Catriona Megan McArthur

Date of birth: 21/04/1994

As I come to the end of my music degree in July 2016, I am
absolutely thrilled to have been accepted to the one year MA in
Musical Theatre course at Royal Central School of Speech and
Drama, beginning in September 2016.
I really hope and believe that my place on the RCSSD course will
not only develop further my vocal, acting and movement ability,
but will also help to prepare me for the professional performance
industry.
At age 18, I pursued a BMus degree at Kings College London, which offered a high level of
academic challenge and also enabled me to benefit from 3 years conservatoire tuition in
singing at the Royal Academy of Music. My time at Kings has developed my resilience and
teamwork, introduced me to people from many nations and all walks of life and focused my
belief in the power of hard work; qualities needed by and most valued in a performer.
From an early age, I have loved playing piano, various recorders and the tenor horn. I was a
member of my school orchestra, recorder consort, traditional group, school and chapel choir,
with whom I sang in Southwark Cathedral. The Belfast School of Music provided me with
wide-ranging music opportunities, where I achieved my grade six theory and grade seven
tenor horn with distinction; playing in the Concert Band was tremendous fun. Piano has
always been important in my musical life and I play at grade 7+. I began singing lessons at
age 16 and by eighteen had achieved grade 8 distinction in classical voice and my diploma
(DipLCM) in classical singing performance. Alongside my A levels, I achieved a double
distinction in the Performing Arts BTEC.
At age 7, I was so very honoured to have the chance to perform the role of young Cosette in
the 2001 UK touring production of Les Misrables under the musical direction of Steve
Brooker in the Odyssey Arena, Belfast. It was my first ever time on a stage and so it was
that I caught the musical theatre and acting bug which has been with me ever since! After
this, I got to play various child roles in school and St Agnes and Ulster Operatic Choral
Societies including in Annie Get Your Gun and Oliver!

In my teens, roles included

Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (school), Lily St Regis in Annie (St Agnes Choral
Society, director Tony Finnegan, MD Wilson Shields), Nancy in Oliver and Nellie in South
1

Pacific (both joint schools productions) and Prophets Wife, blind

beggar and principal dancer in Jesus Christ Superstar (Ulster Operatic
Society, director Tony Finnegan, MD Wilson Shields). I have been a
soloist in many concerts, for example, under the musical direction of
Wilson Shields, in Belfasts Waterfront Hall. Over the years, all of these
wonderful experiences have made me many fantastic and talented friends and given me
tremendous opportunities to learn and work with performers of different ages and levels of
experience.
At 17, I joined MT4Uth for their production of West Side Story with West End musical
director Tim Sutton. I appreciated the talent shown by my peers who, like me, wished
passionately to pursue a career in musical theatre. In 2011, we performed at the World Skills
Organisation closing ceremony in Londons O2 Arena. In summer 2012, I worked as an extra
in HBOs Game of Thrones in Belfast, an experience which gave me a taster of the potential
scale of the entertainment industry and its associated levels of production.
My performance opportunities in Kings College London and joint London university musical
societies include playing the roles of Maureen in Rent (2013), Maria in
Side Story (2014), Rizzo in Grease (2014), Woman One in Songs for a

West
New

World (2015), Cherubino in Le Nozze de Figaro and Muzzy in Thoroughly

Modern Millie (2016), all in the Greenwood Theatre, London. In
second year (2014-15), I studied Jazz Singing at RAM. This year, I
am delighted to have been selected as the singer for KCL Big Band and we
perform at various high profile events in London.
In my final year at university, I have achieved the roles of Vice President of
Kings Musical Theatre and Resident Producer for Kings Opera. I

am

very interested in the business aspects of the industry and focus on creating
partnerships with other institutions including RAM, RCM,
Guildhall, Heritage Opera and Mahogany Opera. I am currently co-writing and directing an
original musical with Kings Musical Theatre, to be previewed at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival 2016.
Academic study has deepened and broadened my understanding of and relationship with
music-making further but performance is still my first love. I am so looking forward to the
next stage and beginning my full-time professional training at Central.