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102 articles
The Industry
Your Youth Theatre Stories Inspired by the Film ‘Theater Camp’

Our favourite youth theatre stories submitted by Spotlight members Spotlight recently partnered with Searchlight Pictures to celebrate the release of the brilliant Theater Camp, which film critics are calling a “comedy gift from god.” We gave Spotlight members the chance to win tickets to the Picturehouse Central screening of the film by sharing your best youth […]

first person
graduates
theatre
Getting Work
Working Without an Agent

Tips for navigating the performing arts world when you’re self-represented. Not getting an agent is not rejection of you or a statement about your ability. It is about market conditions. Which I know sounds very dull and corporate. But acting is a business… Not getting an agent straightaway when I graduated from drama school was […]

agents
charlotte thornton
first person
The Industry
Two pantomime dames as the Ugly Stepsisters
Top Tips You Should Know Before Doing Your First Pantomime

First time doing panto? John Currivan tells all on what you need to know when performing in pantomime.

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john currivan
pantomime
The Industry
Transitioning from Theatre to TV

Making the change from performing at the theatre to on-camera is not always an easy transition. Actress Karen Johal writes about the differences and difficulties when making the move from stage to the small screen. I’ve worked on several shows over the years both off-broadway in New York and at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre – my […]

acting
first person
television
Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Healthy Food Prep for the Busy Actor

Actor and food-blogger Jodie Barchha Lang shares her quick tips for preparing healthy food, and explains why healthy eating is as vital as any acting skill. As an actor, my eating habits in the past have been somewhat questionable. I would often get on and off trains and grab a packet of crisps, a pizza […]

first person
mental health
wellbeing
Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Don’t Be An Ass: Why We Set One Goal at a Time

Actor and Writer Tahlia Norrish explores the nature of decision-making, and what happens when we aim to achieve too many goals at once. Warning: this post is going to feature some real talk. Earlier this year I uncovered something pretty confronting: in several aspects of life, I was making decisions from a place of fear. […]

first person
mental health
The Industry
How to Keep Your Mental Health Safe Whilst Working on Intense Subject Matters

Actor Karen Johal shares tips on protecting your mental health at work. As an actor, my job often requires putting myself deep into the mind of the character I am playing – a fully formed person with a past, filled with traumatic experiences that I cannot begin to understand until I start the work. In […]

first person
karen johal
mental health
The Industry
Returning to Acting After a Setback

Ben Mars discusses the accident that led to a setback in his acting career, how he overcame it, and what the experience taught him. In November 2019, I was severely injured in the most mundane circumstances. It happened on a Dartmoor walk on a cold, sunny Sunday at around 10.15am. I know that was the […]

ben mars
first person
motivation
The Industry
Finding Yourself in The Industry

Jamie Robson discusses how his Scottish, working-class roots and self-taught start in the industry influenced his acting journey so far. Mentors such as Mark Cousins and Isabel Davis helped me appreciate that my challenging and difficult background was an asset. I stopped hiding the fact that I didn’t go to drama school. I used to […]

acting
first person
jamie robson
The Essentials
Using Social Media as an Actor

Actor Glenn Adamson asks if being present on social media is necessary as an actor and if so, how involved should you be? There’s a part of me that can’t distinguish where the line is drawn between self-promotion and narcissism. I recoil at the thought of being seen as that ‘selfish’ actor I was so […]

first person
glenn adamson
mental health