Biography
My illustrated life...
I was popped out on the 1st May 1983 in Southampton general hospital, Hampshire, England, to petrified parents Lynne and Tim Barlow.
Thankfully for all involved I was a lot smaller then. I’m now a 6’ 5’’ tall, doorframe fearing, giant, currently residing in Hampshire, although I’m generally never in.
As well as an artist, I think I always wanted to work as an actor, apart from the time when I was six. I really wanted to be a care bear. However, no matter how hard I squeezed I could not get love to spray out of my belly....only wee.
At this tender belly squeezing age I lived in Woolston (Hampshire) with my mother Lynne and my younger sister Emily (she’s only younger than me because she’s of less age). At the ripe old age of ten we were bundled into the car boot and moved to Fleet where I started inflicting my acting upon the unsuspecting public in school plays.
Life in Fleet was short lived however when mummy Lynne died of stomach cancer. She was 42. I was 12.
I then tied my sister to a raft and dived down the motorway to live with father Tim and stepmother Christine and her two offspring Kristoff and Paul.
It was around this time in my life that I decided acting was definitely for me. It was that or be a chef. But I didn’t want to be.
I was experience hungry (actually I’m always hungry) so I launched an assault on all the drama groups I could reach. Until at one point I was juggling way too many different rehearsals and jobs but thankfully, I managed to cope by getting a great big motorbike!… that’s a massive lie… It was a small scooter, which for those not in the know is a hairdryer on wheels. The image of me on a scooter has something reminiscent of a bull on a penny.
Straight (well...slightly bent) from school I did a Btec National Diploma in Performing Arts at Eastleigh College, where I learned to explain myself using the art of contemporary dance. I also met my best friend, my braces came off and my spots almost cleared up.
Upon devastating the college with some truly groundbreaking (like a shovel) work (you should have seen my take of a certain Billy Elliot dance sequence) I ditched the scooter and swapped it for a scarf (it was a nice scarf) and off I flew to drama school.
The very beautiful Bretton Hall College of Arts, was situated in Yorkshire Sculpture park, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire. (I say was, the building is still there but it has for now closed as a college...travesty...maybe my repeat of the Billy Elliot number did it no favours) It had a reputation for producing unique and intelligent performers, including Mark Thomas, Emma Fryer, The Research (Band) and The League of Gentlemen and many others.
Three years of acting at Bretton Hall was a joy. It gave me the opportunity to utilize my acting, dance, singing and art skills to create new work. one particular piece of ‘new work’ involved me wearing nothing but cling film as a nappy, get tied to a bridge and fed rotten kippers by two girls, Who were of course dressed as newly hatched pregnant nurses.
During my time at Bretton I was encouraged by tutor and all round amazing person Dr. Timothy Kedge (this wonderful man sadly died in 2009, the world is colder without him) to go to Summit Camp. It was 2003 and I was 20. And weighed in at 25 stone.
Summit Camp is a very special place. A USA camp unlike many others. It is a camp for children from ages of around 4 – 19 that have social and behavioural difficulties. So I fitted in perfectly! I worked as a Camp Counsellor and enjoyed it so much I returned twice since.
I graduated in July of 2004 with a BA (Hons) Acting. After leaving I Skied all the way down south, back to Hampshire and have enjoyed working consistently as an actor. I like to fill the odd gap with artwork and teaching.
From April 2008 – April 2009 I decided bread was bad and oat cakes were great and lost over 8 stone. I am enjoying being thinner for the first time in my life, I just wish chocolate bars and cheese would stop whispering sweet nothings to me when I sleep.
I many interests aside from My career. I like to write a lot and I’m often working on several scripts and a novel. I also work as a commissioned artist and I have an ambition to publish an illustrated book one day. I also like to read, swim, dance, sing and cook. I am often out and about visiting friends and enjoying monkey business, capers and general tom foolery.