Gavin trained as an actor at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he received a scholarship to study from 1998 to 2001. However, by 2004 he had abandoned his acting career and in 2015 Gavin was close to death after 20 years of chronic alcohol abuse.

His life was saved by a 24-week period spent in a residential rehabilitation centre in West Sussex, which set him on a path to sobriety which has now lasted nine years. 

Once in stable recovery, he established his own immersive theatre company, producing a modern adaptation of Hamlet at various fringe festivals in 2018. The following year, he made his West End acting debut in Ian Rickson's production of Ibsen's Rosmersholm at the Duke of York's Theatre, alongside Tom Burke, Hayley Atwell, and Giles Terera.

In this period, Gavin also begun to develop his teaching and directing skills by conducting acting classes as a freelancer and completing a Post-Graduate Certificate in Performance Teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 

In 2023, he graduated with a master's degree in Actor Training and Coaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and that October, with the help of a charitable start up grant from Central he founded Crave Theatre.

Because of his own journey, Gavin is passionate about providing acting training and performance opportunities for actors who have overcome substance abuse, offering them a dedicated space to develop their talents.

He strongly believes that the craft of acting offers a unique means of expression for people who crave the feeling of being seen and heard by others, and that by way of characters and words created by others, there lies a space for self-discovery unlike any other artistic practice.

"I often hear it said that 'acting isn't therapy', but I believe this misrepresents the nature of the craft of acting in itself. The physical, vocal and psychological embodiment of another 'person' can absolutely free somebody to explore their nature and understand their impulses and compulsions more than is commonly acknowledged. This is particularly true if the actor in question, and the ensemble, are mindful and reflective throughout the process. 
For those who are in recovery, self-awareness of one's inherent compulsions is a fundamental tool to maintain sobriety. This is why I am passionate about the benefits of this work, both for the actor in recovery and, of course for audiences, who's negative assumptions expectations around drug and alcohol abusers can be smashed if presented with articulate and informed theatrical work."  Gavin Antony - 2024