Since graduating from Excelsia College with the Bachelor of Dramatic Art in 2020, Esther Williams has started to make a name for herself in the performing arts industry, having been cast in a film, and more recently in a television show and lead in a commercial, both soon to be aired. Esther is about to star as a main character in a play titled The Sweet Science of Bruising. The show is set in London during the year 1869 and revolves around four very different Victorian women who find freedom inside a boxing ring. We talked to Esther about how Excelsia helped to train her for her creative pursuits, what attracted her to The Sweet Science of Bruising and what it has been like working alongside other alumni and current students at the College.

 

How did Excelsia help you to develop your acting skills and confidence to pursue a role in the creative arts industry? 

 

Excelsia has some amazing teachers (some of whom I keep in contact with to this day). They have taught me to be brave and to trust my work and myself. The drama performance degree had so much to offer from movement, to voice, to the vast array of acting techniques and much, much more. Being then able to perform several times at Excelsia’s theatre in front of an audience throughout the degree, with all the techniques I learned, made the transition into the real world a lot less daunting! These techniques and the confidence the degree gave me are the very things that aid me in terms of adaptation to a character when I am performing on stage or on screen. Excelsia also offers great networking for their students, to help with developing connections inside the industry, and is one of the things that contributed to me getting my role in The Sweet Science of Bruising!

 

What are your career aspirations?

 

My heart will always feel at home on stage, and I can only thank Excelsia for that as their amazing theatre productions gave me that confidence. I want to keep building on my career in theatre, but down the line, I’d also love to have some roles in a few indie films. I’m obsessed with films that are unapologetically raw and showcase the pure essence of human emotions.

 

What appealed to you about The Sweet Science of Bruising?

 

What drew me in most about this play is that it puts women at its core. It’s a true depiction of all that we are capable of as women, when it comes to getting what we want both alone and untied. It strays away from the stereotypes that often label us. We need more stories like this! Reading through the script for the first time, I instantly fell in love with my character, Polly. She’s fierce, extremely cheeky but most of all, powers through whatever life throws at her. I admire her strength and am thrilled to be walking alongside her through this journey.

 

What has it been like working alongside other Excelsia alumni and current students?

 

It’s been so, so great! In The Sweet Science of Bruising, I am working alongside four other Excelsia alumni and current students. To know that we’ve all come from the same place and are working towards our passions, is so exciting and inspiring. All of them have come so far and ooze zest and talent, so I feel super privileged to be taking on this production with such an awesome team!

 

Excelsia loves to work alongside passionate individuals who aspire to work in theatre, film, and television, or in producing and directing their own plays. Please contact Excelsia College if your desire lies within the creative and performing arts space just like it does for Esther! Visit https://excelsia.edu.au/study/creative-and-performing-arts/