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Four Tips For Building Your Comedy Improv Skills As An Actor

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If you are embarking on adult acting classes, you are starting a creative journey that will be full of excitement, self-discovery and moments of real connection. However, there will also be some challenges that you might find daunting at first, not least comedy improv. 

This is a time honoured technique of unscripted interactions that will help you to become more intuitive and confident as an actor. It does take some effort and practice to become skilled and sustain your energy during an improvised performance. Here are some tips to help you on your way to being ‘effortlessly’ funny.  

Don’t try too hard

The first rule is to not actually try to be funny, because real humour lies in truth and spontaneity, and this cannot be forced. Do not worry about getting it ‘right’, because there’s no wrong way to improvise. In fact, mistakes are golden opportunities for humour, so try to relax and enjoy the process, which will lead to a natural performance.

Listen actively

Beginner actors often assume that their performance is all about them and the words they say, but in fact listening actively to your stage partner and reacting to them authentically is the true skill of good actors. This will bring forth true moments of emotion and thought, which are always more interesting than a forced joke. 

Stay present in the moment rather than reflecting on what you just said or what you are planning to say next, because this will allow you to listen and observe details that you will be able to refer back to later. This will impress and surprise the audience, generating a laugh that is based on your wit rather than a cheap gag at the expense of someone else. 

Build the scene

If you block or fail to respond actively to your stage partner, the scene will quickly lose energy and fizzle out. Keep the momentum going by adopting the “yes, and…” mindset, which is like returning a serve on a tennis court: it allows you both to keep playing and entertaining the audience. 

Therefore even if your partner does or says something that you are not expecting, pick up the baton and run with it rather than interrupting the flow or trying to change its direction without continuity. If you have a great idea it’s fine to run with it, but it should not be a complete non sequitur that freezes out the contribution of your stage partner. 

Running jokes can build the sense of silliness and hold the whole scene together, however abstract or absurd it becomes, so find the game and be a team player. 

Learn to trust your instincts

An instinctive performer can make even mediocre jokes seem funny because they have the ability to create a real chemistry between their stage partners and the audience. This is not a skill you might have immediately, but practice in a safe space such as an acting class will help you to build your skills and have fun along the way.

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Tips for Making the Perfect Self-Tape for Aspiring Actors

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If you have been taking TV acting classes in Manchester and building up your skills and confidence, then you may be starting to think about auditioning for a few roles. As part of the audition process, it is likely that you will be asked to submit a self-tape to the casting director or creative team. 

In this day and age, this is most likely to be a digital recording, but the term ‘self-tape’ is still widely used to describe the pre-recorded audition. It might be requested as part of a first-stage screening process, or instead of an in-person audition. 

The team will have asked you for the self-tape after reviewing your CV, headshot, and possibly demo reel, so you can already congratulate yourself on getting this far. They like what they see, and they want to know more. It’s your chance to show them what you can do and put your best foot forward. Here are some tips for a top self-tape audition!

Read the instructions carefully

It’s easy to get carried away with the buzz of being asked for a self-tape and diving in straight away. However, let your excitement settle down and read the invitation email carefully. 

If you have been sent a whole script, don’t just skim your part, but take some time to read and digest it all and allow yourself some time to respond intellectually and emotionally to it.

When you have got your head around it, do some background research on the director and view some samples of their past work if you can. This will give you an idea of what style and genre to expect. Learn all your lines well so that they are second nature and you will sound more natural and confident on camera.

Warm up before going on camera

Before switching on the camera, warm up with some stretching exercises and vocals to loosen up your body and open up the breath. This will help you give a more relaxed and energised performance. Do a few rehearsals but don’t stress too much about trying to please the director: they want to see what you can bring to the role.

Find the right environment to make your recording

Make your recording in a quiet space without too much noise or any distractions. Don’t fret too much about the background, as long as you can be seen and heard easily on the video. Natural light is best wherever possible. Introduce yourself by saying your name and agent clearly at the beginning of the tape.

Get your camerawork right

Keep your head and shoulders clearly in shot at all times, framing yourself slightly to the right or left of the lens but not in profile. Wear something in keeping with the character, but not too bright and bold as this will be distracting. 

Make three recordings of the scene and pick the best one, or two if this is what the casting director asks for. Make sure that you follow their instructions carefully as to how to send the tape to them, and label it clearly with your details and the role you are auditioning for.

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Why Keeping Fit As An Actor Matters And How To Manage It

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When you embark on a course of acting classes, you will probably be aware of the emotional and intellectual challenges that lie ahead. Acting is all about being able to put yourself in the shoes of a character and convey their thoughts, passions and motives to an audience through your voice and gestures.

However, it’s also important to ensure that you are physically ready for the challenge. Obviously if you intend to specialise in musical theatre or action films, you will need to be very physically fit. However, a good standard of general fitness is beneficial for all types of acting, no matter what the roles or genre you are drawn to. 

Here’s why it matters, and some tips for maintaining your fitness. 

Why is keeping fit important for actors?

Being fit is not about looking good: after all, stage and screen productions need actors of all shapes and sizes. Acting is physically demanding even if you aren’t dancing or performing stunts. It requires long hours on your feet as you rehearse and perform, constantly shifting your position and body language as you tell the story and respond to your co-actors.

If you are performing on stage you might be required to act and perform in eight shows a week for months at a time with no respite. Filming for screen requires long hours on set, with each scene usually shot several times. This requires physical strength and stamina.

Being physically fit and flexible also helps you to be a more expressive performer, as you can move with ease, grace and energy as you deploy body language and positioning. Furthermore, physical fitness improves mental cognition and clarity, helping you to remember lines and respond more naturally and spontaneously to your acting partner. 

Exercise is also a great tool for stress management, which can help with nerves and navigating the rigours of an acting career. 

How to stay fit as an actor

Fitting in a daily gym session or run might be impractical if you are juggling acting with another job or raising a family, but aim to exercise at least two or three times a week. Include a mixture of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. 

There are lots of YouTube videos with 20 or 30 minute workouts that you can follow at home without any special equipment, other than a mat and maybe a couple of dumbbells. 

Make sure that you choose a form of exercise that you enjoy, otherwise you are unlikely to stick at it consistently. 

If you struggle with motivation, find a workout buddy to keep you accountable to your goals and make your exercise sessions more fun. If you have difficulty finding the time, try high intensity interval training (HIIT) which involves short but intense bursts of exercise followed by a recovery period, and can be just as effective as a longer workout.

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Celebrations As Oldham Coliseum Theatre Saved From Closure

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The Coliseum Theatre in Oldham has been saved from closure, following a campaign that has garnered high profile support. The historic venue in the Greater Manchester town has helped several famous names make the transition from acting schools to roles on stage in quality productions.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the campaign was led by the actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, who is best known for her roles in Coronation Street and the recent ITV drama about the Post Office IT scandal. Several other well-known names including Maxine Peake, Christopher Eccleston, and Dame Sian Phillips have also given their support.

The 135 year old Coliseum was shut in April 2023 after Arts Council England withdrew its funding, and the local council declared that it was not fit for purpose. There were plans to replace the building with a new smaller arts and cultural venue with no theatre, but now these plans have been shelved in favour of a £10m revamp of the existing theatre.

Hesmondhalgh said: “I think this is a huge step in the right direction. Not just for the art and culture in town but across the board because any Northern town needs a heart at the centre of it. This is a cause for celebration for so many people who have come together to show their passion for the theatre and bringing the Oldham Coliseum back to life.”

She added: “Oldham Council has shown a fantastic commitment to re-opening the Coliseum, and by working together, we can really put arts and culture at the heart of a transformed town centre. It feels like the start of a new, exciting era and it’s one that has been driven by the people of Oldham.”

Jim McMahon MP, who has also played a key role in the Coliseum’s re-opening, said: “This investment, working alongside a model that brings local arts organisations and local people together with a shared stake in its future, will help secure not only this fantastic building with its amazing heritage but also the future of producing theatre in this borough.”

Local theatre is a crucial part of the cultural fabric, providing an opportunity for aspiring actors to gain experience, or simply to provide roles for people who juggle acting with another career or family responsibilities. It also brings together the local community, putting on a diverse range of productions from pantos to weighty dramas.

The world of acting and performing arts can be very London-centric in the UK, so it’s important for talented actors, writers and directors who live in or around regional cities such as Manchester and Liverpool to have access to cultural venues. Without them, the British dramatic arts sector would be missing some of its most gifted stars. 

Regional theatres also help to boost the local economy by drawing visitors to the town, who not only see the performance but stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants and bars. Therefore the closure of a venue can have a knock-on impact on the whole leisure and hospitality sector of a region.

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Current Trends And Opportunities For Actors In British TV

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British television shows are highly regarded around the world for their creativity and quality. From classic dramas to surreal comedy and long-running soaps, British TV has always been fertile ground for aspiring thespians. Over the last few years, British TV has entered a new golden age, and anyone currently taking acting classes is surely paying careful attention!

Here’s a look at some of the current trends in British TV and emerging opportunities for actors. 

The golden age of crime dramas

Crime dramas have always been a perennial favourite of British TV, but the past few years have seen a conveyor belt of quality productions such as Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Happy Valley, Broadchurch and more. They have garnered millions of fans and worldwide audiences. 

These series have all hit a winning formula of gripping plots, authentic settings, strong emotional cores, and of course excellent performances. With plenty more crime series in the pipeline, this is a rich seam for aspiring actors to tap into. 

Such shows often have lead characters that are complex and sometimes even morally ambiguous, providing substantial and demanding roles for talented actors. Often crime dramas run into multiple series, so they provide actors with much-prized security and continuity in their careers. 

Genre blending formats

Hybrid formats have come into the spotlight in recent years, blending different genres in creative ways, and the Brits are producing some of the best examples in TV. For example, there’s the long running Dr Who series that is constantly reinventing itself for new audiences. It blends science fiction with action adventure and appeals to kids, teens and adults alike.

Sherlock is another good example; it is based on the classic crime novels by Arthur Conan Doyle, but is set in the modern day and combines elements of drama, science fiction, and innovations such as on-screen graphics to provide an insight into Sherlock’s Byzantine thought processes.

Hybrid shows offer opportunities for actors who enjoy pushing the boundaries of their craft and are comfortable with adapting between different styles of acting.

Historical and period dramas

Period dramas are the bread and butter of British TV, and over the years there have been hundreds of adaptations of classic novels and originally scripted dramas. Such shows often have very large and diverse casts, with opportunities across all age ranges, social groups and physical types. 

Recent years have seen the huge popularity of shows such as Bridgerton and The Crown, following on from the success of Downton Abbey and Poldark. They offer the chance for high-profile roles that allow an actor to delve deep into different periods of history and social and political attitudes. 

Contemporary dramas

The past few years have seen hit TV shows by a new generation of writers, such as Killing Eve, I May Destroy You, It’s A Sin and Normal People. These provide challenging roles for ambitious actors who enjoy tackling contemporary issues with complex storylines, and can produce subtle and nuanced performances.

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Bouncing Back: Tips To Help Actors Handle Criticism Well

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Anyone who embarks on the journey to train as an actor and put themselves forward for roles will find that they sometimes encounter unhelpful or downright hurtful criticism. It’s important to learn how to process and respond to criticism well, otherwise you may find it weighs you down and knocks your confidence.

The criticism will probably most often be performance related, but it could also be of the type of roles or productions you choose to audition for, or of your career choice itself. Here are some helpful tips for taking criticism in your stride and turning it into a tool of empowerment.

Take it on the chin

It may be tempting to bury the criticism, especially if you find it hurtful or it was delivered in an insensitive manner. However, this will only cause it to fester at the back of your mind and affect your enthusiasm for acting. Try to separate your emotions from what was actually said.

You might not be able to do this straightaway, so choose a time when you are more chilled out and free from distractions. Unpack what was said, trying to be accurate and objective and putting to one side the tone of voice or the reactions of others in the group. 

It may be that the comment was meant to be feedback rather than criticism, and it was delivered in an unintentionally blunt or clumsy manner. This is an experience that actors have to get used to as they work with a wide range of directors and cast members. If you are confused about any aspect of the criticism, consider approaching the person for clarification.

Take away the useful insights

Sometimes, the most difficult to hear thing can also be galvanising: if you recognise truth in it, you can use this valuable insight to grow and adjust your approach to this aspect of your acting. Remember that as an actor, we have to rely on the feedback of others to help us evolve and grow in confidence.  

However, sometimes feedback can be misdirected and we do not have to take it on board. After all, it’s just another person’s opinion, so consider their perspective, level of experience, and how much you respect them for their skills or personal qualities. 

If there is a jarring mismatch between your values and artistic vision, then maybe you can let go of their opinion without resentment and move on. If you find this hard, write down what you found unjust or irrelevant about the criticism, and stand up for yourself and your talents! Maybe you were just having an off day; it happens to everyone.

Remember that how you respond to criticism is always more important than what was actually said. Embrace the pain and defend yourself if you feel unfairly attacked, but don’t brood on negative feelings. Channel your emotional energy into proving the critic wrong or to refine your acting skills and goals.

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How Being An Extra Could Be A Step To Becoming Famous

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There are many ways to get into acting, with being an extra offering a simple route that, for some, could provide a path to fame.

For one man from Yorkshire that has proven true, albeit in a rather unusual way. Michael Beechcroft, who is now 84, worked as both a traffic warden and an occasional extra, with one harrowing image that combined the two making him famous while retaining his anonymity.

Mr Beechcroft was pictured on the front of the Radio Times in 1984 as an armed man in a traffic warden’s uniform, but with a bandaged-up face, to represent the BBC docudrama Threads, about a nuclear attack on Sheffield and its aftermath.

Following an appeal, BBC documentary makers have now managed to trace his identity and track him down.

“I didn’t do anything other than the 30 second shot of me with the rifle shouting some swear words,” he said of his brief moment in the sun – or, in this case, the onset of a nuclear winter.

He added: “Afterwards, they took some pictures of me and I went home and didn’t think anything else of it. It was just a day’s work as far as I was concerned.”

For Mr Beechcroft, there was never an ambition to become a famous actor. But if you are taking adult acting lessons, working as an extra may help you take things further. It will familiarise you with the film and TV industry and may give you a chance to interact with actors and producers, bringing everything from handy advice to networking opportunities.

If you happen to be the extra whose face (ideally not covered with makeshift bandages) gets some extra coverage, this could be advantageous, provided you don’t want to slip back into a life of anonymity.

For a production so notorious for its apocalyptic horror, Threads was characterised by its use of relatively unknown actors, although some of them did gain wider fame. For example, Reece Dinsdale, whose character apparently dies in the nuclear blast, later starred in Coronation Street and Life on Mars.

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Nutrition And Hydration Tips For Actors And Acting Students

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When you are training and attending acting classes, there is naturally a lot of focus on artistic expression, voice modulation, breathing techniques, improvisation and so on. However, acting is also a physical skill that puts big demands on the body as well as the mind. 

You might be required to perform for two or three hours with only short breaks in between, often on your feet and maybe with a lot of movement involved. All this requires stamina and energy, which is ultimately dependent on the fuel that you put into your body. 

This might sound obvious, but actors can sometimes struggle with eating well, for various reasons. For a start, performance schedules can disrupt normal eating habits, leaving less time to plan and consume nutritious meals at regular intervals. 

This may mean actors resort to quick fixes such as sugary snacks that provide a quick spike of energy, but do not sustain them throughout the performance, and lead to hunger when it is not possible to stop and refuel. Pre-performance nerves can also diminish the appetite, making it difficult to supply the body and brain with enough energy to perform well. 

 

Timing meals

When you have a big performance or important rehearsal coming up, timing is everything. Understandably, actors do not want to feel uncomfortably full from a big meal when they are on stage or in front of the cameras. On the other hand, eating too far in advance or too little can lead to fatigue and poor concentration that will affect the quality of your performance.

Depending on your individual metabolism, aim to eat a balanced meal between three to four hours before the event. Include lean protein for stamina, fibre to keep you full and whole grain carbohydrates that provide a slow release of energy rather than a surge followed by a crash. 

An example of a good meal might include grilled chicken or fish, leafy greens such as spinach or kale, and sweet potatoes or whole grain brown rice, followed by berries and natural yoghurt sweetened with a little honey. Have some light snacks every couple of hours, such as a banana or a handful of nuts. 

 

Staying hydrated

Moving around and speaking more often than you would naturally can soon cause you to feel dehydrated, particularly under hot studio lights. This can make you feel tired and dizzy, and reduce your energy levels and mental clarity. It can also make your joints feel stiff, making it more difficult to move around gracefully and use your body language to full effect.

Aim to drink in small amounts throughout the day rather than downing a whole pint of water at once, because the body can’t handle sudden intakes of a lot of fluid and you will just end up with a full bladder. 

Consider topping up with electrolyte tablets if you tend to perspire a lot, because we lose essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and sodium through our bodily fluids.

Tips For Keeping Your Nerves In Check Before A Performance

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Nerves are an inevitable part of most actor’s experience. This might seem to be surprising to non-actors; after all, it’s a deliberate choice to put yourself out there. For most, the joys and rewards of acting outweigh the bout of pre-performance nerves. 

Experiencing some tension and anxiety before your cue is not a bad thing; it can give your performance energy and immediacy. However, sometimes those backstage nerves can escalate into full-blown stage fright, affecting your ability to do justice to the role, or even to perform at all. 

The fear is very understandable, especially for live performances when you can never completely control how you, your acting partners or the audience will react. Even experienced actors admit to having stage fright, although they will be better armed with techniques for dealing with it. 

Here are some tips and suggestions to keep those dreaded jitters at bay.

Work with your nerves

Learn to view your nervous feelings as a positive attribute: it shows that you are keyed up for the performance and keen to be your best. If you didn’t feel any sense of tense anticipation, it’s a sign that you are not truly engaged with the role and this will be reflected in a lacklustre performance that doesn’t resonate strongly with the audience. 

Give yourself time to prepare

If you know that you usually get anxious before a performance, make sure that you arrive in good time at the venue, and find a quiet place to prepare away from any hustle and bustle. Focus on your breathing and do a few stretches to get the oxygen flowing to your brain and help you feel calm and in charge of your emotions. 

Get into character

If you have put the work in acting classes, learned your lines and know your cues, you have nothing to worry about, so focus on keeping your mind clear so you are ready to step into character. Think about the persona you are going to adopt on stage or in front of the camera, and mentally begin to step in their shoes. 

This will distract you from your own feelings and transfer your thoughts outwards to the character you are portraying. 

Get a sense of perspective

It’s easy to get caught up in your own emotions and feel that you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. However, as important and enriching that acting can be, it’s ultimately a way of bringing entertainment and escapism to the audience. If something goes wrong, no great disaster will happen. 

You are not performing open heart surgery or even driving a bus full of school children; a mistake can easily be corrected. In fact, dealing with a slip-up reflects positively on you as an actor, builds your confidence, and you will probably be quickly forgiven by the audience. They are there to enjoy themselves, and want to see you doing so as well.  

The success or failure of the entire performance does not rest in your hands, so avoid black and white thinking and embrace the moment. 

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Why Expanding Your Vocabulary Can Boost Your Acting Skills

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There are many skills that can help to improve your acting ability. Some of these are well known, such as developing your vocal and emotional range and cultivating your posture and body language. 

These are essential skills for anyone with serious acting ambitions. However, expanding your vocabulary can also be the key to giving you that extra ingredient for acting success. Here’s why it matters and some simple ways you can become a wonder with words.

What a rich vocabulary does for you as an actor

You may assume that an excellent vocabulary is the concern of school students and those in writing-based professions. However, as an actor, language is a primary mode of expression that helps you to understand stories, characters and emotions more deeply and precisely, and to interpret and express them more accurately and convincingly to an audience.

A good vocabulary will increase your range as an actor, because you will be able to understand and embody a wide range of texts and characters. For example, you will have a greater appreciation of historical texts such as Shakespeare, and the confidence to tackle different genres and key roles with a lot of dialogue or monologue. 

Once this understanding becomes more instinctive, you will sound more natural and convincing delivering lines even if they are in somewhat archaic and dense language, as much as Shakespeare’s plays are. You will be able to interpret these plays in a fuller context, boosting your confidence and clarity of meaning and expression.

A deeper appreciation of the subtleties of words will also broaden your understanding of a range of characters, stories and texts, and enable you to deliver a more nuanced performance that really resonates with the audience. This will help to evoke an emotional response and make your performance more powerful, authentic and memorable. 

The wider your vocabulary, the more confident you will be in improvising, which is an important skill for an actor to have. This is the art of reacting spontaneously to a cue in a creative way, rather than just delivering the lines you have learnt. 

Many actors find this a daunting challenge, but it can be essential for those moments when your acting partner doesn’t do what you expected, or you forget your own lines or lose your place in a script. 

It can also produce magical moments of vitality and humour during a performance. This improvisational quality will be much more effective and enjoyable if you have a well-stocked reservoir of words to draw from.  

 

Ways to expand your vocabulary

Reading

Reading widely is the first and foremost path to a more extensive vocabulary. If you are out of the habit of reading regularly, set aside some time to read each day, such as half an hour before you go to bed. Read material that you genuinely enjoy and find interesting, because this way you will naturally be engaged and it won’t feel like a dutiful obligation.

Memoirs, fiction, history, psychology, travel; there’s a huge range of genres so it shouldn’t be difficult to discover a real page-turner. However, be a little fussy about the quality of the writing so you are genuinely challenged rather than just skipping through entry-level prose. Look up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary or app to define the meaning.

Creative writing

Writing is an excellent way to stretch your abilities. Have a go at writing your own plays or scripts, or set yourself a short story challenge. If you struggle to get going, start by keeping a daily journal to get you warmed up, and progress to longer pieces of writing such as blog posts or articles on a particular topic, such as travel or a hobby or interest.

Use a thesaurus to swap out commonly used words for more expressive or appropriate words from time to time. Over time, you will develop a more fluent and original writing style that doesn’t automatically reach for tired and familiar phrases. 

Learn a new word every day

There are plenty of grammar apps and websites that feature a ‘word of the day.’ set yourself an alert and take your time to learn these words, making sure that you understand the context in which they can be used. Practice using the words in your writing or in social situations, so that you can road-test how they work in a more spontaneous situation. 

Some words will sound natural and enhance your communication skills, whereas others might take on a different nuance to what you expected. These conversations with friends or customer service staff will help to improve your improvisation skills.

 

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