Freya Lewis: ‘Acting became my source of processing emotions; it was my therapy’
John ByrneFreya Lewis tells John Byrne how acting helped her to process her trauma and find her calling
When I was 14 years old, I was seriously injured in the 2017 Manchester Arena bomb attack, and I unfortunately lost my best friend. Due to what I’ve had to overcome at an early age, I had a whole host of emotions that I didn’t know how to deal with. I went through a traumatic experience that changed the course of my life forever. However, becoming an actor was the only thing I could be certain about. Acting became my source of processing emotions; it was my therapy.
That acting journey eventually led me to training at LMA and the lead role of Susan Salmon in a production of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. Once the show was announced, our whole year gathered to do a table read of the play. We were about three scenes in before I knew that I not only had fallen in love with it but I wanted to play Susie more than anything. The play centres around her murder at 14 years old. She watches from a personal heaven as her family comes to terms with her death and tries to figure out who her killer was.
Continues...
The most helpful tool to get me into the character was to create a music playlist that encapsulated the world of the play. Listening instantly transported me into the mysterious world of the play. Music is something that is a useful aid to me when working on my craft.
Our rehearsal process wasn’t all smooth sailing, but I am sure this has prepared me for the completely unpredictable world of the theatre. I always imagined that screen would be my main focus in acting, but after this experience, I became fascinated with stage.
The first thing I remember from the performance was how nervous I was. I had convinced myself that I’d forgotten all of my lines. I even told my friend 30 seconds before the curtain went up that I’d lost my voice, which was just nerves talking. But once I stepped into that spotlight, I was on cloud nine. I loved every single second of it.
Looking back, I would have trusted myself more. I think actors often have imposter syndrome, but I think you should remind yourself that you earned that role. Seeing how much my parents loved watching it and hugging them at the end made it all worth it.
Freya Lewis
Age: 22
Training: LMA London
Theatre includes: Susie Salmon in The Lovely Bones, Aunt Maggie in The Ferryman
Other credits: Jess Phillips in Raffaello Degruttola’s performance-based film Little Boxes
Agent: Kelle Bryan, Advocate Agency
Opinion
Recommended for you
Advice
Recommended for you
Most Read
Across The Stage this weekYour subscription helps ensure our journalism can continue
Invest in The Stage today with a subscription starting at just £7.99
© Copyright Playbook Media Trading Company Limited 2026
