Category: News & Advice
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How to Become a Performer in Manchester
Everything you need to know about working as an actor in Manchester including available training, how to find auditions, and the local cost of living There was a time when training at a London drama school, getting an agent and living in the capital to pursue an acting career was the status quo. Over the…
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The Essential Dos and Don’ts for Voice Work
Voice experts share their top tips for caring for your voice and unlocking its true potential for voice over work. Voice overs are an exciting and potentially lucrative opportunity for actors. However, thanks to the surplus of A-list celebrities being cast in voice roles for their ‘star power’, there’s an untrue expectation that voice work…
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How to Write a Play
Writer and founder of ‘Write Like a Grrrl’ Kerry Ryan shares the essentials for writing a play and taking care of yourself during the process. Have you ever wanted to write a play but felt too scared to begin? When I first started out, fear and self-doubt held me back. My inner critic was relentless. I would…
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Summer School Courses You Can Book This Year
A guide to 2023 summer school courses for young performers and graduates Participating in a theatre-related summer school can be a great opportunity to build skills, try something new, and sample different drama schools. There are a range of training opportunities for performers throughout the UK and Ireland this July and August – as well…
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Getting Started As A Voice Actor
Advice for voice acting and performers looking to get started in the voice over industry. I’ve always been interested in voice over work. You don’t need to learn the lines, and there’s a huge variety of work out there – from commercials and audiobooks to video games and podcasts. But beyond recording a voice demo and petitioning a list of agents, I didn’t…
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How to Handle Criticism
Eight steps for handling feedback, whether it’s constructive or misguided As actors, feedback is a necessary part of our craft. We can’t see our performance from the outside, so we rely on teachers and directors to guide us. However, criticism is sometimes less than constructive. It can be ill-intentioned, clumsily put, misguided or plain unhelpful.…
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Performing on Stage in Germany
Work permits, contracts and travel advice for performers preparing to work on stage in Hamburg, Germany. As a British stage and screen actor, my work has taken me to many exciting places around the world. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to travel to Germany for the first time to perform as the…
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Tips on How to Choose Your Monologue
Stage director Natalie Abrahami and Spotlight Prize performers share their top tips for choosing a great monologue that’s right for you. Whether you’re choosing a monologue for a showcase, an audition, or even our very own ‘Into the Spotlight’ monologue competition, the search for a piece that perfectly shows off your acting skills can be daunting. There…
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Casting Director Nina Gold on ‘Slow Horses’ and Auditions
Nina Gold talks about casting Gary Oldman in ‘Slow Horses’, wanting actors to do well in auditions and being right for a part British casting director Nina Gold could not be busier, having cast several shows currently streaming, including Apple TV+’s Slow Horses and Bad Sisters, Disney’s Andor, HBO’s Rain Dogs and Amazon Prime’s The Power. With two BAFTAs wins, and five…
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Confidence in Auditions
Top tips to help actors approach auditions and self-tapes with confidence. I’ve done a lot of auditions. I’ve been acting professionally for 30 years, performed on stage and screen in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and ran a theatre company in Melbourne for six years. I’ve worked across multiple genres: drama, comedy, musical theatre, Shakespeare, sitcom,…