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21st July 2025
Second-year BA Professional Acting student Elysia Showan has been awarded a Laurence Olivier bursary.
Facilitated by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), The Theatre Development Trust have awarded Laurence Olivier bursaries to eleven exceptional drama school students, providing them with vital financial support as they enter their final year of training.
Students are nominated by their drama school and are auditioned by a panel of industry professionals chaired by SOLT President and National Theatre Productions’ Executive Producer, Kash Bennet. The bursaries are funded by SOLT and a group of key donors including the Behrens Foundation, who have donated the prize to Elysia.
Elysia is in good company – she joins a long line of previous bursary recipients from BOVTS, including fellow BA actors Peter Devlin in 2024, Arabella Smith-James and Joseph Stanley in 2023, and Conor Doran in 2022.
Elysia commented, “I am so honoured and so grateful to receive this award! I absolutely love my training at BOVTS. Every day I do something that scares me – dig a little deeper and learn a little bit more about myself and the craft of acting. Entering third year is incredibly exciting and at the same time slightly daunting. Now with the financial help of the award I do feel the pressure is slightly lifted and I can focus fully on the next step and really enjoy the hard work and excitement that comes with my final year at drama school.”
Ali de Souza, Director of Drama, commented: “We are so delighted for Elysia being chosen as one of the lucky recipients of this prestigious bursary award. It is so well deserved and we couldn’t be prouder of her.”
Congratulations Elysia!
Header: Edward J Felton
