What kind of services should an Acting Coach offer?

Hello Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, I hope there’s something here that’s useful to you. It’s often the case that I don’t shout about what we do at Acting Coach Scotland. We recently moved into a new acting studio and we’re in the process of doing it up. It’s all very exciting. With a lick of paint or two, it’s going to look like a really different place.

Recently, one of my current acting class students asked me if I taught 1-2-1 classes. I was shocked that I hadn’t made it very clear what I offered right from the start. Well, rather than being a puff piece promoting myself, I thought I would set out some of the services that I believe a good acting coach should be able to offer and kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. (especially because actors in my classes know that I only shoot three shy thrushes!)

Acting Classes 

In Glasgow, our regular group acting classes take place on Monday and Tuesday evenings. We have an Step 1:Intro to Acting class for everyone, then students move on to Step 2: Developing Acting Skills and onwards up to the Advanced Acting and Directing classes. The classes should introduce the student actor to the basics of acting in whatever approach, style or methodology the teacher espouses. We teach Practical Aesthetics combined with a few other ideas and aim to prepare the student in the first 8-weeks.

CPD Training

Professional actors often come to me for ‘top up’ training or to discover ‘Repetition’ or the practical reality of ‘Practical Aesthetics’. We often teach classes on Monologue Preparation, Auditioning Skills and more specialist topics such as Shakespeare.

Master Classes

Ideally suited for the professional actor who is looking to add something back to their performances by engaging with a new way of acting. These are usually intensive weekend or evening sessions, not for beginners. Participants should be prepared to work hard over the course of the sessions, they are aimed at giving professionals extended and advanced developments in their acting technique.

Cold Reading Auditions/Castings

Cold reading auditions are very popular, although it’s hard to see what the director can use them for. You just an actor in pain, struggling to read and act at the same time. So we offer an immersion training. We prepare you for the discomfort of the cold read and offer you some tools so that you’re not just reading.

Professional Audition Preparation

Whether you want to try out your speeches on another professional, or you have been given a script and you’d feel more comfortable if you’ve worked through it with a coach, then an acting coach can assist you. They should offer you tools and advice, guidance and support, encouragement and honest criticism and not vague epithets.

Drama School Auditions

If you want to go to Drama School, but you want to give yourself the edge, then I advise you to find an acting coach that can help you. It helps if this coach has actually been to a drama school, although you’d be surprised at how many had not! Here the coach should prepare the student actor for all the different elements of the drama school audition, from the application form and selecting of monologues to the performance of said monologues and the famously terrifying drama school interview.

Of course, it’s possible to mix and match, someone may want some cold reading and some professional audition coaching. So that’s what Acting Coaches do.  Let me know if you think I can help you.