Author: Natasha Raymond
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Meet the Casting Director: Sophie Holland on ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’
Casting director Sophie Holland shares how she finds new talent and her experience casting ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, ‘The Witcher’ and ‘Wednesday’. It’s always difficult to capture the magic of an original cult-classic film, but 36 years later, the cast of Beetlejuice eagerly returned to give it a try – and it was casting director Sophie Holland’s…
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The Role That Changed My Career
Five performers tell us about the roles and people who made their careers. Every role an actor plays gives them the opportunity to showcase their skills and make their mark on the industry, but some roles are so well-received, so pivotal, that they can catapult your career to new heights and audiences. At the CDG…
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Is Drama School the Right Path for You?
The Spotlight Prize 2024 winners and finalists share why they went to drama school and how you can tell whether this is the right path for you. It’s no longer the case that you need to have gone to drama school to have a successful acting career. Drama school can equip you with useful and…
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Erin Doherty’s Royal Role in ‘The Crown’
‘The Crown’ actress Erin Doherty relives her audition for ‘Princess Anne’ and how she prepared for the callback. From stage to screen, Erin Doherty has been a part of some truly exciting productions: The Crucible at the National Theatre, Les Miserables and Call the Midwife for the BBC, A Thousand Blows for Disney Plus, and…
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5 Top Tips From 5 Top Actors
The stars of ‘Bad Education’, ‘A Discovery of Witches’, ‘Dreaming Whilst Black’ and more share their top acting tips that performers of every level should know. If you could only give only one piece of advice to your fellow actors, what would it be? Would you caution them about being prepared for auditions, or share…
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My Casting Story: Ella Purnell in ‘Fallout’
‘Yellowjackets’ actress Ella Purnell takes us behind the scenes on ‘Fallout’, from facing fake monsters to choreographing fights. Ella Purnell is no stranger to appearing on our screens in big-budget productions. She’s had roles in Army of the Dead, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Kick-Ass 2, Yellowjackets and, most recently, Amazon’s hit TV series…
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How Anthony Boyle Soared to Success in ‘Masters of the Air’
The ‘Masters of the Air’ actor reveals how he aced his audition and rose to the role of ‘Lt. Harry Crosby’. Apple TV’s mini-series Masters of the Air has certainly taken off. With an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and three nominations for the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards, audiences were clearly gripped by the dangers…
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Starring in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ with Tom Francis
The ‘Sunset Boulevard’ actor shares a speedy breakdown of the audition process and his preparation for the award-winning show. Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre was the stand-out success at the Olivier Awards 2024. The show took home seven well-deserved wins, with one of them going to Tom Francis for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’…
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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…