Former BA Perfformio Student joins cast of Pobol y Cwm
Former BA Perfformio student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Jemima Nicholas, has joined the cast of the iconic soap opera Pobol y Cwm as Indeg Griffiths.
Indeg is the granddaughter of Ieuan Griffiths, and is a cheerful, colourful and energetic character, and although she is not a new character to the series, this is the first time viewers of the programme have seen her as an adult.
Jemima said it was an amazing feeling to join the cast of Pobol y Cwm. She said:
“I’m looking forward to bringing a different energy to Cwmderi by portraying the character of Indeg. The Griffiths family are currently dealing with Anita’s heartbreaking storyline, so having the opportunity to try and bring a bit of fun and laughter to the family at a difficult time was a lovely feeling.
“I was so nervous before starting filming as I was very aware of how important the programme is to Wales, and it felt like a big responsibility, but every single member of the team has been so welcoming and kind, I feel so lucky to be part of such an iconic series.”
She can’t wait to see where Indeg’s colourful and mischievous personality is going to lead her in the series.
“She’s not a character who is necessarily looking for trouble, but somehow she manages to find it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how she deals with what life throws at her.”
Jemima is grateful for the training she has received as a student on the BA Performance course with UWTSD.
“Studying at University has played a crucial role in my career, and as a result, prepared me to play this role. All of our tutors such as Angharad Lee, Eiry Thomas, and Dan Jones, have worked and continue to work in the performance industry, and they all brought interesting, unique and creative elements to build up our ‘toolbox’ as performers.”
She decided to study at UWTSD for a number of reasons.
“When I was about to leave school, I felt like there was a big emphasis on studying in London, especially if I wanted to pursue a career in performance, but I wasn’t sure at the time if I was ready to move to London and leave Wales. The BA Perfformio course offered a number of opportunities to work with tutors working in the industry, numerous opportunities to perform across a wide spectrum of media and all through the medium of Welsh, including the opportunity to study at a foreign university for a term.”
While a student, Jemima was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go and work on the set of Pobol Y Cwm for a week as one of the modules of the course; ‘Actio i’r Sgrin’ (Acting for the Screen’), with industry giants such as the late Terry Dyddgen-Jones and Robin Rollinson. He added:
“This was an opportunity that literally prepared me for working on a set, emphasising how important it was to be kind, hardworking and work as a team to produce a successful TV programme. I still remember that amazing week and was just beaming as I walked into the BBC thinking how lucky I was to get to work professionally there ten years later.”
Jemima is full of praise for the course as it offers opportunities to perform across a wide variety of media. The range of modules ensured that she learned new skills from one term to the next.
Jemima added that she has been really lucky with the support from her tutors.
“They were used to working with young people and working long term in the industry, so I received individual and personal feedback throughout the course. Having the opportunity to work collaboratively with a few tutors on a professional level since graduating, or to have the opportunity to hear from them, is a full circle moment and they are still very supportive of alumni which is a brilliant feeling.”
Angharad Lee, Programme Manager for the BA Perfformio/ BA Musical Theatre at UWTSD, said:
“I remember Jemima as one of our first students on our BA Perfformio course. An exciting period of course development, and a bunch of lovely students working with us throughout. It’s great to hear that Jemima still sees value in the skills she learnt with us, and that our desire to keep this course relevant to the industry is clearly paying off.”
In addition, Jemima took the opportunity to study abroad for a term in the Theatre Arts department, California State University Long Beach. She said:
“Studying in America was an unforgettable time as it allowed us to immerse ourselves in a completely different theatrical culture from what we were used to, with a group of people from completely different cultures, countries and identities. The tutors, again, were professional actors and had a profound impact on the way I saw the art of ‘acting’ and how to approach building a character’s life with precision and integrity. Living in California, and the amazing experiences that came with that, was unforgettable!”
Jemima recommends the BA Perfformio course, especially to anyone with an interest in training through the medium of Welsh.
“The course has managed to create a network of creative, adaptable and professional people who work across a number of media and I’ve been very lucky to work with a number of the guest tutors who run workshops with the current students so I know the course is definitely going from strength to strength!”
Further Information
Lowri Thomas
Principal Communications and PR Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: lowri.thomas@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07449 998476