Tag: theatre
-

On Becoming a Theatre Director with Gareth Nicholls of Traverse
Gareth Nicholls (Associate Director of Traverse) talked to Spotlight all about his road to becoming a theatre director, tackling tough contemporary issues and what he looks for in new writing… [Collaboration is] trusting that the actors you have are absolutely the best actors for the job and that they are experts in their craft, just as much…
-

Producing for the Fringe: The Not-So-Sexy Essentials
Spotlight’s own Ilayda Arden on the essential but not-so-sexy parts of the Fringe: planning, finances and admin! Ahhh, The Edinburgh Fringe. The daddy of all arts festivals. The one that ‘You Have to Do Before You Die’ (as people kept telling me years ago). But for performers who want to try their hand at taking…
-

How to Prepare Safely for Intimate Scenes
Ita O’Brien asks, “How do you navigate the intimate and sexual content serving the director’s vision while keeping you safe?” There is a fine line between being open or being vulnerable; the shift can happen in a moment. This work demands vigilance, presence and mindfulness in order to stay on the right side of doing…
-

Star Wars’ Derek Arnold and Tom Wilton on Puppeteering and Effects
Derek Arnold and Tom Wilton aren’t necessarily faces you might recognise, but they’re behind many of the creatures you see brought to life in the latest Star Wars films. Tom and Derek talked to Spotlight about their unique contribution to a production as puppeteers on stage and screen. I’ve always tried to be very pragmatic…
-

How Writing Can Help With Your Acting
How embracing his inner writer helped Kieran Knowles overcome his lack of representation as an actor… …with a group of friends, and fellow graduates we started to toss about the idea of writing a play where we could each play a dynamic human, with backstories and hopes, dreams, wishes and objectives, just as we’d trained…
-

Performing Shakespeare: A National Youth Theatre Experience
A blog from Hayley Osborne about her experience on the Performing Shakespeare course at the National Youth Theatre. Spotlight recently awarded one lucky member a place on the National Youth Theatre’s Performing Shakespeare course – here’s our winner, Hayley Osborne on her experience during that week. If you like the sound of this one, there’ll be more from…
-

Immersive Theatre: Advice for Actors
Chris Neels talks to Colab Theatre’s Bertie Watkins on what it takes to audition and be cast in immersive theatre As soon as the audience picks up that you’re not hot on your feet, they’re going to start going after you. Improvisation is very key… You need to have great knowledge retention, but not in…
-

How to Produce a Theatre Show
Getting started as a producer of your own work with Paines Plough & DryWrite producer Francesca Moody Self-producing is a challenge: it requires spinning a lot of plates! To help you get started, we spoke to Francesca Moody, producer with Paines Plough on this year’s season, who also works regularly with DryWrite, not least on their runaway hit Fleabag,…
-

Spotlight and the National Theatre Launch Platform for D/deaf & Disabled Actors
National Theatre’s Creative Diversity Project Announces New Platform for D/deaf and Disabled Actors in the UK Spotlight are thrilled to have partnered with the National Theatre to champion D/deaf and disabled actors by offering industry professionals the opportunity to watch these actors in action on an online video platform. ProFile is a free service, both for performers and industry professionals, tackling…
-

Seraphina Beh: Alternative Training & Overcoming Rejection
EastEnders star Seraphina Beh on getting past rejection with ‘unashamed confidence’ and different ways to hone your craft! Seraphina Beh talks to Spotlight about all things acting as a young performer – including her work on EastEnders, how she found her passion for acting, and her advice for other aspiring young actors. If I’d decided I…