Ena Begovic (BA (Hons) Drama 2021) actor, creative and international Ambassador for CCCU, is just about to launch her one woman show, Bloody Influencers. What started as a final performance for her MA Acting for Stage and Screen, her play is now about to debut on the London stage. We spoke to Ena to find out more

Tell us about your show

Bloody Influencers is a one woman show, a darkly comedic story about a famous influencer Daisy W, Insta queen, who goes on a journey of finding something real in a world where everything she has is fake, starting with the feelings between her and her fiancé. 

The show is tackling important issues of society such as the negative effects of social media through humour, which I am sure many can relate to.

I’ll be at Barons Court Theatre 7-11 Feb 2023 so come and see me!

How did your play come about?

I started developing the story during my Acting Degree, as we had workshops/classes on storytelling. Through those classes we played with creating different stories and I felt that one particular had potential. Actually, the funny secret is that by chance I was given the task from my tutor: include Twitter into your story. This was a randomly given task and after it I just couldn’t stop developing the character of an influencer. My initial story about searching for what matters; care for others, self-love, connections with family and friends, and how that’s framed by social media. 

How did your time at CCCU influence your career? 

Prior to my MA in Acting for Stage and Screen I finished my BA (Hons) Drama at CCCU. My BA in Drama was a foundation on which I built everything else. Christ Church and Canterbury was my first home in the UK after moving from Croatia and my drama course gave me a first taste of being a part of British theatre.

In my BA Drama course, I developed so much, I built my confidence and got the opportunity to work on and hone my acting skills. I had such inspiring tutors from all over the world who were always supporting me and appreciating the work I put into the tasks they gave.

CCCU also funded me to attend a short film acting course in London at National Youth Film Academy, which gave me a great opportunity to connect with other actors and filmmakers and prepare for a life living in London.  

What advice would you give a student wanting to pursue an acting career?

When it comes to acting, what I learnt so far, whether from others or from my own experience, is that you really need to believe in yourself and you need to love this field to be able to persevere. 

This is what I find important at least because there are many people trying to pursue acting and you need to be aware of your own worth and talent and always work on your skill. 

What is next for you?

I’d love to take Bloody Influencers to the Edinburgh Fringe or perform it at other venues across the country, so I am interested in the feedback on it.

Other than that I’m always auditioning for film and TV, so watch this space!

Why is remaining connected to CCCU important to you?

I feel lucky and grateful for my undergraduate degree, and I’m proud to still represent CCCU as an International Alumni Ambassador. It’s great to still be in touch and participate in events. I feel I play an important role in the University’s aim to keep connected with alumni as I lead a group of Croatian alumni where I post the CCCU relevant updates. I’m always inviting Croatian graduates/alumni to keep an eye on LinkedIn and join. It’s very important for any student to experience that University cares about us and CCCU certainly does, even after you graduate.