Titus Andronicus gave Moira Buffini confidence after school expulsion
Moira Buffini says performing Shakespeare’s *Titus Andronicus* with the National Youth Theatre changed her life. At a difficult point, after being expelled from school, the production gave her a sense of belonging and helped her find confidence and a new direction.
Buffini played Tamora, the ruthless Queen of the Goths, in a school gym production that embraced the play’s horror, likening its shock and gore to *A Nightmare on Elm Street*. Rehearsing with a diverse group of young people taught her about collaboration and made her less afraid of Shakespeare. Afterwards, she applied to study drama and moved to London.
- Youth theatre gave Buffini confidence during a difficult period.
- Playing Tamora helped her feel stronger and more assured.
- The production inspired her to study drama and move to London.
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Titus Andronicus is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, set in ancient Rome and centred on a cycle of revenge between Roman general Titus and Tamora, Queen of the Goths. The play is known for its violence and dark subject matter.
The National Youth Theatre is a British organisation that gives young people opportunities to perform and train in theatre. Its productions bring together performers from different backgrounds, often introducing them to plays and ways of working they may not have encountered before.
Moira Buffini is a British playwright and screenwriter who began her career as an actor. Her experience with the play came at a difficult time in her life, when taking part in a theatre group offered a route into drama and helped shape her later choices.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “The play that changed my life: ‘I was the badass queen in Titus Andronicus – we did it like A Nightmare on Elm Street’”.