What on earth drives a man in his sixties to suddenly decide, ‘I’ll become an actor. I’ll only take proper paid jobs, no SAs (supporting artist, walk-ons or extra work). I’ll find an agent, join casting sites and put myself out there’? Probably the answer is our old friend with the scythe, a bunch of crumpled-up calendar pages and the wry smile. She hangs around for all of us but likes to remind us of her presence as we hit those Key Performances Indicators on our travels to the Final Destination. She is a friend; without Madame Scythe there’s always another tomorrow. She reminds us that there isn’t so it’s time to act. There was a desire, an intention but also a couple of those blockers that we all tend to bring out to wither before dinner and scupper before supper our hopes, dreams and ambitions. My number one was that I would look foolish if I failed, my number two was a complete blank on how to start because if I didn’t get any work I would look foolish as I failed… An unmerr...

Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from my auditioning experience and from the wisdom of others at my Confidence for Auditions workshops. This blog relates to the all-important preparatory stage, from when you first get the nod to just before you enter the room. In other blogs I’ll focus on being in the room, self-shoot auditions, and reflecting on and learning from audition experiences. Its important to stress that I’m just offering my thoughts and gathered experience so take nothing as gospel and formulate your own plan to suit your style and lifestyle. 1. Auditions – love ‘em or love ‘em Why are you in this business if you don’t like auditioning? They’ll be your life as an actor. They’re the door and the way through the door. More than this, they’re a free opportunity to do yours stuff – and that’s why you’re an actor, right? To act. Every audition offers you that opportunity and sometimes, as in the case of some recalls, you’ll even pick up a little money. What’s not to like?...

‘Am I any good?’ The title of this blog is in inverted commas because it typifies a question I’m often asked in one form or another by people I’m mentoring or at my Acting Confident workshops. The workshop is focussed on confidence for auditions and as we talk amidst the various exercises and role-play scenarios, someone will ask the question, either with courage directly or in a roundabout way as in ‘there are times when I doubt my ability’ or ‘sometimes I think I’m not cut out to be an actor’. It’s a question I used to ask myself – when I wasn’t an actor. It was one of those blockers that stopped me taking any steps to find out. I don’t think I ever verbalised it, either in conversation or internal monologue but I think it was always there in some form or other. My attempts to answer the unspoken question was to seek approval from others. On the whole it didn’t come. I did a great course at the Actors Centre on film and TV acting. It was run by someone who’d had a regular role i...