Category: The Industry
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The Benefits of Regional Theatre
We shine the spotlight on regional theatres across the UK and Ireland and showcase why they’re important to local communities and performers. For many performers, a role in a smash-hit musical or a prestigious play in a West End theatre is the ultimate dream. It’s no secret that London is the heart of the theatre…
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Starring in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ with Tom Francis
The ‘Sunset Boulevard’ actor shares a speedy breakdown of the audition process and his preparation for the award-winning show. Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre was the stand-out success at the Olivier Awards 2024. The show took home seven well-deserved wins, with one of them going to Tom Francis for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’…
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The Rise of Independent Film Festivals in the UK
Independent film festivals in the UK that aspiring filmmakers can enter and how these festivals are thriving, despite financial challenges. Independent film festivals offer a range of opportunities for filmmakers, actors and writers to engage in the arts, develop their craft and gain recognition in what can be a very tough industry to get a…
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In the Director’s Chair with Paulette Randall MBE
How director and producer Paulette Randall’s career flourished, from Rose Bruford and Theatre of Black Women to ‘Tin Star’, the Spotlight Prize and the 2012 Olympic Games. Not many directors can say they’ve worked on an opening ceremony for the Olympics, but this is just one feather in the fascinating and colourful cap that Paulette…
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The Evolution of Pilot Season
What is pilot season, how has the process changed with the rise of streaming services and why adapting to these changes is important for actors. Most actors may have heard the term ‘pilot season’ at some point during their career. It was once known as the busiest time of the year for auditions and many…
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My Casting Story: Lee Mead’s ‘Sister Act’
Lee Mead shares his acting experience, from ‘Joseph’ to jumping into his new ‘Sister Act’ role, plus his vocal care tips. As a nation, we first got to know Lee Mead through the TV show phenomenon Any Dream Will Do, which saw Andrew Lloyd Webber searching for the perfect actor to play ‘Joseph’ in Joseph…
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Meet the Casting Director: Catherine Willis on ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’
How ‘Detectorists’ and ‘The Gathering’ casting director Catherine Willis solved the casting for BBC’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ and her top tips for a successful self-tape. In the latest BBC mystery series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, we may not know who the killer is, but we definitely know who cast it.…
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How Fabien Frankel Fired Up for ‘House of the Dragon’
Ahead of season 2, actor Fabien Frankel looks back on how he got the role of ‘Ser Criston Cole’ in ‘House of the Dragon’. Like its predecessor, HBO’s House of the Dragon has been a wildly popular series. Bringing back the political and familial scheming, epic battles, and fire-breathing dragons that made Game of Thrones…
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Giving Voice to Animation with Robert Chandler
The producer of ‘The Amazing Maurice’ provides an insight into making animated films and what he looks for during voiceover auditions. Of all the ways to tell a story, perhaps none allows you more freedom and creativity than animation. Unlike live-action productions, your characters can be larger than life, you’re not restrained to real-world locations…
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Meet the Casting Director: Aisha Bywaters on ‘Queenie’
How casting director Aisha Bywaters cast Channel 4’s ‘Queenie’ and what she looks for in self-tapes and auditions. From the moment it was published, Candice Carty-Williams’ novel Queenie was one to watch. It spawned a four-way bidding war between publishing houses, and now it’s a much-anticipated television series on Channel 4, cast by the award-winning…