Prestigious placement at top performing art school for Brechin student

Fraser Thomson from Brechin (right) and Nathan Batchu, who will take up their places in September.

The spotlight has fallen on a Brechin student who has secured a place at one of the world’s most prestigious performing arts institutions.

Fraser Thomson, who attends North East Scotland College (NESCol), along with fellow student Nathan Batchu from Aberdeen, has been selected from more than 1600 applicants and will join the BA Acting degree programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) in September.

The duo have been studying HND Acting & Performance at NESCol for two years and, over the past few months, have gone through an intensive audition process that whittled the candidates down to the final class of 26.

Located in Glasgow, the RCS is ranked in the top 10 universities for performing arts in the world, sitting above The Julliard School in New York. Notable acting alumni include Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Outlander’s Sam Heughan.

Tony Young, Curriculum Manager for Performing Arts, NESCol, said: “Having two of our HND students accepted into the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland shines a light on the high quality of training in the performing arts offered at NESCol.

“Our courses are vocationally focused, and we have many alumni who now work professionally in the industry.

“It is a testament to Fraser and Nathan’s flair for acting, and dedication to their craft, that they will now continue their training at one of the world’s best performing arts conservatoires.”

Fraser, who worked full-time in retail after leaving school, had no performing experience prior NESCol, but his love of TV and film inspired him to transition to a career in the creative industries.

He said: “I admired the feelings that actors can elicit in their audience, and I wanted to share that amazing feeling with other people.

“I couldn’t imagine a better college experience. The range of skills and types of acting you’re taught forces you out of your comfort zone and propels your confidence.

"To be able to continue acting at the RCS is incredibly exciting – you just have to look at the RCS alumni and their careers to know that it is a springboard to the future.”

Further information about NEScol can be found at www.nescol.ac.uk.