Fanny Bleach: I was abused by my drama teacher, he's still working today

On the sun-kissed Edinburgh Fringe stage, Emma Crowley Bennett shares a story that has haunted her for years. As she recounts her time at East 15 acting school, from 2014 to 2017, a mix of emotions swirls on her face, a blend of sadness, anger, and a hint of regret. Emma, 31, Newcastle-born and now a performer, had always been drawn to the unconventional and the unorthodox. East 15's experimental reputation was a magnet for her creative ambitions. Yet, what she discovered in those hallowed halls would leave her questioning the true cost of artistic expression.

Emma's time at East 15 was marked by a peculiar sense of camaraderie and shared experience. Her classmates and she would often find themselves naked, subjected to the whims of a drama teacher who seemed to blur the lines between artistic expression and exploitation. 'We were naked every day,' Emma recalls, her voice laced with a mix of pain and resignation. 'I would sometimes pretend I was on my period, other women would as well. We'd say, “Oh I'm just going to keep my knickers on today.”' This was not just a matter of creative freedom; it was a daily ritual that would leave its participants scarred.

Emma's drama teacher was the mastermind behind this twisted game. He would push his students to the limits of physical and emotional endurance, often without warning or consequence. 'He'd say, “Now do it naked”. We would do anything he said,' Emma remembers, her eyes clouding over. The lines between reality and performance were constantly blurred, leaving her and her classmates vulnerable to the whims of their teacher. 'I got beaten naked,' Emma says, her voice barely above a whisper. 'There's actually a photo of this guy's back. It's bleeding. And he knelt over a mirror, and the mirror smashed, he got glass all in himself. At no point did this director say, “Stop now”.'

For years, Emma struggled to reconcile her experiences at East 15 with her passion for performance. She would often describe her ordeal as a badge of honour, evidence of her strength and resilience. However, this narrative began to unravel in 2024, when Emma finally began to confront the true nature of her experiences. 'Someone in my class had to put a banana down my throat, as far as it would go, till I gagged, and then mark it,' she remembers, her voice shaking. The memories, long suppressed, now threatened to overwhelm her.

As Emma shares her story on the Edinburgh Fringe stage, it is clear that the conversation around creative expression and exploitation is far from over. The drama teacher in question is still working today, his actions a stark reminder of the power dynamics at play in the creative industries. Emma's story serves as a powerful indictment of the systems that enable such abuse, a call to action for greater accountability and transparency. As she takes the stage, her voice now a beacon of hope and resilience, it is clear that the true cost of creative ambition is a conversation that must be had.

The drama teacher in question has not been named in the source text. The article is based on the testimony of Emma Crowley Bennett, a former student of East 15 acting school.