Back to the East…
Kate as Old Mother Redbeard on The Chronicles of Atom and Luna
After our South West week the Atom and Luna team are back in the East this week - performing in London on Saturday and in Chelmsford on Sunday and Monday.
We caught up with one of our actors Kate Millner who lives in Kelverdon in Essex.
Kate could you tell us a bit about where you were born and brought up?
I was born in the West Midlands and grew up in a small village called Kingswinford, close to Dudley/ Stourbridge. Funnily enough, this was where Bek (our designer) also lived- born seven years after me (what a small world it is!) We went to the same sixth form college- King Edward VI in Stourbridge! Oh my goodness, when I found that out I was over the moon- and it led to many chats about the area in any spare moments we had during the tech week. I'd spotted a slight Black Country twang to a word she'd said.. and that was it! The truth was out!
I performed in lots of local amateur shows in my teens especially in Brierley Hill and studied Drama at King Eds and at the Stourbridge School of Speech and Drama. From there, I went on to read Art, Art History and Drama at Aberystwyth Uni- including following the Acting course- then went on to do my Post-Grad at Cambridge Uni.
And now you are both very definitely based in Essex ...whats your favourite thing about living in Essex?
I've landed here in a very round-about way. After uni I toured for many years with various theatre companies, lived in London- then after my daughter Erin was born in 2002 we moved to Harlow. Further moves took me slightly north of Harlow- Bishop's Stortford, Stansted, then across to Chelmsford.
In 2013, myself and Erin moved onto a 65ft old barge moored on the Navigation at Heybridge Basin where we lived until 2022, when I moved to Kelvedon just south of Colchester... Once again back 'on land' with Michael (who I married in 2019), our dog Nanook and rescue cat Socks (AKA Captain Toebeard). Erin has just gone into her 4th year of Gaming Design MA.
My favourite thing about Essex? Two things actually- firstly the wonderful network of talented and creative individuals I feel lucky to be a part of and secondly, the gorgeous waterways and coastal landscapes. I miss living at the Basin. Ducks as neighbours. Geese and swans flying overhead. The smell of the salt marshes and seaweed. Honestly, functioning so deeply within the Essex changing seasons and being so exposed to the Essex natural landscape was a gift.
Oop- and I met my husband Michael at an Essex music studio, Studio 6 Music in 2017. Maybe that should have been 'first on my list, eh...??!!
What inspired you to become an actor?
Regular trips to the theatre as a youngster and into my teens- especially at the Birmingham Rep. I saw Derek Jacobi in a production there (I wrote to him saying how inspired I'd been AND he personally typed and sent one back!) and Renaissance Theatre Company- Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Richard Briars performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear.
Studying Drama at King Edward's alongside my 'A' Levels allowed me to realise my passion for drama and performance art in a more academic way, too (there had been nothing like it at my secondary school).
I had got into two London Drama schools straight after my Degree, but going there had been frowned on- and without securing finance for either, I had to decline both places. That broke my heart and has always stayed with me. However, during my post-grad I performed at the ADC Theatre and in the college theatre spaces with the Music/English undergrads. It was at the ADC I met David Mitchell and Robert Webb. David worked backstage on a few productions I was in and I worked backstage whilst he was on the mainstage for Footlights. My talented friend Adam Cork has gone on to become a very successful composer and Matthew Mitchell, a theatre producer.
Actor Kate Millner during rehearsals of The Chronicles of Atom and Luna
What were your favourite moments in the rehearsal room for Atom and Luna?
Getting to know the cast. What a gorgeous bunch.
Working with Mr Hare. Stunning.
Reminiscing with Bek.
And (big one this) feeling very supported as a 50-something post-menopausal actress by the lovely cast and production team. That is always pretty special.
And what were the greatest challenges?
Overcoming some of the issues a 50-something post-menopausal actress meets in rehearsal! Especially during the hotter weather!
We’ve been asking our audiences for three words which describe Atom and Luna - what three words would you use?
Magical- earthy- discovery.
And finally any top tips for budding young actors from Essex or indeed further afield?
Follow your heart. Be true to yourself in the moment (as we evolve- our needs and priorities change daily/monthly/yearly).
Overcome problems in your path with grace and patience.
Get experience where you can. Networking can be very tricky for some, no matter their age or experience but it DOES help.
Be humble. Be kind. The world is a small one and you meet many actors and creatives who know someone who knows you as the years go by. So always endeavour to be the best person you can be to yourself and others as you work.
Amazing thank you Kate and best wishes for the rest of the tour!!
