About the author Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION Who is this book for? Helping others to help you How do you know what it feels like? I will be honest with you. How to use this book Keeping your own Actor''s Journal Terminology and useful language Breaking the rules, exceptions, and. other opinions are available Apologies and compliments I wish you well PART ONE BEHAVIOURS AND ATTITUDES 1 WHY DO YOU ACT? ''Doing drama'' inside and outside of formal education Show some appreciation Chasing a dream Going for it! Communicating with your family and supporters 2 YOU ARE UNIQUE Being different Talent Social media Mental health Looking after yourself Finances, opportunities, and experience (the lack of them!) Being lucky Is acting that important? 3 DON''T BE A ****! Your reputation is everything - be ''professional'' 4 DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES Playing games and being playful Good habits 5 THE MORE YOU CAN DO, THE MORE EMPLOYABLE YOU ARE Whatcha got? Acting CV and headshots Actor musicians Do more, not less PART TWO TAKING IT SERIOUSLY 6 GETTING ON WITH IT! You don''t need permission Get involved Absorb yourself in the world of acting Money, money, money. Fuel for acting Live curiously PART THREE KNOWLEDGE 7 KNOWING STUFF Practitioners (writers, directors, actors, teachers etc.) Theatre companies, theatres, and performance venues Theatre forms, styles, and genres Plays and performances 8 ACQUIRING MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD OF THE PROFESSIONAL ACTOR Actor Agent Producer and director Producer Director Big projects and small projects Casting director Equity and having a protected professional acting name Where to find out more about the industry Arts Jobs and Arts Events Backstage BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) British Theatre Guide Casting Directors'' Guild Equity Get Into Theatre Spotlight StageMilk Theatre Crafts Theatres Trust The Mandy Network The Stage WhatsOnStage PART FOUR AUDITIONS AND AUDITIONING 9 DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDITION Recalls, rounds, and redirection Sight-reading / cold reading Tips to improve sight-reading / cold reading 10 AUDITIONING FOR A DRAMA SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY, OR A SPECIALIST PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL OR COLLEG E What audition material will I need to prepare? Contemporary speech Classical speech Devised performance Song Choosing audition speeches Where can I find audition speeches? Drama teachers, teachers, workshop leaders, other young actors Drama Online Bookshops and theatres with bookshops Libraries Internet search Monologue books Connecting with your speeches Sharing trauma Your audition speech portfolio I''m ready to audition. What happens next? Round two, and three, and four. The importance of playfulness What are you being offered? Key points to consider when auditioning for a drama school or university, or a specialist performing arts school or college 11 HOW TO BE GREAT AT AUDITIONS! Shifting the balance of power Create theatre - ''audition'' is a very unhelpful word Moving between worlds - from the world of the audition room into the world of the play Where should I look? Where should I stand? Should I look directly at the panel? Who is your character talking to? And those other questions. and answers Should I include movement when I perform my speeches? Can I stay still? Can I use a chair? How close should I be to the panel? How ''big'' should my performance be? Am I too loud? Too quiet? Can I use props? Is it ok to swear in an audition? Will the panel notice that I am nervous? What should I wear? What if I forget my lines? Can I take water with me into my audition? What do I do when I have finished my speech? What if I am feeling ill? Redirection Interviews / informal chats Key points to consider when auditioning Acting tips for auditions Validation, success, and rejection 12 SELF-TAPES Self-tape set-up Technician, director, oh.

and actor! PART FIVE NEXT STEPS 13 YOUR NEXT STEPS Actor training in a formal education setting Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Qualifications - the truth! Drama school? University? Will my face fit? Find out more Gap years National Youth Theatre Acting as a career v''s acting ''for the love'' Diving straight in Connecting with the industry Is acting a career for the future? 14 THEY DID IT THEIR WAY So how is it working out for some of my former students? Matt Bell Richard Chinn Cal Connor Dru Cripps Joel Diack Tasha Dowd Rheanon Lee Nathaniel Morrison Jake Rollins Zoe Spurr Kalli Tant A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS About acting About you GLOSSARY Words to really think about (some of which may be unhelpful) REFERENCES.