A whole new breed of readers is born, and once again at the magic touch of J.K Rowling...Read More

There is no doubt that acting is a talent, and one that can be innate. But like any true calling, all hard graft requires constant honing. Declaring yourself as an actor is not enough...Read More

Waiting to go in for an audition can be excruciating. Knowing what is likely to happen as you enter the lion's den is a great way to take control of the experience. Here I offer my advice...Read More

I regularly receive questions like this on Twitter and Facebook... Here I answer a question about breaking into Musical TheatreRead More

Names are important. As a performer, our name usually serves as our first glimmer of hope that someone may consider picking us up for an audition or casting. Stage/Performance names can be immensely powerful.Read More

It is a sad truth that people are always going to exploit the needs (and dreams) of other people.Read More

Amateur dramatics form a vital and vibrant arm of the performing arts industries providing evenings of entertainment, hard-hitting drama and resurrections of long-since-forgotten plays up and down the country – theatre by the community for their community.Read More

When it comes to politics and economics, it is fair to say that the arts have been hit badly in more recent years. Performing arts training is high up there at the moment in the spiralling costs of higher education -Read More

One of my recent students could summon tears to her eyes instantly and very effectively. She seemed to do it with no particular effort. It was pretty amazing to see, and she was demonstrating a rather impressive party trick. But is this necessary?Read More

Handling a theatre director you are working with can often be a tricky business. Fortunately, today, many directors are less "old school" in their technique of working with actors - but ultimately they have a job to do, and they will do it by whatever means will make the finished production work.Read More

Postmodern performances do not propose ways of intervening these realities, but simply illustrate their existence and raise awareness. The more challenging and risqué the subject matters become, the more susceptible the performance is to censorship.Read More

Here I provide five powerful and (let's be honest) pretty-much-common-sense tips for potential future actors who are just about to begin their performing arts career journey...Read More

It's interesting just how many actors and performers I hear who want to talk to me about how to get rid of stage fright. You know, that nervous-"Oh God, I'm going to be sick"-pit-of-the-stomach-twisting anxiety that suddenly takes grip just before going on stage?Read More

Like the postmodern works of Bausch, Wilson, Brecht and Artaud, DV8 strive to create a medium that, while being radical, is accessible to wide audience.Read More

Following from Robert Wilson’s postmodern Theatre of Visuals, we can now explore further artists and companies who demonstrate highly postmodern styles.Read More

Now that we have investigated some of the basic principles in Postmodern Theatre through how deconstruction can provide opportunities for opening interpretation we can start to explore some postmodern theatre that can be described as postmodern in practice.Read More

Continuing from our consideration into how Brecht and Artaud actively moved against Aristotelian Theatre, we focus now on how deconstruction is used to establish new forms of theatrical language.Read More

Continuing our articles exploring Postmodern Theatre and Performance, and how it opposes the aesthetic, I begin with a quote from Bertolt Brecht: “I don’t think the traditional form of theatre means anything any longer…”Read More

This is the first of a series of articles discussing Postmodern Theatre practicesRead More

So, you have worked hard, you’ve had a successful audition and finally landed yourself on a contract? Congratulations on getting there! However, before you sign on the dotted line, you have got some work to do.Read More

Being Hungry for a Career in Theatre sparked some serious debate when I first posted it on my former site, and it is with regret that I still see this as a problem...Read More

What actors do on stage and screen (in terms of character) is a result of interpretation of the script by the director and the actor him/herself. Directors have a vision about the story in the play or screenplay and expect the actors to convert that vision into reality.Read More

Personal finance is one topic which is a matter of concern for all of us. It becomes even more difficult for an actor to manage his or her money and make sure that everything goes smooth by the end of the month.Read More

Comedy is one of the most difficult forms of acting. It takes a lot of skill to act funny in front of camera or on stage. There is a thin line between being funny and being cheesy. Good actors know about this and never cross the boundary.Read More

Some quick-fire tips to set yourself up for a great audition... Take a gander, see if any can be used at your next audition.Read More

Every actor knows that you have to do some level of self promotion to become an actor. One of the best methods of promoting yourself as an actor will be with your head shot.Read More

If you've decided that acting is what you want to do, and you really want to make a living at it, and not have to take in other kinds of work as well, it's quite likely that you are going to need an acting agent to represent you and assist you in finding work.Read More

A show-reel (sometimes referred to as a demo reel) is an excellent way to highlight your abilities to potential directors. If you can't make the viewer sit up and pay attention in that time, you're not going to get hired.Read More

One of the biggest things that those who are heading out to audition for the first few times aren't certain of, and have a lot of stress over, is what is the right thing to wear for your audition.Read More

Do you know why you want to act? Are you aware of where you need to be? Find out more here...Read More

Congratulations! You've landed yourself your first audition. This is huge! It's a major 'first step' achievement... Now what?Read More

Very often an actor or actress will send out their mailings to casting agents or talent agents and hear nothing back. This is a waste of your time, and in fact a waste of your money, and when you're beginning in acting, who has money to waste?Read More

There are a lot of reasons why actors become fearful. The most common is the fear of failure.Read More

The Headshot, The 10by8, The 10x8 - however you want to title it, here I discuss why the Headshot is the most important tool in a performer's toolkitRead More

As my mum always used to say: forewarned is forearmed. It is essential that you understand the career you are embarking on. So what can you expect as a newbie to the world of acting?Read More

No matter where you are in your career, there is always room for improvement. In acting, it's all about the characters and being able to put your own characteristics away for that character. How do you go about doing that successfully every time?Read More

Do you desire fame - and all the perceived glories that come with it? Or would you prefer to keep getting work and live a long life in the theatre as a professional and skilled crafts-person?Read More

Would you describe yourself as confident? Many people working in theatre ironically suffer from confidence issues. Here I discuss how self-confidence can be boosted and re-defined to achieve a better approach to your work in theatre...Read More

Avoid the pitfalls many new performers make when they start out in the performing arts industries. Follow these simple tips on what to work on...Read More

One of the hardest, and most gut-wrenching, elements of being an actor is facing audition rejection. "What went wrong?" and "Why did I fail?" race through our minds. All too often we beat ourselves up over not picking up the role we worked so hard for...Read More

When you make the decision to take the plunge into the world of acting and theatre, it can seem incredibly daunting. Where to begin? How to start? -- Here I try to get your foot on the first rung of the ladderRead More