In this engaging conversation, Mark Hayden shares his journey from aspiring actor to established performer, discussing the challenges and triumphs he faced along the way. He reflects on his training at drama school, the importance of persistence in the acting industry, and the value of performance skills in education. Mark also delves into the impact of technology and social media on communication, the significance of community, and the joy of bringing people together through his work in pantomime and murder mystery events. The discussion highlights the importance of experience and connection in both personal and professional realms.

Takeaways.

• Training at drama school was rigorous and multifaceted.
• Persistence is key in the acting industry.
• Performance skills are essential for personal development.
• Technology can both connect and isolate us.
• Community and connection are vital for well-being.
• Pantomime is a unique blend of humor and storytelling.
• Murder mystery events foster interaction and fun.
• Experience shapes our memories and identities.
• Confidence is crucial for success in any field.

Sound Bites

• "I just soaked up as much as I could."
• "You have to learn how to present yourself."
• "'Performance skills and all of that are not valued in formal education. And they should be, because, let's face it, when people are in the workplace, they are expected to do things like this all the time...So you have to learn how to present yourself, how to carry yourself, how to feel confident in your own skin. This is vital to become a whole human being.'"

Guest Bio
Mark Hayden http://markhayden.com/is a versatile actor, writer and director specialising in immersive interactive theatre and comedy. His work includes creating and performing interactive scripts for Singalonga Productions  https://singalonga.net/on  over ten productions over twenty years, most notably Singalonga Sound Of Music, Singalonga Rocky Horror, Singalonga Frozen, Greatest Showman and most recently Matilda all of which have toured the UK to theatres mammoth and miniscule, and played in London’s glittering West End at the beloved Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square. Mark has performed in many pantomimes initially playing the comic but now prefers to be the oh so evil villian. He has directed and co-written Pantomime, original comedy plays on the Camden Fringe, and even a short movie along with creating the greatest interactive murder mystery company of all time MurderMysteryEvents.com which turns 25 in 2025. https://murdermysteryevents.com/

His acting credits include “One Man Two Guvnors” for the National Theatre and “The Mousetrap” and “Dead Funny” in the West End along with lots of repertory theatre, small scale tours and the movies “King Lear” with Brian Blessed and “The Magic Flute” directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Being entrepreneurial he's also produced theatre tours with his production company Hayden Searle Productions of which Kenneth Branagh is a patron including the 50th Anniversary tour of Tennessee Williams “Glass Menagie” starring movie star Hildegard Neil, who was Mark's acting mentor.
Mark created the leading actors agency Cooper Searle Personal Management with a colleague, he was director and lead agent, which he later sold and is going from strength to strength today. https://www.coopersearle.com/

He also developed “Fuse London Workshops” one of the first Actor/Casting Director workshop courses, including “Fuse Musical” with showcases at the Lost Theatre, London, which he wound up over ten years ago. Its wonderful to see how actors who attended have developed their careers!
Recently he has moved into Executive Coaching specialising in public speaking combining his knowledge and background as a presenter and performer with extensive training as an Executive Coach, NLP & Hypontherapy master and trainer. 

Mark's freshest challenge is launching the “Make Believe Academy - Guildford” a theatre school for childten from 3 to 18 years. Of which he is principal. “I am so excited that Make Believe is coming to Guildford, its a golden opportunity for children from every background to develop themselves, their confidence and performing skills in all aspects of acting, dance and singing… and its a ton of fun!”. 
The new school opens on 28 September 2024 book a free trial here:https://www.makebelievegroup.co.uk/school/make-believe-guildford/


Mark would like to dedicate this podcast to Hildegard Neil who passed away recently. Hildegard was an exceptional movie star, actor, director and acting coach. As the accomplished actor Victoria Hamilton says “Hildegard had acting in her bones”, this was so true! She was passionate, considerate, supportive, encouraging, and an unrelenting tour de force as a coach and mentor. I was so lucky to have gained such wisdom from such an inventive, diligent and intelligent director, who always served the playwrite and was a huge supporter of young talent.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/16/hildgard-neil-obituary#:~:text=The%20actor%20Hildegard%20Neil%2C%20who,a%20popular%20children's%20adventure%20series.

About Philippa Bagley
I’m a Professional Speaker and Therapist with a diverse background that includes military service and teaching.Like many people, I grew tired of corporate life and retrained in a range of therapies.
Now, I combine my extensive qualifications to assist individuals and organisations in boosting their communication, connection, and confidence. This enables them to make a significant impact on the world.I am passionately committed to mentoring clients, helping them overcome issues related to confidence, anxiety, and trauma, unlocking their potential, achieving their highest goals, and building mental resilience.

Want to keep progressing on your journey: 
For only $15/month join the community and get access to more training to help your develop yourself
https://www.skool.com/journeytopurpose/about
https://philippabagley.com/
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