Julius Caesar Cast Bio | Eleanor

Ahead of the run, we’ve been interviewing the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School actors cast to play alongside theatre professionals, Julian Glover and Lynn Farleigh in Julius Caesar.

Here we get to know Eleanor, one of the Theatre School’s talented rising stars.

Eleanor House
Casca

BOVTS: Pantina in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Redgrave Theatre); Dabby Bryant/ 2nd Lt. William Faddy in Our Country’s Good, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare in The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare, Camel in A Donkey’s Tale, Ensemble in Love and Information, Lady Sneerwell in The School for Scandal, Florence in The Vortex, Hannah in Days of Significance. Pre BOVTS: Polly in Under Milk Wood (Gordon Vallins Studio); Miranda in The Tempest (T.I.E); Marina in Pericles (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Olivia in Twelfth Night (Gordon Vallins Studio).

Where are you from and how did you get into acting?
I grew up in mostly in Aberdeen, with 4 years spent in Vietnam and 2 years in Singapore. My acting debut was at the Tanglin Trust Primary School (Singapore) nativity play where I played 'Bell Ringer no.3' and my line was 'Hear Ye, hear ye!'.

This complex and challenging role clearly gave me taste of what a life in acting would be.  During senior school in Aberdeen I was involved in School Musicals, in which I always played a man as it was an all-girls school and I was the tallest.  From there I went on to to a full time acting course in Stratford-Upon-Avon called 'Year Out Drama' which was a great experience and taught me a huge amount before coming to Bristol.

Who are you playing in Julius Caesar and what challenges have you faced in that role?
I am playing Casca.  I love the part of because as it as written to be played by a man, I don't have to deal with any issues in the text to do with falling in love and being a woman in a mans world which so many of Shakespeare's female characters are dominated by.  This works particularly well as this production is set in modern day.  The challenges I have faced have been to do with grasping why and how you would be so driven against someone that you would kill them without just playing a 'bad guy'.

What’s your favourite thing about training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School?
I love the atmosphere at Bristol.  It is so friendly and because there is not a huge amount of students you really get to know everyone.  Also everyone is hilarious.

The training itself has really taught me to get out of my comfort zone and be bolder in the choices I make.

How does it feel to be taking the Bristol Old Vic stage in your graduating show?
It feels great! This experience is giving us a real taste of what the professional industry will be like!

This June we reunite with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to present Shakespeare’s riveting political drama Julius Caesar. For more info and to book tickets, click here.