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Articles tagged with auditions

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 13 January

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry, so grab sit back and catch up on the stories you need to know. Marvellous musicals BBC Four’s The Story Of Musicals has been attracting a lot of praise and interest from many in the arts world, and is well worth a watch. London Theatre Tickets has a detailed review of the series, looking at how the history of the genre has developed over time. The series is available to watch on BBC iPlayer until...

posted on 13th January 2012 Read full article >>

How to: Audition for Shakespeare

Auditioning for Shakespeare is a different art from other auditions, as it comes with well-known characters, plays and very specific language. If you plan to perform the Bard in 2012, there’s plenty you can do to help prepare for you audition. We asked Charlotte Bevan, head of casting at Shakespeare’s Globe to share her advice on how actors should approach Shakespeare auditions. It is very important when auditioning for a Shakespeare play to remember the character first and foremost as it is very easy to speak the lines beautifully without communicating any meaning at all. ...

posted on 9th January 2012 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: How to approach Shakespeare auditions

What does an actor need to know when preparing for a Shakespeare audition? If you’re looking to get on board with the Bard in 2012, then prepare with some advice from the experts in our latest Spotlight podcast. We spoke to Tam Williams, a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Edward Hall’s all-male Shakespeare company Propeller, and Bill Buckhurst, who has directed and performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and is the former director of the Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Tam and Bill gave us their tips ahead of the most recent Spotlight professional development seminar, and covered how to master the language and...

posted on 21st December 2011 Read full article >>

Diary of a child actor’s mum: Playing the auditions waiting game

Each month Jemima Laing, mother of 12-year-old Spotlight member Felix Soper (right), will be charting the ups and occasional downs of being the parent of a child performer. This month, Jemima wrestles with the most agonising part of performing for any actor – the post-audition wait – and discovers Felix deals with it a lot better than she does. So after the initial excitement of the audition and then, with luck, the recall, comes the waiting game, though why they call it a game I don’t know. There aren’t any discernible rules and it really isn’t...

posted on 15th December 2011 Read full article >>

The Spotlight vodcast: Approaching Shakespeare auditions

If you’re auditioning for a role in Shakespeare, then prepare for your audition by getting some tips from the experts in our first Spotlight vodcast. Ahead of the last of Spotlight’s 2011 professional development seminars, we caught up with hosts Tam Williams and Bill Buckhurst and asked them for their top tips for approaching Shakespeare auditions. Tam has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and extensively with Edward Hall’s all-make Shakespeare company, Propeller, while Bill has directed and performed at Shakespeare’s Globe, worked with the RSC, and is the former director of the Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Tam and Bill gave...

posted on 8th December 2011 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: Auditioning for commercials

For many actors, commercials are an essential part of their working life, helping to bring in money and extra skills and credits to their CV. However, there are considerations an actor needs to be aware of when auditioning for a role in a commercial. The latest Spotlight Podcast offers up valuable tips for any actor approaching a commercial casting. We spoke to actors Tam Williams and Andrew Greenough at Spotlight’s professional development workshop for their advice. Both Tam and Andrew have plenty of experience in commercials and here they share their top tips and stories from their own experience, to help you...

posted on 17th November 2011 Read full article >>

The Spotlight Podcast: Working In LA

Want to get essential advice if you’re considering moving to LA to live and work? At Spotlight’s Working In LA professional development seminar, we spoke to hosts Tam Williams and Alexandra Boyd about their top tips for surviving and earning a living in Los Angeles for the latest Spotlight podcast. Both Tam and Alexandra are hugely experienced actors who’ve both lived and worked in LA, and have plenty of experience of the practical side of the industry. Both had plenty of top tips, and shared examples of how they learnt from mistakes in the United States. Don’t miss this valuable insight into...

posted on 10th November 2011 Read full article >>

Working as an actor in LA: The casting director’s view

This week Spotlight is hosting the first of our professional development pilot workshops, offering valuable insights and essential industry advice. The first workshop is all about Working In LA and is hosted by actors Tam Williams and Alexandra Boyd. To tie in with this, we’ll be running features from some of the best-connected people in the industry. First up, top casting director Carol Dudley from Cannon Dudley & Associates gives us her advice on the difference between UK and US taped castings. Ah, the difference between US and UK auditions. Let's just deal with taped...

posted on 7th November 2011 Read full article >>

Life of a drama school graduate: Acting on screen

Each month we’re following the progress of final year drama student Joe Gaminara from LAMDA, as he prepares to leave drama school behind and head into the world of auditions, castings and agents. Joe’s final year journey continues this month as he and his fellow students attempt to get to grips with screen acting for the first time and he tries not to kiss the casting director in a TV audition. It’s now half-term here at LAMDA, and finally we have a few sacred days to ourselves to briefly reflect on two months of TV, get...

posted on 31st October 2011 Read full article >>

The Spotlight Podcast: How to approach auditions

Want to learn the secret of how to approach an audition from those doing the auditioning? After Spotlight’s Casting Symposium, we asked our trio of top UK casting directors for their advice on approaching auditions. The panel of Lucinda Syson (W.E., X-Men, Kick Ass), Reg Poerscout–Edgerton (Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla) and Karen Lindsay-Stewart (The Other Boleyn Girl, Submarine, Marie Antionette) spoke to Spotlight’s Frances Mordue about their dos and don’ts for auditions, as well as their one tip for actors to make themselves more employable during auditions. Don’t miss this value insight from some of the biggest names in...

posted on 21st October 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 14th October

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and think our members should know about. So kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. London Film Festival   The BFI’s 55th London Film Festival is in full swing, with red carpets, galas and some fantastic films abound. There’s so much material, we’re only touching the surface here, but the BFI Festivals YouTube channel is a fantastic place to start. The BFI are uploading vodcasts and clips from press conferences. A perfect way to while away...

posted on 14th October 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight launches professional development pilot for members

Fancy jetting to LA for work? Want to perfect your Shakespearean sonnet skills? Looking to find out more about the world of commercials? Spotlight is offering its members the chance to learn from the experts in a series of three free taster events. You can now register your interest in Spotlight’s pilot programme of events this autumn. These events offer an invaluable insight into the industry, but also offer you the chance to give feedback and help refine our plans for a full programme of events. The three 90-minute pilot courses cover three essential areas for...

posted on 13th October 2011 Read full article >>

Applications to audition for the National Youth Theatre are now open!

The National Youth Theatre are now accepting applications for NYT’s 2011 auditions and interviews! If you are aged between 14-21, live in the UK and have spark, passion, focus, enthusiasm, generosity and commitment, the NYT would like to illuminate your talent. National Youth Theatre is Britain’s biggest youth arts organisation with over 50 years’ experience of proving that outstanding ensemble drama gives young people the tools to discover their voices, describe their lives and grasp opportunities for change. They perform in communities, on tour, online, in the West End, and have also performed in Beijing at the Olympic...

posted on 29th September 2010 Read full article >>

Interview with Lauren O’Neil – 2009 Spotlight Prize Winner

In 2009 Lauren O’Neil graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and won the Spotlight prize for best actress. This year she opened in her first professional stage role in ‘Women Beware Women’ at the National Theatre and will also be appearing on our TV screens in ‘Lewis’ on Sunday.  Will Davies, Spotlight Casting & Agent Liaison, spoke with her about her origins as an actress, her training at Guildhall and her industry experiences since winning the Spotlight prize. · Obvious question but did you always know you wanted to be an actress? Not at all, when...

posted on 20th May 2010 Read full article >>

Five Top Tips for TV and Film Casting from Kate Rhodes James

At this week’s Spotlight Graduate Programme event, casting director Kate Rhodes James (Bleak House, Cold Feet, Into the Storm, Mo Mowlam, The Fattest Man in Great Britain) spoke to final-year drama graduates about casting for film and television.  Topics covered included how to approach a casting director, what to expect in an audition and how best to present yourself (CV’s and photographs).  For anyone wanting to break into television and film here are her top five tips:  Research each casting director before you meet or contact them.  If you’re...

posted on 17th March 2010 Read full article >>

Five top tips for musical theatre auditions

Leading casting director Pippa Ailion shared a wealth of advice on musical theatre casting with Spotlight Graduates last week. Spotlight’s agent and casting liaison, Will Davies, was at the Graduate Programme event and picked five top tips: Always keep a book of contacts, a record of who’ve you’ve met, that can be referred to at all times. Be proactive, not just in the beginning, but throughout your career. Continue to write to people, know what’s being cast or going into production. Once you’ve completed your...

posted on 15th February 2010 Read full article >>