Eve Niker came back to Bradfield to compere the Old Bradfieldian Gala Night in the Greek Theatre for the 2018 Bradfield Festival. A bursary enabled her to attend Bradfield for Sixth Form in 2008. She talks passionately about what her time at Bradfield enabled her to achieve.
I would not be where I am today without a Bradfield Bursary – I loved living at Bradfield, I loved being educated there and I urge every pupil to take advantage oF what Bradfield has to offer…
“As an aspiring actor it meant that I could not only go to a top university but had the opportunity to attend one of the best Drama schools in the country. It enabled me to have the most amazing two years in the Sixth Form.”
The top university and Drama School she refers to were The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), where she studied Musical Theatre, and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). While her experiences there provided Eve with the perfect training for her fledgling multifaceted career as an actor, singer, director and writer, the RADA graduate insists that Bradfield played an integral role in giving her the edge to get a foot in the door.
“Remembering lines, being in a rehearsal room, being creative and being open-minded towards other people is like a muscle you can train. In the two years that I was at Bradfield I took part in 14 Drama productions, performed on stage as a part of three musical ensembles and choirs, was in the netball, hockey, badminton and swimming teams, attended multiple societies and even got to spend my Upper Sixth year developing my leadership skills as Deputy Head of School.
While excelling in her A Level studies in Maths, Chemistry and French it was the co-curricular opportunities that offered Eve the motivation to pursue a future in performing arts.
“Soon after I arrived a group of us put on a production of Charlie Brown which we created in just one week. I thought if we could produce this in just one week what can I achieve in the rest of my time here. The experience opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I could accomplish at Bradfield and beyond.”
Eve continues to reflect on how time at Bradfield helped her get the most out of her studies at the prestigious Drama school.
“Bradfield encouraged me to build my confidence and public speaking skills while leading Saturday tours for prospective parents. All of that put me in a really strong place and with the experience of Shakespeare plays and Greek Tragedies under my belt I had the edge over other applicants.”
“Bradfield certainly empowered me to create. I was devising pieces in the Sixth Form, was encouraged to write scripts and got to take pieces to Edinburgh. Those are all experiences that people do not often come across until they are at university. In a rehearsal room that gives you an extra something, more than just a performer.“
“I would not be sitting here without it that is for sure. It has had such a positive effect on my career. I loved living here and I loved being educated here and I urge every pupil to take advantage of what Bradfield has to offer.”
“I felt the possibilities were endless. That there was not enough time in the day to do everything that I wanted to do.” As the summer sun spills over the flint and stone of Bradfield’s Dining Hall, young actor and Old Bradfieldian Eve Niker’s face illuminates as she recounts the memories of her first day at Bradfield. “Naturally I said yes to everything which meant I was quite tired but I loved every second of it.”
A camera focuses in on her infectious smile while Eve, back at Bradfield to film an upcoming video for the College’s bursary campaign, continues to talk passionately about what a bursary enabled her to achieve.
“As an aspiring actor it meant that I could not only go to a top university but had the opportunity to attend one of the best Drama schools in the country. It enabled me to have the most amazing two years in the Sixth Form and, essentially, it made my bar jump.”
“That put me in a really strong place. I had the edge over other applicants.”
The top university and Drama School she refers to were The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), where she studied Musical Theatre, and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). While her experiences there provided Eve with the perfect training for her fledgling multifaceted career as an actor, singer, director and writer, the RADA graduate insists that Bradfield played an integral role in giving her the edge to get a foot in the door.
“Remembering lines, being in a rehearsal room, being creative and being open-minded towards other people is like a muscle you can train. In the two years that I was here I took part in 14 Drama productions, performed on stage as a part of three musical ensembles and choirs, was in the netball, hockey, badminton and swimming teams, attended multiple societies and even got to spend my Upper Sixth year developing my leadership skills as Deputy Head of School.
“Bradfield also encouraged me to build my confidence and public speaking skills while leading Saturday tours for prospective parents. All of that put me in a really strong place and with the experience of Shakespeare plays and Greek Tragedies under my belt I had the edge over other applicants.”
Eve’s application was so strong that RCS awarded her the full Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship which enabled her to build on more of the skills she affirms that were initially picked up during her Bradfield days.
“I like smiles and as an actor it is great to have a strong smile.”
I am slightly taken aback to learn that an acting career was not on the cards when Eve first arrived to board in Stevens House. Sport was one potential career pathways as she trained as a High Board Diver for ten years and was in the England Netball Development Squad. The other had more to do with smiles.
“There was a part of me that wanted to study Medicine which probably came about because I really like visiting the Dentist. I realise this is odd but I like smiles and as an actor it is great to have a strong smile.”
While excelling in her A Level studies in Maths, Chemistry and French it was the co-curricular opportunities that offered Eve the motivation to pursue a future in performing arts.
“Soon after I arrived a group of us put on a production of Charlie Brown which we created in just one week. I thought if we could produce this in just one week what can I achieve in the rest of my time here. The experience opened my eyes to the possibilities of what I could accomplish at Bradfield and beyond.”
“There is nothing that makes me want to give this up.”
Following multiple Bradfield plays and three years of RCS education, Eve was cast in her first professional role as Martha in a touring production of The Secret Garden. At the same time she had auditioned for a place at RADA and it was on the opening night of the tour that the letter of acceptance arrived and Eve asserts that the fast-moving nature of the process reflects the nature of an acting career.
“I finished the tour and almost immediately started at RADA. It is non-stop and is not easy. Every day is different and you have to find your own routine which is difficult because you are constantly freelancing rather than having a steady job.
“If you want to be in this business it has to be unequivocally what you want to do because you will want to stop very quickly if it is not. There is nothing that makes me want to give this up.”
“Bradfield certainly empowered me to create.”
Eve continues to reflect on how time at Bradfield helped her get the most out of her studies at the prestigious Drama school.
“Empowerment is definitely the word and Bradfield certainly empowered me to create. I was devising pieces in the Sixth Form, was encouraged to write scripts and got to take pieces to Edinburgh. Those are all experiences that people do not often come across until they are at university. In a rehearsal room that gives you an extra something, more than just a performer.“
Since graduating from RADA, Eve has begun to build a strong portfolio of work. In the last 18 months her original composition The Dance Hall, which she wrote and directed, was staged in two London theatres and thrived in a leading role in Twelfth Night. All this was made possible by a Bradfield bursary, something which Eve is eternally grateful for.
“I would not be sitting here without it that is for sure. It has had such a positive effect on my career. I loved living here and I loved being educated here and I urge every pupil to take advantage on what Bradfield has to offer.”
