Lighthouse Stage Door Assistant, Joe Diaper has enjoyed a winding and curious career journey, one which stops in some unexpected places.
Working temporary acting gigs in London to becoming a Bingo Caller and now working at Lighthouse, since leaving university where he studied Drama, his path has been anything but conventional.
“I did everything,” he says. “I was a bar managing, a dispensing optician, and before moving back here, I was assistant hotel manager. I was on Four in a Bed!”
After an eight-year long hiatus from performing, Joe’s experience in the Channel 4 limelight has renewed his lifelong passion for the dramatic arts.
“Seeing that on TV made me want to go back (to acting), it was fun and even though it was reality TV, being in front of the cameras, I thought: ‘I want to do this.’”
Ultimately, this experience encouraged him to dive back into acting by joining the cast of The Polar Express train ride experience at Swanage Railway, playing the Conductor, working alongside his role at Lighthouse.
“I’ve absolutely loved it, being back in it and being back in that environment.”
After moving up, down and around the country, landing a role at Lighthouse was no accident. In a career full of twists and turns, each role, no matter how different, has brought him to back to his roots of drama and the arts – his presence in the building makes perfect sense.
“It’s being around creativity,” he explains. “In the theatre environment there’s nothing like it in the world. There is so much energy, I love being around it. There’s nothing quite like it, that buzz.”
Once the role of Conductor finishes with the end of The Polar Express run on Christmas Eve, Joe is eager to pursue acting and will be looking for roles in Dorset and the surrounding area.
“I’ll be looking for more local stuff. I’d like to be more involved in the arts scene down here. I know how difficult it can be to have a dream but never give up on it. No matter how many years you leave it, you still have those skills.”
Revisiting something excites you is forever a worthwhile endeavour and it’s never too late to pursue passions and chase the spark.
“After eight years, I didn’t know if I could do it anymore,” he adds. “Do I want to do it? Am I going to enjoy it? But I have, and I have absolutely loved it.
“Sometimes you need to push yourself and have confidence in yourself.
(Aoife Kelly)