Category: News & Advice
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Coping with Rejection: A Guide for Actors
Ways to cope with audition rejections and how to bounce back after hearing a ‘no’. When I tell people I’m an actor, there are usually two questions. The first is: “Are you in anything at the moment?” The second is: “How do you deal with all that rejection?” Whether you work in the industry or…
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6 Ways to Combat Nerves at Your Next Audition
6 tips for tackling bad nerves at your next audition… For some, auditioning is just part of the daily routine of being an actor. But for others it’s the elephant in the room that we don’t want to address because addressing it would mean admitting that auditioning has become a fear, not a thrill. And that…
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A Day in the Life of a Casting Director: Sue Odell, CDA
Spotlight spoke to Casting Director Sue Odell on her hands-on approach to casting, the realities of a commercial casting timeline, and how inclusivity factors in… “I like to give [actors] confidence straight away – I try to find interesting types that aren’t conventionally pretty. I give them confidence by finding that something about them –…
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Emma Rice on Directing Theatre
Spotlight talks to Emma Rice about learning to direct, telling good stories, and the joy of theatre… Emma Rice, director of Wise Children and former Artistic Director at the Globe, talks to Spotlight about how she came into directing, her passion for theatre and what she looks for from actors she works with. Take a…
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The Spotlight Podcast: How to Start Writing
Spotlight talks to Kerry Ryan, PhD about getting started on your writing journey. In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we talk to Kerry Ryan, founder of Write Like A Grrrl, on how to start writing. Kerry talks to us about overcoming writing obstacles, how to practically get started, developing character and dialogue, when to get…
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Freelancer Motivation with Muriel McClymont of FEU Training
Muriel McClymont keeps us motivated as freelancers with advice on clarifying our goals, achieving them, and overcoming what demotivates us. By Natasha Raymond As freelance artists in a competitive industry, keeping motivated can sometimes feel as challenging as finding work. But at Spotlight’s recent Open House, FEU Training’s Muriel McClymont shared some tips and techniques to help identify…
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Maintaining a Good Relationship with Your Agent
Tips to establish a healthy working relationship with your agent. There’s nothing worse than an apathetic actor sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring and subsequently blaming the world for their shortcomings. If you are constantly out at classes or on set, you’ll be proving that you’re employable and hardworking. Matthew Jacobs Morgan…
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Sonia Allam’s Audition Tips for Young Performers
Casting Director Sonia Allam shares her advice on confidence, self-tapes, and making the best impression in your next audition. At our latest Open House, our younger performers had the opportunity to work with Casting Director Sonia Allam (Plebs, Hetty Feather and The Spanish Princess) on auditioning. Participants, aged 14 to 18, had the opportunity to…
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Voice and Accent Work with Nina Zendejas
Practical exercises from Nina Zendejas, Head of Voice at Italia Conti (MT), for practising character voices, Received Pronunciation and General American accents. In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast we talk to Nina Zendejas, an international voice coach specialising in accent and dialect, and native to the United States. Currently working as the Head of…
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Theatre Audition Tips with Ruth O’Dowd
Have you got a theatre audition coming up? Check out Ruth O’Dowd’s top tips for auditioning for theatre, from our latest Open House… Are you waiting for your next audition? Downtime is the perfect opportunity to rework those auditioning muscles. It’s easy as an actor to get caught up in your own head, especially when…