Actors, performers and directors are some of the biggest hit professions by Covid-19. Popular productions, such as the BBC’s Eastenders and Holby city, have either been paused or scaled down. The filming... more
By Gwyn Gilliss 1 - ACTIVATE Don't be frightened or sit around in anger, fear, doubt. That's just shooting yourself in the foot. By moving your physical body you change your emotional state. Get outside,... more
By Gwyn Gilliss Ever watch teenagers skateboard or snowboard? Or children in a sandbox pretending to be princesses and dragons…or anything from a fairytale. They’re having FUN and they’re playing!... more
The Mandy Network has just launched its Monologue Competition! This is a great chance to showcase your acting talents to a panel of influential judges and be in the chance to win career-boosting prizes... more
One of the weekly ACTORVIST videos from the Independent centre for Actor Training. Thoughts and insights on the job from those who do this for a... more
Actors Pro Expo are working hard to ensure it’s accessible for all the actors wanting to enjoy the day! Here are some helpful tips: Is the venue accessible? Yes, here is a handy link with all... more
By Ronin Traynor – Director of Independent Drama and BASSC Master Teacher What is stage combat? Think of stage combat as a broader term for staged combat. It has applications across theatre, film... more
By Charlotte Thornton, Career mentor for Actors Casting director workshops are a great place to improve your skills and make a contact, and there are plenty to choose from at Surviving Actor his year. I... more
Give us an overview on what ‘Streetwalkers’ is about? Three students filming a horror movie stumble upon something much worse, and their only hope for survival are the two detectives who find the... more
We’re excited to have Rob Margolies from Different Duck Films attending Actors Pro Expo on September 8th to cast THREE of his films! Here is an insight in to what he is going to be looking... more
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when actors attend an open casting call. The audition is another story all on its own. Let us focus on what to do before and after an audition. Then we'll focus on the... more
Top tips on what to do inside the audition room by Thomas J. Bellezza (BBR Productions Inc.): Walk directly to your mark. Once there say hello. Follow their particular cues. If they ask you questions... more
Meeting people. Events like Actor's Pro Expo allow companies like ourselves to do full on Open Calls for actors ready and willing to get paid for their work. Open Calls in general give you a much larger array... more
If you’re about to get your first demo reel made, then awesome! You’re on your way to having a hugely important tool in your Actor’s Kit Bag. But if this is your first time putting a reel together, then... more
Anyone who’s ever worked in theater will know that 'tech week' can be a little difficult. Long hours, having to repeat the same things over and over again and things going wrong can all lead to patience... more
Game of Thrones has been predicting it for years, but it’s true - Winter Is Here. We love this season for endless mugs of hot chocolate, snuggling into cosy sweaters and of course all those Christmas feels.... more
LinkedIn is a must for actors. Not only does it rank high on search engine result pages, but also it is great for letting you and your connections know of activity, ensuring you stay in the know and giving you... more
I have had many agents over the years; some have been wonderful and some less than wonderful, let’s just say :) This week, I signed with an additional agent; lovely Kaye is going to look after me for... more
When I was an agent, I rarely stopped for breath. Lunch was a hurried affair at my desk and often the calls and emails of ‘immediate attention’ continued way beyond office hours. When you are under... more
Standfirst: Terrified of the stills camera? Finding it hard to relax in your headshot shoots? Not sure how to use your performance skills in a photo session? 'Well, Top Theatre Photographer' (The Stage) and... more
Finding the ideal place to rehearse is important. You will never be able to practice for a role or perfect your craft if there are constant distractions around or the environment is not suitable. However, if... more
All actors know the importance of eating healthy. If you are going to have the energy to get through long days of shooting or worse, endless rehearsals, you need to treat your body right. Unfortunately, there... more
Acushla-Tara Kupe signed with Q Management and subsequently filmed a new series for CBBC after networking at Surviving Actors 2017… Here is her story! How did you meet Q Management? I attended the... more
What have you done today? We are now in the second half of 2017, so if you are not in the position you want to be, you need to take action. I want you to run through your day in your head and have a... more
I didn’t “give up” on acting. I chose to leave it. This is an important distinction I have been trying to make to friends and family for the last 5 years since I left the industry. I’m sad to say that... more
The Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting (YAFTA) takes a fresh look at training for the film and television industry. With traditional drama schools only just beginning to add screen acting... more
Right this is a tricky issue- always has been, always will be. You’ll hear over and over again that casting directors make assumptions and decisions about you based on your first five seconds in the audition... more
Christmas suddenly feels a distance memory and 2017 is galloping by at quite a pace. How's it going for you so far? Did you set any resolutions and if so, how are they working out? I am a huge believer in... more
Deck the halls, pull the crackers and get ready to jingle all the way, it’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! Here at Surviving Actors we’ve pulled together a little gift guide for all those... more
Not only is teaching rewarding, but also the pay is great: on average £25 an hour. Actors tend to make great freelance drama teachers; charisma, good people skills and an ability to improvise are all... more
You nailed the dance audition, sang the pants off your up-tempo number, and after five recalls and a lot of waiting, you got the part in a West End show! You’re set for life, right? Actually, now the hard... more
Ahead of our Surviving Actors convention in Manchester on October 22nd, we caught up with Manchester based actor Lucas Smith to give us a bit of an insight what it’s like being a performer up... more
Looking after the Honest Actors Podcast and Blog is a full-time job for me at the minute, particularly now that series 2 is up and running, but I still do my best to go to as much theatre as possible. It’s... more
At some point in your career you may well find yourself on tour. Whether you’re in a whacking great Number 1 tour of a big glitzy musical, or a rural tour of Norfolk doing TIE, being on the road for long... more
by Jonathan Harden As I write, and perhaps as you read, the Olympics are on the telly in the background. A British athlete – Andrew Butchart - has just qualified for the final of the 5,000m (5k to me and... more
It’s the biggest, baddest, wonderfullest, weirdest, wackiest fest of them all- it’s Edfringe! The festival opens next week with another programme stuffed to the gills with theatre, comedy, cabaret, dance... more
As an actor, one must have a toolkit. Just as a builder has hammers, spanners and nails, an actor has a show reel, head shots and a voice reel. We’ve put together a great guide in the Surviving Actors Manual... more
Being a good actor is no longer enough - in the digital age, you need to have a good following as well. Having a strong presence on social media websites is imperative, so here we have some top tips to help... more
Apply for free now! It’s a dream for many actors to get their break in Hollywood. But sometimes it’s hard when you don’t have the right connections, or let’s face it, the money to buy... more
Are you suffering from spring blues? Perhaps you have been knocked back from a few auditions, or maybe you have been feeling a bit under the weather as of late? No matter what applies, we have some top tips to... more
In June 2016, PPA’s three year Acting for Stage and Screen Course sees its first group of graduating students enter the profession. The students have already received excellent industry feedback for... more
Question: What are the best ‘other’ jobs for actors? "Know what it is you're going to do between acting jobs when you're 50." #ActorSunscreen As part of my ‘other’ job (running the Honest Actors’... more
Many look at stage combat as just learning how to safely punch and stab, but that’s really the easy part, adding intention, motivation, status, stakes, etc, while maintaining an awareness of safety (without... more
We know that the holidays are one of the most fruitful, magical, and emotional times of the year because it is about family, rituals, and childhood. You can read many tips about how people can avoid holiday... more
Advice for Actors from Casting Director Jane Anderson CDG My advice to actors is to always research, as best you can, how each Casting Director likes to be contacted. We all have our own way of working. I... more
So what is a 'co-op' agency? An actors’ co-operative agency operates much in the same way as a conventional agency. They submit their actors for jobs; negotiate contracts; invite industry professionals to... more
Surviving Actors Manchester is almost here. This year a key area of the event will focus on ‘Running a Career Outisde of London’ which will be incredibly useful for all you North West and further afield... more
Surviving Actors Manchester is almost here. This year a key area of the event will focus on ‘Running a Career Outisde of London’ which will be incredibly useful for all you North West and further afield... more
Listen up, we have something to tell you that you won’t want to miss. Take 7 Writers, 7 Directors, 25 Actors, a handful of Designers and Musicians and just 48 hours. What do you get? 14 World Premier... more
This month we caught up with Flavia from ‘Finger in the Pie’ to get some top tips for those of you with shows as we head into festival season! You’ve got the venue, assembled your team and... more
