After living all her life in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, Emma Wilkes moved to Stroud in 2011 with her husband James and children. After joining Susan Lynch’s theatre group Rats in 2016, Emma felt the time was right to leave her career as a secondary school French and German teacher, and start a journey to becoming a professional actress. Since meeting Susan, she’s trained with other amazing actors and directors, and recently landed her first TV role on BBC Doctors.
We sat down to delve into Emma’s innermost thoughts
When are you at your happiest?
When I have family and friends around me with nice food and drink, then if anyone decides to start off the singing and dancing, then brilliant!
What has been the scariest moment in your life?
I suffer from anxiety anyway, but my scariest moment was being in
hospital overnight with my first-born, thinking she wasn’t breathing.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
This is a bit much but my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and no disappointment will ever eclipse that.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Wordle!
Who is the most famous person in your phone?
Susan Lynch.
What is your favourite smell?
A freshly brewing cafetiere of columbian coffee emanating from the kitchen while I’m still lying in bed!
Who would play you in a film about your life?
I would love to imagine Julia Roberts, but actually more like Julie Walters (for her accent! Plus I love her anyway!!).
What do you like most about living in the Stroud area?
If something isn’t right, Stroud people come together to change it.
What would you improve about Stroud?
I would have more places for young people to hang out in comfort to have fun.
What is your ideal weekend?
Lie-in, power shower, lazy breakfast, walk-in nature, good food and drink, good people, wonderful ambience, good music (preferably with karaoke), dancing.
What is on your bucket list?
A big role in a play on the West End or on the telly, or feature film!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.
What book and song would you take with you if stranded on an uninhabited island?
I hate questions like this… so many different genres/moods…my book would be The Complete Works Of Shakespeare (so I have plenty of work to keep me going!), and song-wise…I have so so so many songs that I adore for different reasons, but the most recent song that in my neuro-divergent way I have played on a loop for hours, is ‘Silly Games’
