“
QMC was the most freeing place . I arrived on day one and I knew I had found my people .
”
It ’ s fascinating to discover his mindset and the mental preparation that goes into every show . He explains : “ I get to the venue very early and I rehearse , rehearse , rehearse ! I talk through all of my material . I take time to open up the folders in my head where all of my material sits and make sure I can access it .” This takes me back to Craig ’ s phone , with all of his food and drink recommendations stored away neatly in easily accessible folders – it ’ s all linked .
He continues : “ There is some improvising , but this took years to perfect . I ’ m a fast speaker , and this extended warm up before the show begins helps me get ‘ up-to-speed ’. Audience interaction is everything for me and they keep me on my toes . I flourish under pressure , and I love the audience for that . But it ’ s not just as easy as rocking up and chatting to the crowd . I use all the skills I learned at QMC . Don ’ t you forget it – I ’ m an actor that does comedy , not a comedian .”
“ I have as much of a laugh as the audience do . I make a point of shaking every audience member ’ s hand as they leave … not so much now with the pandemic . I honestly look forward to every gig I do . I hear people talking about how they dread doing a gig – I don ’ t get it . When the lights go down , we could be anywhere . We aren ’ t in a theatre or a venue in a city or town ; we are in a moment … a moment of magic !”
Craig ’ s phone alarm sounds , “ That ’ s my reminder . Look , it says ‘ Cook Gousto meal before meeting my pal at 6pm ’. I bloody love that Gousto , I ’ m on meal 436 !” This is a final insight into the discipline and organisation that Craig puts into his whole life , and I think it ’ s safe to say that it ’ s a key factor in his success .
I have one last question before he jumps on his bike for the short ride home : what advice would he offer students today ?
“ Don ’ t be afraid to go off on a career tangent you didn ’ t expect , as it might be the best thing that ever happens to you . Oh , and two other things : ( 1 ) Say yes to everything - it ’ s always worth a try , and ( 2 ) If you are frightened of it , then it ’ s probably going to be good for you .”
A moment later , he cycles into the evening sun , en route to Gousto meal # 436 . ❒
A step forward for LGBT + inclusivity on campus
QMU PRIDES ITSELF on its welcoming community environment – a place where people feel free to be themselves . As part of our drive to create an inclusive university , our School of Arts , Social Sciences and Management ( ASSAM ) led the charge towards achieving charter status with LGBT Youth Scotland , the national charity for LGBT + young people .
ASSAM ramped up plans to promote LGBT + students support - from making printed resources widely available , to joining the LGBT + Student Society in the 2020 Edinburgh Pride march . But COVID restrictions forced the team back to the drawing board and the work continued with an online focus . A dedicated section of the website was created ; and staff and students wrote blogs , signed a pledge to include gender pronouns in their email signatures , created a virtual Pride parade , and took part in awareness-raising campaigns such as Purple Friday . When a return to campus was possible , a collaboration with queer-led graduate video production company , Naka Media , resulted in a celebratory film about QMU ’ s LGBT + inclusive community .
Initially aiming to attain bronze status , ASSAM exceeded all expectations by achieving a silver award ! This marks an important milestone in the University ’ s commitment to social justice . ❒
28 QMYOU / Alumni Feature