Amber Davies (Diploma, Professional Musical Theatre and Dance, 2016) has starred in hit shows like 9 to 5: The Musical, Bring It On: The Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical and Pretty Woman. Amber talked to us about her professional training at The Urdang Academy, taking a chance on reality TV, producing her own podcast, and performing leading roles in the West End.
“I’ve definitely become my dad’s favourite daughter as Back to the Future is his favourite film,” Amber Davies jokes.
Since 2019, Amber has starred in some of the biggest musicals in the West End and touring the UK. She got her big break as Judy Bernly in 9 to 5: The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in London, produced by none other than Dolly Parton. That show was quickly followed by leading roles in Bring It On: The Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical and Pretty Woman.
“I seem to have a pattern in the shows I do, which is movie musicals,” Amber says. “I couldn’t pick a favourite job, however. Each role, as cringe as it sounds, has taught me so much about myself and the way I work. Touring was a little more difficult than “town only” because Vivian Ward [lead role in Pretty Woman] was such a big sing, and we, of course, kept changing theatres every few weeks. I had to adapt vocally in every venue, and I had to rely a lot on my technique. But taking such an iconic musical around the UK and Ireland was extremely rewarding.”
Amber knew from a very young age that she wanted to do musical theatre. Growing up in North Wales, both Amber and her older sister, Jade, took ballet classes from the age of three, and Amber picked up a lot of her early singing technique competing in the Welsh singing festival Eisteddfod.
“I fell in love with it, and my love grew once I was introduced to West End musicals, Disney films and music videos. The first West End musical I saw was The Lion King at 7 years old, and from that moment, I knew I didn’t want to do anything else.”
When Jade embarked on her 3-year diploma at The Urdang Academy in 2010, Amber, 13 years old, enrolled in the Urdang Youth Academy and would travel from North Wales to London once a month to participate in their Sunday classes.
“As soon as I entered Urdang I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to professionally train. I didn’t audition for any other drama school and at 16, I started my diploma. I had the most wonderful 3 years training at Urdang. They prepared us for the industry to the highest of standards. I loved the teachers, and I made the best of friends who I’m still friends with to this day. And although I wasn’t the most outspoken pupil, my confidence and motivation grew immensely throughout my training. My favourite memory is playing Cambell in Bring it on: The Musical for my third-year showcase, a role I then went on to originate professionally in London.”
Sharing a professional dream with your sister can be both motivating and, at times, stressful.
“My older sister booked a job before graduating. She booked Les Misérables, and I always remember feeling this underlying pressure throughout my training that I must do the same, otherwise I’d have somewhat “failed”, Amber says. “Lo and behold, I didn’t book a job straight out of college, and I soon began to realise that what she had achieved was extremely rare.”
Amber made a choice that, even at the time, felt risky; she took part in the 2017 season of reality TV show Love Island.
“Love Island was a real gamble for me. I had sleepless nights thinking, “Am I going to ruin a career I’ve dreamed about my entire life before it’s even begun?””
And she’s been setting the record straight for much of that career.
“I get questions like “Did you go on Love Island so you could go straight to playing leading roles?” And the answer is no, honestly, like I said, I graduated and I hadn’t booked a job, I was 19 and I looked so unbelievably young, so when the Love Island opportunity came up I thought “You only live once”. I was a huge fan of the show. I had no idea I’d go on to win it!”
Amber is extremely grateful for how her career has developed in the past five years.
“I knew I had to discover my own path in this industry, and now, looking back, I can’t believe how fortunate I have been. I’ve ticked off dream roles and worked with directors and creatives I’ve always admired, I’ve worked with unbelievably talented people, and what I’ve discovered the most is that we are constantly learning and evolving with every opportunity we get. My career hasn’t been easy, I’ve had to push and believe in myself, and, mostly, I’ve had the best support system around me.”
What is Amber’s advice to students and graduates who are hoping for a career in the performing arts?
“I promise the most important quality you can have in this industry is kindness and respect. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this industry is smaller than you think, people talk ALOT. Make sure you are always putting your best foot forward, for example learn everyone’s names within your company and building. Yes, you need to be talented but trust me when I say how you treat others is what will book you your next job after that.”
Having experienced health issues during the UK tour of Pretty Woman, Amber also knows the importance of listening to your body and allowing it to rest.
“I had laryngitis when I was playing Vivian Ward, and as I mentioned earlier, the sing for Vivian is huge. This was a difficult time for me, I felt like I was letting people down by not performing, but with every challenge comes a lesson, and I want to scream from the rooftops that you have to take care of yourself first.”
In addition to her stage work, Amber is the host and producer of the popular podcast Call To Stage with Amber Davies, which is also filmed. Recent interviews include the actors from the film adaptation of Wicked.
“I grew up in a small Welsh town called Denbigh. Back then, there was no easily accessible information about the industry; not for me, not for my parents, and I always remember how difficult that was,” Amber says, explaining why she started the podcast.
“I wanted to create a platform for those people who aren’t surrounding London and go to [theatre school] Sylvia Young on a Saturday. Families from all across the country can listen to people’s individual stories from the beginning. I want people to know it’s possible!
“Dream big, work hard, and anything can happen. I absolutely love filming the podcast and it’s something I will continue to grow for many years.”
What else does Amber Davies see in her future?
“My biggest hope is to continue to have a full and fun career in this incredible industry. We are so lucky to be able to call this our job. My biggest goal is to always be happy, motivated and present, my family to be healthy, and mostly to never ever stop learning and evolving as a human being.”
A big thank you to Amber Davies for talking to us!
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