Pippin Carroll (2016)

It is always so great to see former students returning to Daramalan College and giving back to Daramalan Community. Pippin Carrol (2016) helped Daramalan Theatre Company with the production of their recent performance, “The Gift of Story”, despite living 3000 km away! Please read more about Pip’s challenges with the show, his favourite teachers and the things he is most proud of.

How has Daramalan College influenced your life?

In too many ways to count! However, so many things I learned in the drama department have stayed with me from my time at Dara. Even after graduation, the sense of ongoing community has also been very special to be a part of.

Who was your favourite teacher?

Haha, it’s too hard to choose! But Joe (Woodward) and Lucy (Cronan) hold a special place in my heart for their constant su

pport for my passion as a performer and encouragement to take on new challenges. But special mentions go to Anne Brown, Annette Brady, Amy Thomas and Ben McGee!

What did you do after finishing Daramalan College and what are you doing now? 

After Dara, I studied literature and writing for a couple of years, then changed to a teaching degree. Then, I decided to leave uni and go travelling, then worked through the pandemic before auditioning for The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at the end of 2022, where I am currently studying after receiving an offer to study in the Bachelor of Acting.

Tell us about your current work with Daramalan Theatre Company.

Over the winter holidays, I was lucky enough to visit the junior school drama camp at Burrill Pines, where I spent an afternoon running workshops on characters and archetypes to assist with developing their production.

What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?

I think the difficulty about working with famous characters and stories like fairytales is that most audience members will already have a preconception of the characters they are watching. Hence, the pressure’s on to ‘get it right’. However, this challenge can also be looked at as an opportunity for an actor to put their own unique spin on such well-known characters.

What are you most proud of in your life?

I’m very proud that I got into my dream University, packed my things, and moved 3000km away, all on my own, to start a new life. It was very scary but definitely worth it! Also – getting Taylor Swift tickets!

What is your advice for current students?  

My advice for current students, whether they are drama students or not, is to work hard at the things that you love, because then they become the things that you are good at, and I think getting to do what you love for work and being pretty good at it, is an awesome feeling.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I would love to be really good at AFL! God blessed me with plenty of things… but athleticism wasn’t one of them!

Which character would you like to play the most?

I would love to play the character Iago from Shakespeare’s play Othello.