Archive for the ‘Theatre Auditions’ Category

How to Audition for West End Musicals

Friday, November 26th, 2010

If you’ve always dreamed of being in a West End musical but you’ve never been sure of how to get started, here are some tips. Believe it or not, West End auditions are not just for people who are already famous.

First, you need to be able to sing. If you’ve never taking voice lessons, now is the time to start. Even if you’re lucky enough to have an amazing voice when you start, lessons can improve anyone.

Next, take a speech class or an acting class. This will help you with public speaking skills that you will both for auditions and interviews as well as your performances on stage.

Do some small amateur productions. This can be anything from being an extra in a local play to singing in a pub. This gives you a chance to see what live performances are like, and you can also ask for feedback.

Build a portfolio. Include a CV with relevant information—such as any performing you have done. Also include some good photos of yourself.

Record a demo reel. This gives you an opportunity to present yourself at your best even if you don’t do your best in an audition.

Finally, relax and do your best. If you are good at what you do and you want it badly enough eventually you will succeed.

To find musical auditions try theatre magazines, newspapers, the Internet, and Audition Now—a company that provides audition information via text (to those 18 and over, £1.50 per text, up to three texts per week).

How to Have a Successful Theatre Audition

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Do you have a talent for acting or maybe singing? Maybe you’ve always known you wanted to star in a West End musical or a Broadway play, but you’ve never had a successful audition. Maybe you’ve never even had a call back. Here are some tips to help you have successful theatre auditions.

1.    Practice makes perfect. Even if you’ve got your lines down pat, and you feel confident, if you’ve only been over them a few times, you have not practiced enough. You need to practice hundreds of times. You should do it for some friends as well so you can get some feedback.
2.    Take a speech class. Speech therapy, voice lessons, or a speech class will help boost your confidence and public speaking skills.
3.    Be healthy. If you feel healthy physically you’ll feel better mentally and emotionally. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat properly.
4.    Dress modestly. Don’t try to impress with your clothes, hair, or makeup. If you need those trappings to look good, trust me – they’ll know.
5.    Relax. Take a deep breath. Make sure you’re ready before you start. If you’re relaxed and confident it will show.

Theatre casting calls are often open which means anyone can try out. Try to remember that while you may not be the best, you are probably better than some.

To find opportunities for musical auditions, theatre, TV, and modelling, try Audition Now. They provide inside information via text message to those at least 18 years old (£1.50 per text, up to three texts a week).

How to Get Theatre Jobs

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Ever dream of being the star of a play or a musical in your home town—or even in London? Maybe you’ve always wanted to be a stage actor or actress but you’ve never really known how to break into theatre jobs. Here are some ideas to get you started toward your new dream career in stage acting.

First, get some training. Whether you decide to go to acting school full time or simply take a few classes on the side, any training will help you even if just to train you for public speaking and getting over nerves.

Next, think about your appearance. You may want to spend some time getting in shape. But don’t be too hard on yourself—there are many opportunities in theatre for people of all shapes and sizes.

Next, try some auditions and casting calls. You may find some theatre auditions advertised in newspapers, theatre magazines, and online.

You can also find information about theatre casting by contacting theatres directly and asking if they are holding auditions for upcoming performances.

But maybe you’ve tried all this and you’re at a loss. If you want some professional help you might want to try a company such as Audition Now. They provide information about auditions by text to anyone 18 years old or older.

All you have to do is text them up to three times a week (£1.50 per text) to get the best information on the auditions you need to get you that dream roll in a play.

Being Prepared for Acting Auditions

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

There are plenty of conventions for how acting auditions are conducted. However,  the truth is that there are no hard and fast rules, so you may need to be ready for some surprises.

Much will depend on the type of project you are auditioning for.  High-profile prestigious shows, such as West End musicals, which will draw a large volume of auditionees, will have very strict criteria by which their selections are made, and will have correspondingly limited time-slots for each candidate. Very often there are preliminary rounds where you may get to perform for less than a minute while they eliminate the hopeful amateurs.

In straight theatre, the large national companies have talent scouts looking out for new faces in performance, but open theatre auditions are occasionally held, so should not be missed. Such acting auditions offer much more time to the candidate, and the structure of the audition is more open-ended, depending somewhat on what the director is looking for in the play in hand. With small-scale projects such as theatre-in-education shows, the company may be looking for creative input from the actor, and an ability to improvise.

So, the precise format of acting auditions does vary enormously: contrasting pieces of prepared material are a sure bet. You should also expect to be given a reading to perform ‘cold’, but beyond that, expect the unexpected and be ready to be creative.

Here at Audition Now we help you access all the latest auditions through our up-to-the minute texting service.

Acting Auditions For The Stage

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

If you are auditioning for a part in a play, there are a few do’s and don’ts that you should bear in mind.

If it is a new play, then find out what you can about the writer, and try to familiarise yourself with their work and their style. You should also find out about previous performances of their work so that you have some idea what to expect at the auditions.

If it is a play in print, then you need to read the whole of it, perhaps two or three times, and come to a view on what it is about to prepare for theatre auditions. It may be that you see yourself in a particular role. Don’t limit yourself to that, but be ready to be asked to try something totally untypical for you.

When they cannot cast to type, what directors look for at audition is the width of range in an actor’s repertoire. The more you can show a variety of playing styles in your audition, the more possibilities will be available to you when the play’s theatre auditions are over. Very often directors have to abandon their preconceived view of a character because none of the actors at audition match that the wider your range, the more opportunities for you.

Here at Audition Now, we make your opportunities our job. By keeping you up-to-date with all the latest acting auditions, texting you direct to your mobile phone, we help you maximise your chances of getting work in the theatre.

Who is Who in Theatreland

Friday, March 12th, 2010

It can be daunting when you are starting out as an actor to find that there are so many other actors competing with you for the same roles. There are also many production companies not only competing with each other for talent, but also for limited funding resources. You should not be put off by the vast range of projects: in live theatre, tours throughout the UK are usually managed by a small number of production companies, and theatre companies tend to network with each other over actors, as well as over repertoire.

It is worth your while to keep a detailed record of the different acting auditions and casting calls you attend. Over time, this will build up into a useful handbook of the most important producers, directors and casting directors working in Britain today: you will also have a record of what you have performed and to whom. This means you will be prepared for those times when you have auditions before the same people. Observing how these decision-makers choose their talent will make it easier for you to tailor your audition pieces to their needs and interests.

Keeping a record of this information is one good reason for attending as many casting calls and acting auditions as you can.

At Audition Now, we pride ourselves on our extensive experience of British theatre: the networks we have built up over the years help us to keep you informed of all the latest film and theatre casting opportunities.

Being Business-Like About a Career in the Theatre

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Most actors know what it is like to live on the edge: part of their talent is to allow that creativity to come out in their work. Equally, there are few actors who don’t know about the struggles in their chosen career, whether it is looking for the next piece of work, or trying to make ends meet.

What is difficult is keeping the practical difficulties and worries separate from your performing talent. As the great theorist and practitioner of the stage, Konstantin Stanislavksy once said: ‘Never come into the theatre with mud on your feet. Leave your dust and dirt outside.’

As an actor you have to be business-like as well as artistic: you have to give of your best in performance of course, at acting auditions or casting calls, but you have to manage your time and energy to find work for yourself after the present job finishes. This is true even if you have an agent, for only you have your best interests at heart.

This is why it pays to have the practical side of your theatre casting career in good hands.

At Audition Now, our expertise is in looking for the right casting calls or acting auditions for you, and keeping you notified of work opportunities in the pipeline. This allows you to exploit your talents to the full, and, as Stanislavsky said, leave behind ‘all the things that ruin your life and draw your attention away from your art.’

Who’s who in the Acting World

Monday, February 15th, 2010

The well-worn cliche ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ is a cardinal rule for actors who are looking to get on in their careers. If it’s the theatre jobs a novice actor is interested in, then it helps to build good professional relationships with directors and theatre managements; in film and television work, it pays to get on excellent terms with acting casting agents and casting directors.

However, much you may know about what’s what in the business, you can help yourself a lot more by getting to know who’s who. If you are starting out on your career, then you will be keen to develop a good relationship with possible agents, and they may be able to help you with introductions to the ‘right people.’ Very often, however, your success will depend on the energy and effort you put into your own networking.

It commonly comes down to being in the loop: acting auditions do not always receive high-profile publicity and many serious projects are small in scale with limited financial rewards. Despite the financial limits of such projects, they may offer immeasurable potential for building good working relationships with the right people.

Here at Audition Now, we offer you information on a wide range of casting calls and acting auditions. Remember, though, that much of what we know comes to us because of who we know. The support we give may make a considerable difference to your career prospects and also helps you to build up your own network of professional contacts.

Musical Theatre Acting Auditions

Monday, January 18th, 2010

When you are facing acting auditions or casting calls for musical theatre, you will need to make sure that you find a piece of music that best suits and shows off your voice.

If you have a singing teacher or acting teacher they should be able to help you to pick a perfect piece of music for you given the benefit of their experience.

Here are some useful suggestions which may help before your casting calls or acting auditions:

• Make sure you choose musical theatre songs for your musical theatre acting auditions pieces.
• Don’t push your voice too far. Choose a song that showcases your voice but doesn’t see you trying to hit an extremely high ‘C’ if you can’t easily do this every day.
• The song you have prepared for your musical theatre acting auditions should be brought to life because it is a musical monologue so needs plenty of character.

The key to musical acting auditions is to prepare, prepare, prepare, and show what your best really is. Your acting or singing teachers are perfect for providing professional pointers to help you in all your acting auditions, whether musical theatre or otherwise. Fellow actors are also great people to ask for an opinion from because they know what to look for.

When you want help, tips and information on the latest musical theatre acting auditions, modelling and extras auditions, Audition Now is one of the most comprehensive information channels for UK actors.

Increasing The Number Of Your Acting Auditions Makes Sense

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Many people have been seduced by the acting and modelling industries because they are such lucrative and rewarding industries to be in if you are very successful. Acting and modelling are not jobs for the timid or for those people who want a regular 9 to 5 job.

Acting and modelling auditions will normally mean plenty of preparation, and when you are a working actor or model, it can also mean that you have plenty of practising to do and lots of rehearsals.

Whether you are modelling or acting you need to be at your casting calls or auditions with the knowledge of the client you are auditioning for, the play or assignment, character or idea of what they are looking for when you are acting. Having the confidence to come across in the right way is essential and much of this confidence will come through preparation and knowing that you are capable of delivering exactly what your auditions demand of you.

Any theatre auditions you attend are the chance to really show your talents to new faces and shine out above the rest of the competition.

Always remember the more theatre auditions you go to the more you are likely to find the acting or modelling job that you really want. Talented actors like Johnny Depp and famous models like Naomi Campbell didn’t get the first auditions they ever applied for.

At Audition Now we can help you with vital modelling and acting information. We also provide updates on all the new auditions relevant to your gifts.