Author: Natasha Raymond

  • Starting Out Successfully as a Drama School Graduate

    Starting Out Successfully as a Drama School Graduate

    Advice from actors, directors and casting directors on how to become a successful actor after drama school. Finishing drama school is an exciting time in an actor’s life. You’ve learned the tricks of the trade, made lots of connections with other actors and are finally ready to start putting your new qualification to the test…

  • 2023 BAFTA Scotland Awards Nominations Announced

    2023 BAFTA Scotland Awards Nominations Announced

    ‘Aftersun’, ‘Mayflies’ and ‘Karen Pirie’ are among the leading nominations for this year’s awards The coveted BAFTA Scotland Awards are here once more to celebrate the very best of Scottish talent in 2023. Hosted again by radio DJ and TV presenter Edith Bowman, the BAFTA Scotland Awards aims to honour excellence across the Scottish screen…

  • UK Theatre Awards 2023: Winners!

    UK Theatre Awards 2023: Winners!

    Actors Mark Gatiss, Daniel Rigby, Lena Hall and Antony Eden among winners at the UK Theatre Awards 2023 On Sunday 8 October 2023, the UK Theatre Awards 2023 took place at London’s historic Guildhall. Hosted by musical theatre star and Spotlight member Zoe Birkett (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Bodyguard,Priscilla Queen of the Desert), these prestigious…

  • How to Stay Connected in the Performing Arts Industry

    How to Stay Connected in the Performing Arts Industry

    Why it’s important to stay connected to the performing arts industry between work and how you can use your time to build connections with other creatives. As actors, we live and breathe the performing arts industry. We work in it, we enjoy watching productions and we constantly dream of that next role. Sometimes, the time…

  • Tips for Working with Directors

    Tips for Working with Directors

    Advice from actors on how you can impress a director, and why the relationship between director and actor is so important. Every production will have a director, and every director is tasked with bringing that production to life using their creative vision. Sometimes, the fact that an actor has worked with a certain director can…

  • Meet the Casting Directors: Bernard Telsey and Kristian Charbonier

    Meet the Casting Directors: Bernard Telsey and Kristian Charbonier

    We catch up with Bernard Telsey and Kristian Charbonier to chat about casting ‘Theater Camp’, what makes for a good audition, and knowing when an actor is right for a part. Bernard Telsey and Kristian Charbonier are prolific in the world of casting. Based in the USA, The Telsey Office cast everything from films, TV shows and…

  • How Do I Market my Acting Career?

    How Do I Market my Acting Career?

    Casting directors and agents share their advice for how to promote yourself as an actor and why Spotlight is an important tool for this. When it comes to the performing arts industry, you – the actor – are the product. And as with any product, marketing yourself well will increase the chances of the right…

  • Actors’ Tips for Building a Great Working Relationship with Your Agent

    Actors’ Tips for Building a Great Working Relationship with Your Agent

    Three actors give their advice on how to build and maintain a successful working relationship with your agent. Your working relationship with your agent is built on trust and loyalty and, if managed correctly, can be very fruitful. After all, your agent will help find you work and ‘sell’ you and your skills as a…

  • How to Network as an Actor

    How to Network as an Actor

    Tips from casting directors for how to successfully network yourself as an actor and get connections in acting. In the performing arts industry, who you know can be just as important as what you know. Casting directors have fantastic memories and will keep actors they’ve met in mind for future roles. Anyone you’ve worked with…

  • Frank Advice from the Casting Director of ‘Vikings’ on Auditions and Self-tapes

    Frank Advice from the Casting Director of ‘Vikings’ on Auditions and Self-tapes

    Frank Moiselle’s top tips for how to audition well, how to make a self-tape, and what a good showreel looks like. Casting director Frank Moiselle has worked on exciting projects, such as TV shows Penny Dreadful, Vikings, The Tudors and The Borgias. We spoke to Frank and asked him what advice he has for actors looking to get work through…