Ten Quick Audition Tips

I’ve written a lot of audition tips, but these are simple and memorable:

1) Breathe. Yes, I mean it. You think you know about breathing, but under pressure you stop and it hampers everything you do. Breath is at the core of everything you do and the success of everything that you do.  Breathe. You practice it all day, you should be good at it by now.

2) Don’t try to be funny.

3) Don’t tell anyone anything bad about yourself unless you feel it shows something important about you. At my drama school interview (nearly ten years ago) I told the panel that I learned the most from badly misdirecting Romeo and Juliet. I got a place. Only bring up ANYTHING negative if shows something positive about you. And even then think about it first.

4) Don’t mime, you look ridiculous.

5) Smile and make eye contact. Under stress you’ll struggle with both, but it helps build rapport.

6) Admit to yourself that you’re going to be nervous, then go and do your absolutely best.

7) Don’t TRY. Mamet says “I’ll Try, is preparing to fail”. Do it with your heart and soul or don’t bother.

8 ) Choose good material, otherwise you’re a world class F1 driver in a clapped out old Skoda.

9) If you look full of fear and like you are having a terrible time, why would anyone want to put you through that again?

10) BREATHE!