The Children’s Hour is my first West End show. I feel like a little sponge, absorbing all the information that I can.

The cast have all been very supportive. Keira Knightley, Elisabeth Moss, Ellen Burstyn, Carol Kane; they could have not talked to everyone and made it difficult, but they are actually really lovely people.

The director [Ian Rickson] has been very helpful. On the first day, we all had to improvise a scene about coming back to school after the holidays. The first time I actually met Keira and Elizabeth, we were all in character and I didn’t feel nervous.

My agent put me forward for this part. I got an agent last April off the back of a feature film called The Devil’s Double, which I got by writing to casting directors and asking for an audition.

I signed up for IdeasTap about a year and a half ago. I really wanted to get into acting and I didn’t really know how to do it, because I’ve been doing dance for so long. It was amazing, because there were all these auditions, you didn’t need an agent, it’s free and there was so much support.

When I heard about [Old Vic New Voices’ community theatre project] Platform I thought, can I manage this? But my agent told me to go for it, because they knew that it would be good for my career. I was doing odd jobs just to pay my rent: waitressing, cleaning, all sorts.

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about how there aren’t enough parts for women, so it’s great to get into a play where there are so many women involved. I suppose, like everything, you just have to be there at the right time.

If you’ve trained as a dancer then you’re seen as a dancer; people don’t really trust you to be an actor. I did ballet from when I was about 10 until three years ago. I really respect the whole art of ballet; it’s very intense and you have to stay so motivated. But the career is not as long as an actor’s. At about 30 you’re already thinking about stopping to become a teacher.

There are lots of up and downs with this business; you can have whole months without work. But don’t just sit around waiting for things to happen; be around creative people, come up with stuff. Even if you’re just working on a script at home together, it’ll help you to stay positive until something comes along.

My character in The Children’s Hour struggles with Latin, and would probably be called dyslexic nowadays. I’m actually dyslexic and it was very difficult for me in school. So, I’ve used that experience in approaching this character.

You need to remember where you came from. I worked in a cinema for two years in Leicester Square, selling popcorn and cleaning toilets while all these dressed up people would be coming to the cinema for premieres.

I really appreciate what IdeasTap and Old Vic New Voices are doing. When I did Platform I was really struggling to find a job. Doing that, with people who really cared, was amazing. I don’t think I would have got this job if I hadn’t done Platform. I really believe that.

Marama Corlett was talking to Nell Frizzell.

The Children’s Hour will be at the Comedy Theatre until 7 May 2011. Headshot by John Clark

Are you an IdeasTap member with a success story you want to shout about? Get in touch with me at nell@ideastap.com.