There is more you need when going into acting auditions than just a prayer and a rabbit’s foot. As in an actual performance, consistent success depends on the input of a lot of hard work. As the American inventor Thomas Edison said, ‘Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.’ So it is with preparing for your next acting audition.

When you are called to auditions, try to find out as much as you can about the people you are auditioning for: the more you know, the readier you will be to face them.

You can never be too prepared with your audition pieces: try to ensure you have a sufficient contrast between at least two pieces that should together last no more than five minutes. You may be asked to perform the pieces in a different way, and you will feel confident about this if you know the pieces really well: this is where the ‘perspiration’ really pays off.

Your CV (resume) should be up-to-date and clearly laid out on one single sheet of A4. You should also be ready to hand in a professionally prepared 10×8 portrait headshot. This is an expense, but if the likeness of you is good, it may prove to be an invaluable aide-memoire for the audition panel after the auditions are finished.

Here at Audition Now, we too are working hard finding out about the latest work opportunities, and texting them direct to your mobile phone so you don’t miss your big break.

All acting work requires a considerable degree of stamina, even for those who have just a few lines to say over a whole evening. Few stop to think how much emotional stress can also be involved. Mostly, this is because of the uncertainty of a live performance. There is however the curious paradox that actors may feel most insecure about themselves when they are enjoying their greatest success.

The great British actor Sir Alec Guinness once described acting as ‘happy agony’ and he may be referring to this paradox of mixed feelings. It is certainly odd that what are very painful experiences for actors in professional situations, may also be the work experiences that are the most rewarding for them.

This is not dissimilar to what many actors feel in acting auditions. Here, the confidence that an actor may gain from a four-week rehearsal period, is not available: he or she has just minutes to create a rapport with the audition panel.

This is an acute form of ‘happy agony’. At this most testing time, when you feel most vulnerable and insecure, you may very well feel empowered to give of your best. To ensure this, of course, you have to be extremely well prepared. But the satisfaction of a good audition, despite the anxieties, can itself be very rewarding.

Here at Audition Now we keep you informed of all the latest acting auditions; helping you into those situations where you can give your best.