We were delighted to welcome OB Harun Ćehović (15-17) back to school to run a specialist workshop to a group of drama boys earlier this week.
Boys studying drama have enjoyed a wonderfully enriched curriculum this academic year, including industry speakers, theatre trips and specialist workshops, and just before half term, drama scholars were shown the effectiveness of the Laban Movement by OB and established actor Jonno Davies.
Read: OB and Actor Jonno Davies Teaches Drama Scholars
This week, a wider group of drama boys from the Fifth Form through to the Upper Sixth Form welcomed Harun in to teach them the Actors’ Warm-up technique that he is currently studying at RADA, where he is undertaking his Masters in Acting. The technique is based on many of Stanislavski’s and Grotowski’s elements covering aspects such as sensibility and naturalism, and provides useful tools to use to physically get the body in shape before a performance, giving actors everything they need to go out onto the stage.
During his time as an academic scholar at Bedford School, Harun had never really considered drama until a teacher introduced him to it.
Harun explained, “It was thanks to the drama department and The Quarry Theatre that I became interested in acting and doing shows here. I had got an offer from Kings College, London, to study Economics, but I decided to say no to that and go into drama instead. I would say that Bedford School was the main factor in discovering my love of drama – Bedford School really was a life-changer for me in every sense – it just gave me so many opportunities and allowed me to follow as many paths as I wanted. It was so generous and knowledge-giving in everything. Because I had not done drama before in my life, I saw this theatre and I thought, ‘maybe give it a go!’.
Harun starred in many school productions including Mojo, Quorum Boy, Bouncers, Roadshow and Macbeth, which are some of his favourites.
Harun (centre bottom) in the Bedford School production of Bouncers in 2016.
“I loved every aspect of acting. I knew that’s what I wanted to do – I found my place. Although it sounds sentimental and emotional, I really did find what I love doing and I enjoy it so much that it doesn’t feel like working at all.”
Harun left Bedford School in 2017 to study Performing Arts at the University of Sarajevo in his home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his fourth year, Harun was fortunate to perform in eight different shows at the National Theatre of Sarajevo and finished his Batchelor in Acting with the esteemed accolade of ‘Best Actor’. After successfully applying to sit his masters in three different drama schools across the world, Harun finally settled on RADA, which brought him back to the UK where he is currently studying.