Category: News & Advice
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I Am No Celebrity: An Interview with the Walking Dead’s Lennie James
By Domenique Fragale “Mr James?” I ask into the phone. “Mr James? Please call me Lennie, I don’t know who this Mr James is that you talk of.” I’m immediately at ease with the down-to-earth actor, who has an extensive theatre, screen and writing career. With credits including Snatch, The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead,…
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Hugo Blick on Directing for Screen
Hugo Blick, the creative mind behind the Honorable Woman and Black Earth Rising, talks to Spotlight about directing, telling good stories, and much more… Hugo Blick, writer, director, actor and producer behind Black Earth Rising and The Honourable Woman, talks to Spotlight. In this video, Hugo talks to us about why he got into directing,…
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Working as a Parent: Reflections on Acting and Parenthood
Personal reflections on being a parent and a performer in a challenging, unpredictable industry… The determination I’d carried with me to make my career work my whole life stepped up another gear, and sure enough, I was pregnant before I knew it. Great! But then the reality of being a pregnant actress hit hard. Castings.…
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Quick Self-Taping Tips from a Casting Assistant
Sophia Elizabeth Tamaro gives her quick self-taping tips for actors… In today’s ever-changing world, self-tapes are a wonderful tool that allow actresses and actors to be seen by casting directors across the globe. And yet, they can be daunting for many different reasons. Here, I’ve tried to break down some basics to encourage you to…
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Commercial Casting Auditions
The Spotlight Podcast talks to Alex Wheeler of Martin Gibbons Casting about commercial castings. In this episode of the Spotlight Podcast, we talk to Alex Wheeler, who works for the award-winning Martin Gibbons Casting. Alex is holding an Open House session with us on commercial castings, so we quizzed him ahead of time on everything you need to…
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The Spotlight Prize 2019 Finalists Announced
Nominees Revealed for the 2019 Spotlight Prize Drama school graduates from across the UK and Ireland have been selected to perform in front of an exclusive industry panel in July at the Spotlight Prize 2019. The finalists will be launching their career to an audience of influential industry professionals on 16th July at 8 Northumberland Avenue, with a live theatre performance…
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10 Tips for Foreign Actors in London
Sarah Barlin, who has just moved to London, gives her top tips for any actors who’ve just arrived in the UK. My mum always tells me to keep my cup full. Acting can be hard because it is paved with rejection. It helps to know how to keep yourself healthy and happy. Sleep, drink water,…
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Josie Rourke on Directing for Stage and Screen
Spotlight talks to Josie Rourke about directing… Josie Rourke, former Artistic Director of the Donmar and director of film Mary, Queen of Scots, talks to Spotlight. Josie talks through how she got into directing, advice to actors and directors alike, and who inspires her to create work.
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BFI Flare: The Complexities of LGBTQ+ Casting
Spotlight recently partnered on Casting Case Studies, an event in BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival’s Industry Programme that explored individual experiences of LGBTQ+ casting, the challenges faced by transgender performers, and the ethics of street casting to reflect real-life experiences. The panel on 29th March, hosted by Spotlight’s Emma Dyson, was formed by casting…
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What Are Your Transferable Skills as an Actor?
Discovering what your transferable skills are and how to use them to supplement your income. In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we talk to Sarah Thurstan, a performer and co-founder of Performance Link. She took over the company in 2000 and now runs it herself alongside acting work. We’ll be talking all about transferable skills…