Category: The Essentials

  • How to Start Your Acting Career in London

    How to Start Your Acting Career in London

    How to become an actor in London, including where to find auditions, drama schools and the cost of living in the capital. London is the centre of the UK’s entertainment industry, making it a popular base for performers. Often referred to as the ‘theatre capital of the world’, it has around 40 theatres in and…

  • Everything You Need to Know About Voice Reels

    Everything You Need to Know About Voice Reels

    Tips and advice for creating a voice reel, including how to make one, why it’s needed and what you should include in yours. Voice over is becoming more and more of an accessible and exciting platform, with a huge wealth of work available that gives performers another way to build a successful, fulfilling and varied…

  • Getting Started in Voice Acting for Animation

    Getting Started in Voice Acting for Animation

    Voice actor Dian Perry shares her tips for becoming an animation voice artist and doing voice over for cartoons. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a professional actor with a Spotlight membership. Maybe you’ve already secured your dream job and, if so, that’s terrific! But perhaps there’s another acting genre that you’ve always been…

  • How to Deal with Nerves

    How to Deal with Nerves

    Advice from performers on how to overcome your nerves when acting on stage or during an audition. Being nervous is a part of every performer’s life. Whether it’s in our new studios waiting for your audition, on stage, or the moment before a director yells, “Action!” we’ve all experienced it – from award-winning, experienced actors…

  • How to Prepare for a Table Read

    How to Prepare for a Table Read

    Tips for preparation when attending a read-through and what actors do during a table read. Landing an acting role is a great feeling and there’s no doubt you’ll be eager to get started. Whether the part is for a stage or screen production, actors are often invited to a table read – this is an…

  • How to Have a New Year Mindset All Year

    How to Have a New Year Mindset All Year

    ​​​How to plan and achieve your goals, no matter what time of the year you’re setting them.​​  ​​As the New Year comes in​, many of us will be adopting the age old ‘​New Year​,​ N​​​ew M​e’ mindset. ​For actors, ​this means ​overhauling career prospects and aspirations​,​ and ​levelling​ up with work by getting organised. ​January…

  • Who Actors Work with on Theatre Jobs

    Who Actors Work with on Theatre Jobs

    What to expect in a theatre and the crew you may work with on a theatre job Creating a theatre performance requires dedication and a team of creatives – the crew start working together long before the actors utter their first lines. Not all theatre productions operate the same, and the number of crew members…

  • Sean McGinley’s Tips for Learning Scripts

    Sean McGinley’s Tips for Learning Scripts

    Advice from the ‘Braveheart’ actor on how to start your acting career and learn a script Donegal-born actor Sean McGinley has had a career that spans decades and roles in countless well-known productions, including Braveheart, Gangs of New York, Shetland, The Alienist, and, most recently, the independent film Wait for Me. We had the chance…

  • How to Start Your Acting Career in Scotland

    How to Start Your Acting Career in Scotland

    How to start your acting career in Scotland, find acting jobs and the expected cost of living in Edinburgh and Glasgow for 2023 Scotland is steeped in culture that goes way beyond its famous ceilidhs and iconic bagpipes. The country’s breathtaking scenery played the backdrop for films such as Harry Potter, Sunshine on Leith and…

  • How to Start Your Acting Career in Leeds

    How to Start Your Acting Career in Leeds

    What you need to know about living and working in Leeds as an actor, including what acting schools are available, how to find auditions, and the cost of living locally Leeds is home to a vibrant cultural scene and has produced successful home-grown talent such as Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) and Gemma Whelan (Game of…