Good timing is an important part of good acting, but it is not just about delivering a line, or getting a laugh. Getting your timing right applies as much to mundane things like not being late for your next acting auditions, or even being in the right place at the right time.
Another important rule is not to outstay your welcome. As the Bard says. ‘Brevity is the soul of wit.’ There is nothing worse for an audition panel than to feel that an auditionee has run out of ‘tricks’ but is still hogging the limelight.
When you come to choose your pieces for auditions, you must consider how to offer contrasting styles of performance, whether tragic and comic, or classical and contemporary; you should also think about how to keep the speeches brief. The optimum is to offer material that displays a wide range of expression or of emotion, in a relatively short space of time. This derives from the old stage rule that it is better to have your public wanting to see more of you, than to have them wanting to see the back of you.
There are many little ways in which you can tweak your audition material to your advantage – keeping it brief is just one example – and help yourself enjoy the audition process. Here at Audition Now we also think timing is important. We keep you up-to-date with all the latest acting opportunities by texting them direct to your mobile phone.
Tags: acting auditions, auditioning process, preparing for auditions, tips for auditioning