Thomas Coombes

“To paraphrase ‘Goodfellas’ – As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be an actor. Essex was where I found my passion and was allowed to explore it. From the opportunity to attend a Saturday drama class at six years old, to acting in local productions; its influence on me in my formative years have been long-lasting. I’m deeply passionate about the creative arts and its ability to transform lives and stimulate empathy and emotion. Essex has a thriving community of creative talent; my hometown of Southend has drama and dance schools, music and drama festivals, a thriving amateur dramatics scene (though I’d argue standard ain’t amateur), improv and comedy (The Laughter Academy/Little Smash Comedy), Leigh Folk Festival, METAL, Southend Film Festival – it’s of vital importance to encourage and set up platforms to allow it to flourish. From Prodigy to Dr Feelgood, Lee Evans to Danny Mays – Essex represent.”