Category: The Essentials
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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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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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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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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,…
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What You Need to Know About Making a Short Film
Tips for producing and funding a short film, and how to apply to short film festivals. Creating your own work is an important part of finding your way in the industry today. With the UK film and television industry now one of the fastest growing industries in the UK, and recent statistics showing that high-end TV…
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How to Edit your Self-Tapes and Showreels
Learn how to edit and export your self-tapes and showreels with our handy step-by-step guide. With the rise in popularity of self-tapes and showreels, it’s more important than ever to know how to edit a video. Video editing can sound complicated, and you may think it would be expensive to get the right software, but this doesn’t have…
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6 Reasons Why Actors Should Give Commercial Work a Chance
How commercial work can be beneficial for your acting career, and why you should give it a go I made my prime-time television debut last month, and my notifications feed has been non-stop ever since. It seems that every Facebook friend, distant relative, and old school pal is burning to ask me the same question: “Are you…