Alumni

Megan Hills

Age: 22

Current Occupation and Country of Residence:
Editorial Intern at Sassy Hong Kong (just graduated from the University of Warwick!), Hong Kong

Tell us your Faust Story!
It feels like it’s always been a part of my life. I remember being a part of the big Faust showcase, Oliver!. I was watching in the wings as Fagin’s Gang did a big energetic routine and I remember being absolutely wowed by it all; the costumes, the lighting and energy of the whole thing were incredible. The confidence of everyone in it completely knocked my socks off. I was still pretty shy at the time, but it felt like it really flipped a switch in me and I knew I wanted to give it my best shot.

I was also a student leader for a little while and helped out backstage with a few shows, which was a lot of fun. It’s so much fun to teach kids because they’re constantly surprising you with how creatively they see the world.

Your favourite Faust shows?
I’ve been in a lot of plays with Faust, but I’ve got to say that the best roles I’ve ever had were as Jill in Equus, Tituba in The Crucible and the Father in A Little Princess. A Little Princess, directed by Keon Lee, was the first time that someone had trusted me with such an important role and it definitely has a special place in my heart!

What did you gain from your experience at Faust as a student and as a Leader?
Faust made me a better person and instilled in me values and passions that continue to follow me to this day. I’ve actually gone a slightly different creative route and right now, I’m really into writing. I think that being exposed to so many incredible plays and adaptations like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery really helped shaped the kind of writing voice I want to have. By learning how to express other characters’ emotions in class, I also find it so much easier to communicate what I’m feeling and to relate to other people deeply.

I think more than anything though, I learned to actually like myself. There’s so much white noise when you’re growing up and people telling you this and that, that grades and a brand name university are everything, but Faust strips that all down to the stuff that really matters. Faust is one of those rare places where you feel so safe and comfortable exploring the world with other people who are still figuring it out too.

At school or university, there’s this constant pressure to feel like you need to know exactly what you’re doing all the time. At Faust, it’s okay to not know. The group leaders aren’t going to give you the answers but they’re not going to demand them from you either- they leave it up to you, but they’re always there at the end of the day with no shortage of laughter and a script in their hands.