Take the Stage: Emmanuel Kome reflects on Doctor Who
In this edition of Take The Stage, we meet Emmanuel Kome, a 2021 BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and Dance graduate who has since had an exciting career in commercial dance, including lots of work in TV and film. We caught up with Emmanuel to hear about working on the Doctor Who season 2 episode Rogue, and his advice to upcoming professional dancers.
Watch a scene featuring Emmanuel from the Doctor Who episode Rogue.
What was it like to find out you were going to be in Doctor Who?
Getting Doctor Who was a surreal moment for me as a dancer. I was also stepping into something that stylistically may not be what I’m known for, because it was a ballroom scene, and it made me fall in love again with the challenge.
Being in the room for filming reminded me why I do what I do. I think it’s very easy sometimes to get lost and bogged down in training or wanting to better yourself. And it’s sometimes it’s quite hard to be present in the moment and absorbing the experience that your hard work has taken you to. I was just constantly in awe, and being with a really beautiful cast was amazing – the people made the job a much better experience as well.
How did it feel to see yourself on screen when the episode aired?
Yeah, seeing myself – I actually got to watch the playbacks on set – and just seeing yourself on screen and you’re in the role and it’s just so surreal. It never feels real until you sit down with your family and like watch yourself on TV. There’s a part of this role that spoke to my inner child because I really was the kid that was just obsessed with watching TV and watching music videos and watching film. So it never feels real when I sit down and just watch myself on TV. But I would say there’s a part of that inner child that is just smiling and it just makes you even more hyped to continue and get to the next opportunity.
How does dancing for televison and film differ from performing live?
The big difference I find for filmed work is that you really need to be alert and listening because things are constantly moving – there’s so many teams doing so many different jobs. You have hair and makeup, you have lighting, you have camera operators, and sometimes there may be a steady cam – there’s so many things you have to be aware of when you are on set and you really don’t want to be a hindrance to the experience. You want to be able to really flow and add to the experience. So I would say definitely being alert and being someone that doesn’t stand out for the wrong reasons in the room.
I’d say live performance is just hype! Live TV, live performances is about that moment, its being present, it’s the sum of all of the work and the rehearsal in that one moment all coming together, which differs from recorded media because you have takes and if the last one didn’t go well, hopefully you can get another one. But with live, you have that one moment. Sometimes I can feel like pressure, but also I love pressure. So I just, I’m just all for it. I’m just there and embracing it.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
As a graduate wanting to pursue a career in film or live TV or commercial, I would say your network is really important, and how you build and develop your network is important, and there’s so many ways to do that. It’s really hard to find one path that is a perfect path, but I’d say being where a lot of the buzz and a lot of the energy is happening, whether that be class, whether that be workshops, whether that be auditions, sometimes it could be a social experience – being around, being seen, and continuously working on sharpening your tools is really important.
What else have you been up to since leaving Performers College?
Some of the career opportunities I’ve had since graduating are things like Capital Summertime Ball with Katie Blazer. I have flown to different countries, whether that be Paris, Monaco, Seychelles, India, Dubai, I have also been in movies, including the Wicked movie, which was, again, another surreal experience for me as well.
What would your advice be to a potential performers college applicant?
For anyone thinking of coming to Performers, the advice I’d give is to be 100% you. I’d say one of the things that has made my career what it is, is that I am 100% myself. You can only be you, which sounds cliche, but there’s something special inside of all of us, and I truly believe that. I believe we all have a unique quality that we can bring to the table.
Being able to believe 100% in yourself and putting yourself in situations like the audition, just going for it, showing that fire, showing that passion, showing that you deserve and belong in this room is one of the most important things – and that self-belief has to come first because if you don’t believe in yourself, then it’s hard for someone else to believe in you.
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
