Many theatre companies felt the pinch of the global economic downturn, whether they had to re-programme their productions to engage fewer actors or, more drastically, were obliged to cancel productions or even whole tours. London’s ‘theatreland’ was still supported by the thriving tourist industry (helped by the weakened pound), but generally throughout Britain, people have been saving their money and going out less.

With fewer jobs around, it is all the more important for the committed actor to make the most of acting auditions and casting calls. That means not only being available at short notice if the situation demands it, but also keeping well informed about upcoming productions. Also the actors who do best through difficult times will be those who are prepared to travel to get the work.

There are companies all over the country and some of them may not advertise acting auditions in the trade papers. This is the time when it is vital that you know about as many work opportunities as humanly possible, so you can make informed choices about your next roles. Put simply, you need to feel confident that you have your ‘finger on the pulse.’

You may also need professional guidance about how best to exploit your talents through the quiet periods, as well as about how best to sell yourself at casting calls.

At Audition Now we have the expertise to help you through uncertain economic times, keeping you informed of the latest acting casting opportunities and offering excellent advice on how to market yourself.

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 businesslike as well as artistic: you have to give of your best in performance, of course, and 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 career in good hands.

At Audition Now, our expertise is in looking out 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.’

If you are a budding actor that is regularly attending casting calls and acting auditions and you don’t seem to get them time and time again, it is possibly time to assess your performance and presentation.

In these circumstances, it is always helpful to practice your typical audition style to a friend or member of the family for their opinion – the more opinions you have, the more helpful you may find the feedback.

Apply anything you feel relevant to your performance to change and make it better. It is also a good idea to practice in the mirror and observe how you come across and the way you look when reading a chosen audition script, as image is everything in acting auditions.

When you attending acting auditions, observe the way that your fellow actors are presenting themselves; their body language, their enthusiasm and the emotions they are conveying to a casting panel and their courtesy.

If you can see positive responses from observing another actor liaising with a casting director, try and adopt the same points.

If you don’t have much relevant industry experience on your curriculum vitae, then join community theatres or local comedy and acting groups to boost your confidence and experience.

Always keep in mind that at acting auditions, you have a very small window of time to create a good and lasting impression – so make full use of it.

We are the experts of acting auditions at Audition Now and provide training and advice to many actors in the United Kingdom; including the latest news on auditions and casting calls across the country.

Having the ability to convey a stage presence is one of the most important aspects of being a theatre actor, and it is also (when mastered) possible to transfer the same presence to a camera.

There are some actors that start out in their professions who are naturally charismatic people, who can quickly master the ability to own a stage and be noticed.  However, for most actors, stage presence is something that needs development and practice.

Stage presence is also a key factor which the majority of writers, producers and directors will look for in acting auditions.

•    The lead actor in any performance will often take a position in centre stage and build energy with the crowd from moving left to right initiating eye contact with the audience is vital.

•    If there is a song either performed by you or another actor always use parts of your body to convey the rhythm. Simple movements show you are enjoying what you are doing and pull your audience in.

•    If it is an upbeat play, have fun with it – even if you’re nervous. Performing for a live crowd is a very rewarding and stimulating experience for an actor. Enjoy your contribution to the production and let your audience see this excitement in you.

We provide a vital and important role to any budding actor or model that needs acting auditions and casting calls in the United Kingdom. At Audition Now we offer tips, training and news of all up and coming acting auditions across the country.

When you are preparing for acting auditions it is important to understand the role you are going for in some depth, having researched the story of the play, show or film, and checking the history of the producer and director who is giving you the audition.

Most casting directors will expect you to make strong choices on the script you choose to display your talents with in acting auditions.

You need to be totally relaxed and happy with your audition script, knowing it inside and out – which is best practised to a friend or family for feedback.

Part of being an actor is learning to connect with your audience and conveying clear details which they will need to understand about your character in order to enjoy and understand the entire performance. When you attend acting auditions, how clearly you are able to convey the script and character you have chosen is what a producer and director will be looking for.

It is vital that you are able to convey your character’s physical qualities, personality and emotions with a clear understanding of your relationship with the other characters in the scene. The location of your scene should be understood including the time of day it is set and context and pace of the scene including major key shifts.

At Audition Now we are able to give your career a head start with the latest news regarding acting auditions being held near you.