Author: Natasha Raymond
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In the Director’s Chair with Paulette Randall MBE
How director and producer Paulette Randall’s career flourished, from Rose Bruford and Theatre of Black Women to ‘Tin Star’, the Spotlight Prize and the 2012 Olympic Games. Not many directors can say they’ve worked on an opening ceremony for the Olympics, but this is just one feather in the fascinating and colourful cap that Paulette…
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My Casting Story: Lee Mead’s ‘Sister Act’
Lee Mead shares his acting experience, from ‘Joseph’ to jumping into his new ‘Sister Act’ role, plus his vocal care tips. As a nation, we first got to know Lee Mead through the TV show phenomenon Any Dream Will Do, which saw Andrew Lloyd Webber searching for the perfect actor to play ‘Joseph’ in Joseph…
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Meet the Casting Director: Catherine Willis on ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’
How ‘Detectorists’ and ‘The Gathering’ casting director Catherine Willis solved the casting for BBC’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ and her top tips for a successful self-tape. In the latest BBC mystery series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, we may not know who the killer is, but we definitely know who cast it.…
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2 Minutes with George MacKay
How ‘1917’ and ‘I Came By’ actor George MacKay started acting, and his top tips for fellow performers. George MacKay secured his first role at the age of 10 in P.J. Hogan’s feature film Peter Pan, playing ‘Curly’ the Lost Boy after he was spotted by an acting scout at his school. Since then, he…
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How Fabien Frankel Fired Up for ‘House of the Dragon’
Ahead of season 2, actor Fabien Frankel looks back on how he got the role of ‘Ser Criston Cole’ in ‘House of the Dragon’. Like its predecessor, HBO’s House of the Dragon has been a wildly popular series. Bringing back the political and familial scheming, epic battles, and fire-breathing dragons that made Game of Thrones…
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Giving Voice to Animation with Robert Chandler
The producer of ‘The Amazing Maurice’ provides an insight into making animated films and what he looks for during voiceover auditions. Of all the ways to tell a story, perhaps none allows you more freedom and creativity than animation. Unlike live-action productions, your characters can be larger than life, you’re not restrained to real-world locations…
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5 Ways to Learn Your Lines
Five methods actors use to learn lines and tips for learning lines quickly. It’s always essential for actors to know their lines – whether it’s for an upcoming role or preparation for an audition. The sooner you have your lines memorised, the sooner you can focus on physical movement, your delivery, and character creation. Every…
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Meet the Casting Director: Aisha Bywaters on ‘Queenie’
How casting director Aisha Bywaters cast Channel 4’s ‘Queenie’ and what she looks for in self-tapes and auditions. From the moment it was published, Candice Carty-Williams’ novel Queenie was one to watch. It spawned a four-way bidding war between publishing houses, and now it’s a much-anticipated television series on Channel 4, cast by the award-winning…
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What Aspirations Drive an Actor?
A look at the acting goals and aspirations of our Spotlight Prize 2023 winners and finalists. The aspirations of actors can be as varied as their talents. Some performers dream of stardom and their name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, others want to be the representation they didn’t see on screens as children, or…
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Inspiration for Becoming an Actor
Previous Spotlight Prize nominees share their motivation for becoming an actor and what first inspired them. Being an actor is one of the most challenging professions to pursue. You have to deal with countless rejections, never knowing when you’ll get your next role and usually work a side job to keep your finances healthy. However,…