Advice to Actors Starting Out
- lizipatch
- Feb 23
- 10 min read
Updated: Feb 27
"Through Lizi's excellent classes, and unfaltering belief in me, I was able to gain a place at drama school and I now work as a professional actor" Niamh Hendron LAIT Alumni.
Buckle up as this post was written by me - not AI. So it might be a bit longer than ideal, so get a cuppa or a pint and take your time... it's about a 7 min read so pace yourself :) If it's useful then GREAT... if not, well it was 7 mins of your life x
What follows isn’t set in stone - every day's a school day in this business, but there are some things that I've found useful along the way so I'd like to share them with you, as working as an actor (or a director) can be a lonely journey. The landscape has changed dramatically too of course with the advent of the ubiquitous self tape... there's masses out there advising actors on those so I won't bore you too much here. Just the basics. Contact me for any more info on any part of this blog x
What I Cover in This Post
How to approach auditions practically and psychologically
Some insights into what agents and casting directors are looking for (caveat: this is NOT an exact science, obviously)
How to choose and prep monologues
Coping with rejection (central to being an actor!)
Professionalism, networking and reputation
Investing in yourself (because you are the business)
Why I still believe in actor training after 35 years
Stuff I've read that's helped me/stuck with me
Auditioning, Agencies & Representation
I asked some directors (screen and theatre), agents, actors and casting agents about this and this is a summary their advice. Contact me if you'd like the long version!
Research agencies before contacting them. Avoid generic emails. Know why you’re approaching that particular agency. Look at their client base. Where might you fit?
If you resemble actors already on their books, what makes you distinct? Be prepared to put in the work.
Your headshot must look like you. Your CV needs to be clear and concise. Highlight what you genuinely offer: type, skills, singing range, specialisms. What makes you special? You? Unique (because, by definition, you are!)
Get on Spotlight. Most agents won't take actors who aren't on it. Keep your showreel current and linked. It's a bonus if you can make a simple website with your CV, headshot and showreel featured (like this one I made on Wix!) Again there's masses of info out there about getting your showreel material. Do your research, it's worth investing in a decent company as your reel and Spotlight is your shopfront.
Without an agent, getting in front of casting directors is harder - but not impossible. Perseverance matters. If you approach casting directors directly, respect their time. It feels like a vicious circle - I need an agent for work and work to attract an agent. So don't wait for the work if it ain't coming... make it (see next section!). That's how I started and met some ace people along the way. And honed some important skills.
Self-tapes should be well lit, simple, and flexible. Offer strong, clear interpretations. A well-done self-tape increases your visibility for callbacks. Do 3 takes and stop! (Advice from professional actors!)
Follow theatres’ social media and mailing lists. Opportunities circulate. You have to pay attention.
Career & Life Guidance
This industry is challenging (we know!), and actually life experience is key to helping keep your feet on the ground.
Find hobbies and work outside the industry (I mean, you'll probably have to some of the time at least!)
Other jobs that have 'made me what I am' are waitressing, cleaning, teaching horse-riding and secondary school 'animateur').
See as much work as possible - look for those cheap tickets, watch live theatre, recorded theatre (invest in subscriptions for National Theatre Live, The Globe etc) , TV and film - work out what you like and what you don't. Both matter equally I think. It helps if you can find work front of house (volunteer if possible), in a theatre box office, in the bars...
Oh and form your own opinions! But also listen and absorb as much as possible. Be a sponge :)
Read plays: Right now I'm loving Isley Lynn, Carmen Nasr, Miriam Battye, Morgan LLoyd Malcolm to name a few. Always Samuel Beckett too! Then share those plays around.... BBC Writersroom has lots of free TV scripts you can read... find stuff :)
Read theory: I've learnt lots from Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, Cicely Berry, Mike Alfreds, Bertolt Brecht, Augustus Boal (see the end of this blog for a more comprehensive list and explanations). Then make your own mind up depending on what works for you. And clearly each director will have their own approach (another blog!)... but many will welcome your ideas (and be relieved you have them. I'm always delighted to work with actors full of ideas.) If they don't want your ideas then - well - nod and smile and maybe don't work with them again of you've the choice. Unless you like being a puppet rather than an actor :)
Clarify your goals:
What turns you on? RSC? Site-specific? TIE? Community theatre? Screen? Radio? What drives you? Why? You want to be an actor so be open to all but know what moves you. There is only one of you so embrace that and make sure you're not getting in your own way (yet another blog I think...)
Get active online. Follow professionals. Engage respectfully. Be open and curious (sorry, but generic but it's true!)
Take classes. Sign up for local company newsletters. Companies Like Next Door But One (York) regularly run free training etc.
Start your own company with a group of likeminded actors - or simply put on one show as a starting point.
Look for scratch nights and if there's none near you then maybe think about curating one yourself (ask me about this!)
Self-care really matters: Honestly prioritise rest and sleep. Drink water! Celebrate small wins. Switch off when you can and remember if you're not enjoying this then maybe it's not for you. You have to be a bit mad to want to be in this industry :)
Keep a diary of what you’re learning. Journalling is so so useful.
Observe people constantly. That’s character work.
Choosing Monologues
FINDING MONOLOGUES, SPOTLIGHT advice:
Good place to start
ALSO
• Read plays
• Go to plays
• Share material (ask directors, other actors)
• Sign up for streaming services for NT and RSC etc.
• Look on drama school websites for links, for example LAMDA has advice and links to handy books:
A good audition monologue is:
Written in the first person
Communicating something important
Set in the present
Active
Driven by need
The character needs something: to reveal, explain, confess, persuade.
Make sure:
You enjoy the material
It’s not overdone (easier said than done - email me for some suggestions and I'll help if I can)
It’s within your casting range
You know it inside out
The best material is rarely found by typing 'audition monologue' into a search bar and stopping there. But if you do find one that way then find the play and get into it. Get used to reading plays (I know I go on about this but it's a sure way of building up your knowledge, opinions etc.)
The Audition Journey
Some time before getting in the room:
Prepare your material REALLY WELL
Be ready to be re-directed
Do your research on the panel
Do your research on the project
BE AS PREPARED AS YOU CAN SO YOU HAVE NO REGRETS
Have a couple of questions that you actually want to know the answers to
30 mins before entering the room
Warm up (perfect a min 10 minute body and vocal warm up)
Breathing exercise (box breathing)
If you have sides /script to read then have a pencil, read it, mark it up
In the room
Enter as an 8 of hearts ☺
Be friendly but not needy
Make sure you listen, really listen (see basic impro skills!)
Interact with others – on and off the ‘stage’ - when I'm casting I always look for this
Be comfortable in your body (shows you’ll take risks, be open)
Basic impro skills = basic human skills (and shows you’re a good actor): If you listen you react and if you react you can act.
If doing a monologue imagine a question has been asked which your first line is a response to – keeps it active
Don’t act into ‘empty space’ – have a chair, a fixed point or something to focus on when performing.
In an interview, know your worth, remain that 8 of hearts. See above!
Breathe!
After the audition
You’ll be drained after half an hour or so as all the adrenaline leaves your body, so…
Do what you do to treat yourself and relax: go for a coffee and cake, buy some flowers, go home and go to sleep, meet a friend… BIG UP YOURSELF ☺
Instead of waiting to hear (which you will be anyway) – if you’re not working then continue to do things that nurture you – walking in green spaces, gym, time with friends, for me it’s painting and writing!
Keep a journal… you’ll be amazed at how quickly intense feeling change.
Leave the audition in the audition room. It’s over. Endlessly picking it over and over will waste your time and energy. Forward motion always.
Assume you haven’t got the job until you have
Don’t expect feedback – 9 times out of 10 it’s irrelevant anyway. You did the work, you are who you are.
Results
You either got it or you didn’t. You did your best either way.
If you didn’t – the work continues. By the time those flowers you bought have died, make sure the audition is a memory too. Remember casting is largely arbitrary. Next!!
If you did – the work begins. Remember all those that didn’t. ☺
How do I know the people I know?
Not by waiting for them to come to me. Hard graft. Some luck. Networking. Going to things. Courses, masterclasses, workshops. Put yourself in the way of people - and make sure they enjoy being with you.
Understand how to make others feel good about themselves,
and they’ll want you around:
raise others’ status a little
actively listen
repeat something back
let people be the expert when they need to be
A lot of people in the industry want to take the path of least resistance. It doesn’t matter how good you are - if you’re a pain in the arse, you’ll only work once with them. Nice, good, kind, empathetic people - people who raise others up - get recommended and keep working. This is especially true in one city. (York and Leeds circulate the same actors constantly.)
Why I stay in actor training
It’s never been a stepping stone. I love being at the beginning of people’s journeys - and changing my own practice by being with people who are growing up in a different world.
You’re changing all the time; the people in front of you are changing too.
When actors in training ask: What’s the best drama school? Casting agent? My answer is: find out yourself.
Do the research. It depends what you want. What sort of actor you are or want to be and what your endgame is (to be a working actor ideally I imagine!).
Administrate Yourself
All the time. No shortcuts.
Invest and train like a cellist, dancer, singer, artist - because all you have is your body and your voice.
People say, 'How do you remember all those lines?' as if that’s the hard bit. That’s the easy bit.
It is graft but the rewards are amazing.
So if you're up for it - do the work, back yourself, be kind (to others and yourself).
Ask for help, advice, bring ideas and most of all just be yourself. Because - as the saying goes - everyone else is taken. xx
Further Reading
Different Every Night (Freeing the Actor) and What Actors Do by Mike Alfreds
This is a book I wish I’d had access to when I was acting. As a director it’s invaluable too. Mike Alfreds basically offers a masterclass in prep, rehearsal and performance here.
Voice and the Actor (1973) by Cicely Berry
I was fortunate enough to be taught by Cicely Berry 1000 years ago. She knows her stuff when it comes to the actor’s voice. Clear exercises for breath, clarity, and connection to text.
“There is no such thing as a correct voice. There is no right way – there are only a million wrong ways”
Keith Johnstone’s Impro for Actors
Iconic: A practical, playful guide to unlocking spontaneity, storytelling and genuine presence on stage. Johnstone explores status, narrative, creativity, and the psychology of performance, giving you tools to become more responsive, fearless, and imaginative.
Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed
A radical handbook that transforms theatre into a tool for social change. Boal explores how performance can empower communities, dismantle power structures and rehearse real-world action. He introduces you to techniques like Forum Theatre, Image Theatre, and the Joker system, and offers actors and non-actors practical ways to question, challenge and reshape the world around them. It’s both a philosophy and a toolkit - inviting people to become active participants rather than passive spectators.
Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting
A clear, rigorous guide to truthful performance, Respect for Acting breaks down the craft into practical, actionable steps. Hagen focuses on observation, imagination, emotional honesty and the actor’s responsibility to create behaviour that feels real and alive.
Konstantin Stanislavski – An Actor Prepares / Building a Character / Creating a Role
The foundation of most modern actor training—concentration, objectives, actions, physical work, and truthful behaviour.
Peter Brook – The Empty Space
Not a manual, but invaluable thinking on theatrical truth, simplicity, and the actor’s relationship to audience.
Philosophy for Life (and Other Dangerous Situations) by Jules Evans
This book contains the quote I find most useful for – well – my life!
“Between the stimulus and the response lies a space, and in that space lies our freedom and power”
Yoshi Oida – The Invisible Actor
A beautiful, philosophical and practical text blending Eastern and Western approaches to discipline, presence, and stillness.
Comments