A life on the stage beckons for sporty Deirdre

Julie Kenwell • Published 26 Jan 2012 09:30 0 Comments

Share this

22-YEAR-OLD Deirdre Ferguson from Garrison has stars in her eyes and dreams of one day seeing her own name in lights.

The alumni of the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester is back home in Fermanagh at the moment after finishing her studies last year.

Her return to the County will be short-lived though, as she plans to return to her college-day stomping ground in the coming months.

Currently working full-time in Enniskillen's TopShop store, the tall brunette is the perfect candidate to model the new trends for this season.

Wearing a daring pair of leopard print leggings and a black sheer blouse from TopShop, Deirdre says that although she's enjoying life back on home soil, there are too many attractions pulling her back to Manchester.

"I love Manchester," she says, "It's a great city. The acting scene there is brilliant now. The BBC and ITV have moved up to Salford Quays there which is known as MediaCity. So it's not as hard to get work outside of London now.

"And the connections from Manchester to London are great. So I would love to have Manchester as my base and travel up and down to London. I have a lot of contacts in Manchester too, from my time studying there, and my mum is originally from there so in a way it's home from home."

Since the age of 13 Deirdre has had dreams of pursuing a career in the acting world.

"I took it very seriously, but even up until I was leaving school I was still a little unsure about whether I should go for it," she explains, "It's not a very stable career to go into. But I knew I would be unhappy if I went on to do something else. My parents gave me their full support so that's what gave me the final push to go for it."

Deirdre's second look is a 90s grunge dress from TopShop which she wears with black court shoes.

"I love working in TopShop," she says, "What girl wouldn't? I've only been working there since October but I've really enjoyed it and the decision to move back to Manchester has been quite hard, I've been a bit divided."

An avid sportswoman, Deirdre puts her spare time to good use with a variety of exercise regimes, most notably, Utimate Frisbee.

"I discovered Ultimate Frisbee while I was back at home. I joined the Donegal team. You play it on a football pitch and it's a mix between netball and basketball. It's an American sport and it's huge over in English universities.

"When I went into third year in Manchester I took it up and I've taken part in loads of different tournaments. My team came third in the Women's UK Nationals! I'm actually trying to get on to the Irish team now. I know they have trials coming up soon and it would be a huge dream of mine to become part of the team."

Modelling a Kaleidoscope skirt with a black blouse and cream blazer from work, the bubbly brunette explains her family run a Bed and Breakfast in Garrison.

"We have six full self-catering houses as well. So I have seen plenty of different faces from all over the world. My dad built the B&B and we moved in when I was seven. We are very used to people showing up at the door and the phone always ringing. It's a lovely, sociable way of life."

Deirdre's fourth look for this week's lifestyle photoshoot is a pair of black leather-style leggings and an orange blouse.

"I like a more classic style when it comes to clothes," she says, "I love the preppy look too, but I'd rather go for a more classic look than something which is very garish. I still like a bit of quirkiness though. That's why I love TopShop so much -- their fashion is amazing. There's such a wide variety of trends for everyone. During the day I like to wear something comfy but if I was going out I love getting really dressed up."

Naming Meryl Streep as her inspiration, Deirdre says she has high hopes of gaining roles in all aspects of the acting sphere.

"I'd love to do a bit of everything really, but I would love to get into theatre work most," she says, wearing a checked shirt with a white t-shirt and skinny jeans, "I definitely want to move into TV and film, but without a doubt, theatre would be my first love. My training is very classically based. I was always told I was a very strong, dominant actress and that I'd be more suited to the darker kind of roles. So the likes of Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren -- I'd love to do that."

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 26 Jan 12

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our The Magazine archives.