Actress Sarah to follow in footsteps of screen legends

A DUBLIN actress is about to take her first steps in the shadow of screen and stage legends such as Richard Harris and Donald Sutherland.

They are among the alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where Sarah Madigan is about to begin a two-year acting course.

She is one of less than 30 successful applicants who are accepted onto the course each year from around 3,000 hopefuls.

Despite the tough entry route, the rewards speak for themselves, with alumni including Limerick’s twice Oscar-nominated Harris, Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent and screen veteran Sutherland.

Other past students of LAMDA, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, include Golden Globe winner John Lithgow, Kim Cattrall of Sex and the City fame and David Suchet, best known for his TV portrayal of Belgian detective Hercules Poirot.

The 24-year-old was head of drama during her second-level education at Loreto College in Swords, but her thespian aspirations began much earlier than that.

“I have always wanted to be an actor. I loved performing from a very young age and took speech and drama classes with Una Dunne in Swords,” she said.

After graduating with a degree in English and French from University College Dublin three years ago, she took part in a postgraduate performer training programme at Queen’s University Belfast.

Her impressive CV includes a number of notable stage appearances, including a role alongside some of the country’s leading actors in Harold Pinter’s Celebration at Dublin’s Gate Theatre last year. Sarah has also featured in the TG4 series Marú and another upcoming programme Anisprid, which is due to air in the autumn.