’s more than likely that I will be in the music block trying to make myself feel better.

Who or what has influenced you most — a teacher, a director, a performance, a moment — and why did it stay with you?

What has really inspired me was originally when I was 12. I had just joined a new school and I wasn’t really into the flow of things. There were auditions for the musical (it was Little Shop of Horrors) and I really wanted to be the plant. While this was a whole-school musical and I knew I was going to be competing against people much older than me for the role, I still wanted to try. After my audition, I remember being met in the hallway during school and my drama teacher handed me a call-back letter, and she said, you have so much potential to be great — you need to use it. This stayed with me through every audition and every time I performed and worked on my performing.

I would also say a big help to me would have been one of my first music teachers, Chris Wray. He always believed in me and put me forward for roles in my school plays. He really wanted me to succeed, even from the first moment I met him at my scholarship audition for my school. His belief in me instilled my want further for success.

What do you hope to explore artistically during your whatever conservatoire or university you ultimately choose to attend? Are there roles, stories or disciplines you’re especially drawn to?

During my time at university, alongside musical theatre I want to work on acting for screen. This is because the two disciplines are wildly different in that musical theatre is very performative, expressive and big, whereas acting for screen is much more subtle with emotions and actions. Studying both of these within my course will very much aid me in auditions in later life.

Looking back, what advice would you give to younger performers at Sedbergh who dream big but might doubt themselves?

I would probably say to young performers that they should just try, even if they don’t think they’re good enough. You can always get better, but that doesn’t happen unless you put in the effort.

What skills or strengths do you think Sedbergh helped you build that made this scholarship possible?

Performing in Chicago, Jazz and Swing, and many other performances last year definitely helped me to decide what I wanted to do next year, alongside the band that I am in at school. Being able to perform in front of people monthly at school has allowed me to develop a vast portfolio. Alongside LAMDA and my singing grades, doing all of this has developed me as a person and a performer.

Looking back, what experiences at Sedbergh were most important in shaping you as a performer and person?

I would have to say that the most significant experience which helped shape me as a performer would definitely have to be Jazz and Swing Evening. I had to stop the full band behind me as I messed up the words. While this happens often during my performances, usually I am able to cover it quite well, but this time I couldn’t. I managed to restart the performance without panic or stress for the first time in my performing career, and it filled me with confidence that maybe I would be able to ‘make it as a performer’.