Plymouth Resident Bound for London, Takes on Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Sayre Fox of Plymouth, a 2008 Salem High School graduate, will be beginning a royal adventure in London next month, where she will put her classical acting skills to work at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, RADA. 

As one of the finest drama schools in the world, RADA only accepts 28 actors into its three-year honors program each year, and Fox was recently selected from the 4,000 auditions worldwide, making her one of the very few Americans to have been invited since RADA launched in 1904.

“They told us that if you were accepted, it would be by phone, so I spent that month serially checking my phone and jumping every time it rang.  When I got the phone call, it was late in the afternoon here.  Also, at this time, my dad was in England, so when it rang with the UK area code, I was sure it was my dad,” Fox said.

Fox remembers knowing right away from the person’s voice that it was not her dad on the phone.

“I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. This is a dream come true to receive this training and work with this faculty. I have been dreaming, literally and figuratively, about this for years.  It was amazing and surreal,” said Fox.

Fox first applied for this RADA program by sending in a written application in November, followed by an audition in New York in March.  Fox then received this phone call about a month after final call backs, which took place a few weeks later in London.

“It was a nine-hour final audition where we took a few classes to simulate what a day at RADA might be like, and then at the end of the day, everyone performed monologues for the faculty and each other,” Fox said.

Fox will spend her three years at RADA doing vocational acting training, working with text, studying different styles and traditions of theatre, and working with voice and speech.

“The first year, there are no public performances.  It will be training and practicing different methods and styles of acting.  The second and third years will be a continuation of that, plus rehearsals for public performances,” said Fox.

Not only is Queen Elizabeth II RADA’s patron, but RADA has a very prestigious list of alumni as well, including Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, and Ralph Fiennes from the Harry Potter films.  Fox will put all of her previous acting experience to the test as she attends this highly admired bachelor’s program. 

Fox Relies on Past Experience to Succeed

As a very shy child, Fox first started acting at the age of six when her older brother suggested that they audition for a play at the Plymouth Community Arts Council.  To the surprise of her family, Fox was chosen to become ‘Coco the Clown’ for Babes in Toyland.

“Then, I sort of got into sports and other activities until my sophomore year of high school. I was taking a Shakespeare class, and it felt like I was waking up again. We were offered extra credit to audition for A Midsummer Night's Dream. I ended up getting the role of Helena, and I loved every minute of  it.  Up until that point, I didn't even know there were schools for acting, but once I did, that was it, that's what I wanted to do,” Fox said.

Fox received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Purchase College in 2012, where she spent four years with the same 12 classmates, fulfilling a class schedule that consisted of class, speech, voice, and movement.  Fox also completed an eight-week summer course at RADA between her second and third years at Purchase.

“This year, as I've been auditioning for RADA, I did two plays in Michigan, Painting Churches and Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged,” said Fox.

While training at RADA has always been one of Fox's goals, she also hopes to work with Shakespeare companies.

“My main acting goal is to be able to have a long-term career in which I am able to grow as an actor,” Fox said.

Although she is still short funds for the first year of the program, Fox has been working two jobs for the last year to save as much money as she can.  While her family, friends, third grade teacher, and alma mater have generously donated to help Fox attend RADA, she continues to actively raise funds through her website.

“I enjoy acting because it feels like bringing characters and stories to life.  I love that the theatre is a sacred space where you can suspend reality for a few hours,” Fox said.