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Doing a Shakespeare Monologue for Drama School Audition

Today’s blog comes because I’m constantly working with young people on their Shakespeare monologues and I wanted to sum up the lessons they learn working with me, so that those students who cannot get to my studio can benefit from doing a little more prep on

Monologue Choice

Old Bill isn’t writing anything new these days, so it does make your choice somewhat limited.  However, people are obsessed with doing ones that ‘they won’t have seen’.  Well, they’ve probably seen all of them! They don’t care about your Shakespeare choice, cos they knew you didn’t have one.  The only thing you should do is cast yourself in a Shakespeare role that suits you.  If you don’t know if it suits you, wikipedia the play if you don’t have it around to read.  Does that sound like you could get cast in that role?  So don’t do the Nurse from Romeo and Juliet, if you’re a skinny, blonde, 17 year old! There’s plenty of choice for you, even if Shakespeare was writing for androgynous boys!  Choose a piece, no longer than 2-3 minutes.

Style of Performance

It has become popular in the last thirty years, particularly in the United States to try to ‘naturalise’ Shakespeare’s speech. Yes, of course, it should sound authentic and not overly declaimed, but it is poetry and as it is heightened language, you must heighten your performance style.  You should still be convincing, but you must also learn to make the poetry come to life. When you naturalise it, it flattens the poetry and because the audience need time to take it onboard, going quickly with a naturalistic speed, the audience do not have time to take it all in.

The Heartbeat

Another side effect of naturalising Shakespeare is ignorance of his dramatic verse.  Some characters speak verse and some prose.  Usually reflecting their status or their state of mind.  Almost all Drama School Auditions will want you to speak verse.  So make sure your speech is in verse!  Inside each line of his verse is the iambic pentameter, the duh dum duh dum duh dum duh dum duh dum rhythmic beat that pounds through his verse like a poetic heartbeat.  The heartbeat reflects all sorts about the character and often gives up secret clues given to us by Shakespeare.  If you ignore it, or try to act against the grain of it, you end up all wrong.  You can’t play Chopin without playing the notes he wrote, you can’t ignore Shakespeare’s verse.  Those that do end up sounding like they’re singing their national anthem to the tune of When the Saints Go Marching In…

Speeching

Patsy Rodenburg has spoken about three circles around you as a performer.  I like to think about the first circle being just for you, the second takes in another person or people, the third is sort out into the air.  A Shakespeare monologue is NEVER performed to the third circle, never to just the open air.  Speak to yourself, or speak to the audience, but speak to a PERSON.  Speak to the audience AS a person.  Very easily, we just ‘speech’ as I call it, out into the darkness,  we forget that we’re trying to get something done, the character wants some kind of action as a result of speaking, we can’t do that if you just throw it out.  Each word, each phrase, each line and each sentence is intended to hit a person and make a change.  Remember that and practice it on a person, not into the air.

Headline

Lastly.  The first line of all Shakespeare monologues is like a HEADLINE IN A NEWSPAPER!  IT sums up the speech and gives you a chance to understand the speech right from the off.

Hope that’s helpful!

Oh, before I forget, in April, I will be releasing an eBook on Acting Shakespeare Monologues called Approaching Shakespeare, in the meantime, you might have to settle for a copy of my other eBook Truth in Action.

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Truth in Action eBook

I’m not going to bang on about it so consider this the first and last blog specifically about the launch of my eBook Truth in Action. It’s taken several years to bring together scraps of writing, blogs, class notes, quotes and exercise descriptions.

It’s part manifesto for a new kind of acting in a new kind of understanding of performance and part practical acting manual. And the support of my friends, family, (even my own Mother text me this week to ask when the eBook was coming out!) students and colleagues has undoubtedly spurred me on to deliver an eBook that meets the demand. The reaction has been phenomenal, over 300 people are now signed up to receive the first news of the launch. By the time you read this, many will have already bought their copy.

Of course it is not the end of the story. It represents a moment in time, a point in the journey, and as such it spells out my theory and practise as an acting coach as clearly as I can for now. A life in the arts is one of shift and change, so writing anything down is dangerous, it’s easy to look back later and see how much your thoughts and your practice have changed.

Not everyone will like what I have to say. But if you read the blog and enjoy being provoked to think about acting, rehearsal, directing, characterisation, and actor training, you may enjoy the somewhat radical approach to acting found in the book.

The eBook represents my thoughts and feelings after a twenty year obsession with how actors do what they do. I’m not famous, I haven’t coached many famous people, but the actors I have trained are working, either for others or forging their own companies, building a type of theatre or a performance style of their own based on the ideas in this book.

I value truth and authenticity in life and acting. Like me, the eBook isn’t perfect, I think the search for perfection is flawed. Only those who don’t know me might be cynical about my motives. This eBook was written because people asked for it, a brief summation in 180 pages of an exciting way to work.

You can download it from today, or read my blog some more and decide if you’d like to learn more about Truth in Action.

I don’t like to use my blog to advertise but to be honest, frankly I am excited!

To You, The Best!

Mark

Tags: acting book, book on acting, ebook for actors, ebook on acting, mark Westbrook book on acting

PRODUCING THEATRE USING THE OPEN BOOK MODEL – AN INTRODUCTION

A guest blog by one of my oldest friends… Nick Field:

Ok, so I was reading Mark’s useful tips on ‘How to Build a Successful Theatre Company’ and he’s kindly invited me to blog about how my theatre company produces shows.

It’s important to talk about the financial side of things. Even if you’re all friends and get together and decide to put on a great show on a shoestring, it invariably will cost you money (as well as a whole lot of time). There’s no faster to way to destroy a budding theatre company (or friendships) than by getting into a mess about the financial side of things.

Sure, we all make theatre for the love, and not for the money, but if you’re going to do it more than once, you need to at least aim to break even, and why not try to make a little profit to put into the next show?

THE PROFIT SHARE MODEL
Many fringe theatre productions, especially in London, are produced under what’s known as ‘profit share’. This usually means that no-one receives a proper salary, and that any ‘profit’ made at the end gets distributed amongst the company. The sad reality is however, is that often there doesn’t tend to be any profit, apparently. An actor may get a token envelope at the end of the run from the Producer, but who knows who got what?

Actors tend to do it for the practice, and more often for the potential exposure to the industry, but their agents don’t like profit share. If any of the actors have had a bad experience where they’ve seen the producer or the director at the end of the run buying Mojito’s at the bar whilst smoking a Cuban cigar, and they haven’t got much more than their bus fare home, it doesn’t make them want to work with that company again. And I’m not being that dramatic; I’ve had those ‘profit share’ experiences myself as an actor.

So, how do we make theatre without proper salaries, sharing the spoils if there are any, and do it in an ‘open, honest and ethical’ way?

THE OPEN BOOK MODEL

Open Book Management is a process in which all of the employees of a company are able to look at all of the financial and business information of that company. And are then expected to help drive business success.

It’s not new in business, but it is in theatre, which is why my theatre company Red Table started using it and it hit the front page of ‘The Stage’ last year.

HOW IT WORKS
For every play that we produce, the financial information will be made available to every member of the company. Every actor (and member of the company) will be able to see how much money goes on advertising, salaries, insurance, printing, props, set design, set build, illustrators, photographers.

And everyone will be able to see ticket sales as they come in.

Every week, during both rehearsals and production, everyone involved will be able to see how far away we are from profitability. And then, when we cross breakeven, how much they’re going to get from the production.

HOW THE PROFIT GETS DISTRIBUTED
This is how we do it at Red Table; we work out a budget for a show and attract investors to put money in to cover it. Investors might be the cast, friends, family, angels or even the producers. In our case, they invest in units of £100.

When the money starts coming in, if the show breaks even (the money made equals the money spent), the investors get their money back first.

After break even, the investors will get a 10% maximum return on their investment. So if your uncle has put £300 into the project, you’ll give him back £330.

After the investors have been paid their 10% ROI (Return on Investment), any surplus money goes into a profit ‘pot’, which then gets distributed out amongst cast and crew. It needn’t be equally split either, we use a points based system which is weighted according to the contribution made, but I can talk more about that another time.

IS THERE ONLY ONE WAY TO USE OPEN BOOK?
No. Our way is a guide. The main issue to realise is that all money coming in and out is recorded, transparent, and freely available to all those involved in the production to see.

DO YOU NEED SPECIAL EXPERTISE TO USE OPEN BOOK?
All you need is common sense, a knack of keeping a record of what comes in and what goes out, and an ability to use some kind of spreadsheet program such as Excel.

OTHER BENEFITS
There are lots of ‘fringe’ benefits (pardon the pun) to using the Open Book Model, but chiefly:

The entire company are able to contribute to the productions success and lend ideas on how to save and make money for the show. Everyone is involved, and everyone can see what’s happening.

You’ll attract more experienced actors, designers, lighting technicians both now and in the future if they feel that their hard work is not being exploited.

WILL OPEN BOOK MAKE THE SHOW A SUCCESS?
No. Not in itself. There are many other factors to look at, both in producing a show, and making sure the actors, designers et al. all get a clear contract stating what is expected of them.

EQUITY’S STANCE
Our announcement and front page headlines caused somewhat of a stir in the fringe circuit. Some welcomed the approach, others berated it, claiming to be already transparent.
Equity have long been campaigning for the establishment of a minimum wage in fringe theatre. Frankly I support them wholeheartedly, and wish for the same myself. Everyone should be paid a decent salary.

However, as long as small theatre companies don’t have public funding, they will continue to try and make theatre with little money, under the banner of ‘profit share’.

If you’re going to produce a show and build a theatre company, using the Open Book Model at least gives you the opportunity to be ‘open, honest and ethical’ when it comes to financial management.

For more info, please visit www.redtabletheatre.com

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Sense Memory: Why We Can’t Agree

I give Method Acting a hard time. As the dominant ideology in Western acting, it deserved to be questioned, critiqued, interrogated and perhaps even ridiculed a wee bit. Any technique whose practitioners feel religiously offended when the technique is criticised shouldn’t need defending in the first place.

Because I don’t think much of Method acting technique, I receive two lots of complaints: you don’t understand it, and if you understood it, you would appreciate it a lot more. Thusly, I am ignorant of the Method and ignorant of its potential.

Next the complainants protest that I do not represent Method acting as they have experienced it, thus again, I am wrong and ignorant.

Further still, it appears that if I am not a world-class director who has trained in every form of acting, I am not qualified to critique.

Actually I think the problem is a much simpler one than any of these complaints reveal.

To explain, let’s use an example. In both Method acting and the Stanislavski system there are exercises called Sense Memory.

Depending upon the particular style of acting, this exercise is either used to help the actor to accept the imaginary circumstances or as preparation for Emotion/Affective/Emotional/Memory/Recall.

The exercises are simple things. By using the memory stored in you through your 5 senses and your imagination, you develop faith in theatrical truth, in other words, you create a belief in fictional things, you imagine things that aren’t before you are before you, primarily by recalling the modal sensations.

When you can treat imaginary things like they are real to you, you can believe in the imaginary circumstances of a scene, couple this with a thorough knowledge of your character and you can act with faith out of any imagined scenario, treating it like it is real.

In preparation for the Affective Memory exercise, you use sense memory to help you attune your senses to your memories so they can easily be recalled and experienced again.

But the thing is, I can’t agree with these exercises at all. So when I see Method acting, I don’t just disagree with it as an idea, I disagree with some of its fundamental building blocks.

I don’t believe you have to pretend anything to be an actor. To me, it is a moment to moment real-world interaction with another person. I believe the audience pretend, that’s their end of the deal. Actors on the other end of the deal, know how the trick is done, so do those things that most help convince the audience if their own willing delusions.

So if you don’t believe in entering the fictional world or you don’t believe that you can act as the character, or you don’t think you need to pretend anything, or express your emotions, if the very building blocks on which the Method stands do not make sense to your model of acting, then to you, these children’s games are utter flap doodle, an unnecessary waste of time.

It is not a misunderstanding of technique or value, it is a belief that the things involved are surplus to requirement.

Oh but if only I saw how useful it really was, I would learn to love the Method and use it successful too.

Your self delusional model of acting doesn’t interest me. I am for the truthful and the real. A real human transaction that has little to do with the script itself because the script was written to be heard and is not a blueprint for performance.

Acting to me is an improvised human transaction, a real set of actions and reactions.

And as so, I see Sense Memory as a way to fill up time in acting class. I’m not sure it even works, personally I am not fond of self delusion, it’s unnecessary.

Tags: Method acting exercises

My Top Ten Tips for Actors

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Tags: Advice for Actors, mark westbrook video tips, top tips for acting

Writing a Personal Statement for Drama Courses

This blog is generally for those of you that have to write a personal statement as part of a drama school or conservatory application.  Quite often I ask my private drama school audition coaching students in Scotland to let me read their Personal Statement before they send it off.

Look, let me be honest.  My own personal statement was verbose, grandiose and pretentious. I talked about Stanislavski and the art of the actor.  I got into a very good school, but no thanks to my cheesy personal statement.

TIP 1:  Read what it asks you to do.  Many people forget this.  If there’s no instructions, move to Tip 2

TIP 2:  Say why you are interested in applying to study acting/musical theatre/stage management or whatever.

TIP 3:  Keep it SIMPLE!  Don’t use big words and don’t come over like some Grand Old Queen of the Theatre.

TIP 4:  If you don’t have tons of experience, don’t pad it out sound liking some verbose amateur.  Be honest but positive.

TIP 5:  Say WHY you want to do that for a living, think of an intelligent, simple, non-pretentious answer.  But it has to be the truth.

TIP 6:  EVERYONE is passionate and EVERYONE has been doing this since they were a kid, that isn’t a good enough reason.

TIP 7:  Say what you would gain from having a place on the course.

TIP 8:   Say why you would make a good student, talk briefly and without too much self-aggrandizement about your best qualities.

TIP 9:  Don’t talk about your talent.

TIP 10:  Don’t talk about how you were Hamlet in High School and how when you transformed into the Danish Prince, you understood something about humanity.  Yes I have read this.

TIP 11:  Say something about your weaknesses, and why you think the course would help you to address them, say it near the beginning and be willing to answer questions about it.  It has been proven in psychological testing that admitting your faults early and then bolstering your profile later in an application or an interview helps the reader/panel to see past your limitations.

TIP 12:  Put it away, even for an hour or two, then go back and read it aloud.  Does it represent you?

TIP 13:  Do you sound like the kind of student they would want?

TIP 14:  Proof read it, get someone else to proof read it, spell check it and makes sure if you talk about the institution that your information is correct and you aren’t just ASS KISSING.

Any further questions, just get in touch.

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Tags: writing a personal statement for drama school

Guest Post: Jeff and Julie Crabtree

 

 

Today’s blog post is a guest blog from my friends Jeff and Julie Crabtree, the authors of Living with a Creative Mind. They are two remarkable people,  a musician and a psychologist, who have written the most important book on the way that Creative People think and work. And trust me, Jeff and Julie know their shit, so you’re going to want to read this blog through thoroughly, then you’re going to want to buy their book.  I could not recommend it highly enough.  It’s the kind of book where you start nodding along very quickly, recognising yourself in the behaviour described.  Enjoy the blog post and buy the book.

*    *    *

We are the authors of the book Living with a Creative Mind, a survival guide for creative people and their friends and colleagues. We are all about how creative people work, and how to help them become more productive. For the performing artist (lets call him Adrian), this means understanding and managing the unique pressures of performance. His journey (an extract from Chapter 2 of our book) helps us understand how the pressures of performance affect the performer.

Adrian has just come off stage knowing he nailed opening night. The crowd was with him and he knew that he had them with him the whole way. It was electric. He is buzzing, feeling the euphoria of the release of pressure and tension that built up before the performance. Smiling and elated; his friends are laughing at all his jokes. He is thinking, “I am so good.” He stays up until four in the morning. Performance number two is the next day but he doesn’t want to lose this feeling. Plus he is young, full of energy – he can make it happen.
Next day, during the second performance, he misses a cue, stumbles over a line and his leading lady makes a comment as they pass each other on the way to the dressing room: “What happened to you tonight?” The applause was not quite as electric as last night. Adrian begins to feel a little sick in the stomach, like he is losing his grip. That old black doubt creeps into the back of his mind and takes hold: you are a fake, you knew all along you never had real talent, they’re going to get rid of you, they’re probably all in the pub now talking about how terrible you are. What starts as twinges of doubt is reinforced by some old thoughts and is soon developing into paranoia.
Adrian’s mood plummets. Suddenly he is obsessing over small aspects of the show. He phones a friend and makes them come round and rehearse a scene over and over. The smallest details are issues for him. Adrian has become hypersensitive. Self-assurance has become self-doubt, and he starts looking for little clues in the way others react to him that will confirm what he now dreads but secretly believes is true – it’s over for him…

How would we help Adrian?

The main thing would be to help Adrian realize that the natural state of the creative mind is tidal. So for a performer – the ups and downs are normal. You don’t overcome the cyclical or tidal nature, but you learn how to navigate it. So how do you do that?

If we were working with Adrian we would help him become aware of his sleep/ wake pattern. When he is in his up/high energy – wired phase – particularly after performances- it would be easy to begin a pattern of getting to sleep very late – feeling like he needs little sleep. Actors with longevity learn to respect their sleep/wake cycle and work to discipline and train their physiology to get sleep – despite the highs of performance.

We would also begin to explore his self-talk (the constant dialogue in our head, at the threshold of our consciousness, that forms our view of who we are in the world). The tension between the need for perfection and attention to detail produces fear and cripples a performance. The idea that “everything has to be perfect for me to be good” is in fact a lie that destroys the creative mind. Introducing the gift of imperfection to our self-talk will help Adrian embrace those times when his performance is not the way he would like it.

Finally, Adrian needs affirmation more than anything else after his second performance. An actor’s social world can be ruthless. Having one or two friends who will affirm Adrian without any agenda is crucial. Actors will always have bad shows; bad reviews and off nights – but having friends who can affirm you is essential to coping with the highs and lows.

*   *   *

If like me, you were thinking “yeah, a book on creativity, I need that like a hole in the head”, you’ll know from this blog post that Jeff and Julie are no bullshitters, they really know their shit, they’ve done their homework and this book can actually help those of us that struggle with the perils of having a creative mind, being a squiggly line in a world of squares.  Buy the book folks, buy two, one for you, and one for the people in your life that don’t ‘get it’, because this book is closest I’ve ever come to feeling okay about being a freak.

 

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Tags: book on creativity, good mental health for artists, healthy creative mind, jeff and julie crabtree, Living with a Creative Mind, the creative mind, the psychology of creativity

eBook Update

Let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year. Yesterday’s blog was a bit fire and brimstone. I’m fired up about 2012. We can all get what we want if we break it down into small pieces and commit ourselves to action.

It’s easy to make excuses. For ages, I made excuses to myself about a whole lot of things, then I broke those things down into manageable chunks and got on with it.

Well, if you’ve slept through the last few weeks, I have written my eBook on acting Truth in Action, the other book Approaching Shakespeare is already written and will be launched in April this year too!

I’m just finishing off the final touches to Truth in Action and it will be available very soon now. If you’d like to be one of the first to find out when it’s released, you can fill in the little form below. I’m not going to push it, but I know some of you were asking to know the MOMENT it comes out. So okay dokes, sign up and I’ll tell you the moment it goes live.

Anyway, here’s to 2012, we’re going to nail it this year, yes we are!

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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How to Build a Successful Theatre Company

For my friends and students Meli, Paul and Ian of the SPARTAN Ensemble in Glasgow, Scotland, and Karli, Lara and Wade of the PACIFIC Ensemble in Sydney, Australia. Build an ensemble that makes you proud to be a member.

So you want to get yourself noticed. It’s hard. I know it. Despite directing, writing and producing for over 10 years, I have found it almost impossible to receive the type of funding that lets me produce independently. Over the last two weeks, I have analysed (while lying on the beach) those folks that I know who with only a mediocre talent (for mediocrity is not threatening to anyone) managed to build a successful theatre company.

I say this again. These people are not uniquely gifted. But instead, they took certain actions that lent them momentum. I have added to this my own thoughts on the making of great theatre and I challenge the SPARTAN Ensemble, the PACIFIC Ensemble and any of you out there considering making your own work to use these steps to build yourself the career that you want, not by waiting to be cast, but by becoming the producer yourself.

ONE: Everyone does Everything.

Fairly self-explanatory. There are no actors and technicians, there are no box office and set builders, everyone does everything. All chores are shared. Anyone who cannot live up to this simple system is asked to leave the Ensemble.

TWO: Today the Lead, tomorrow the Box Office.

The system must be fair. If there is no role in this month’s show, you MUST have a role in the next. You may choose to opt out and do other duties, but everyone gets to act.

THREE: Only Plays You Can Nail

Clearly, I am talking about a writing based company, but you only choose plays that are excellent. Nothing a bit dodgy, a bit weak, an amateur writer’s hopes for the big time. When you start off, choose the big ones. People will watch them because they have names. Weak plays lead to weak performances and they do not advance the ensemble. But most of all…

FOUR: Only Excellence in Performance

Only exceptional performance is required. If you cannot deliver the very best of acting, forget it.
Only cast people in roles they can nail, there is no character acting, you cast for excellence only. How long do you want to go on toiling in obscurity for?

FIVE: Ditch the Director

The director is a modern invention, only a little more than 100 years old and to my mind, they are not really required. A production coordinator can bring it all together. The actor’s direct their performance, the ‘Eye’, the Ensemble member who sits out and helps the actors to get where they want to be.

If you can’t ditch them entirely, limit them. Refuse to allow them a ‘take’, tell them they have to direct the play, not come up with something new or fancy. Get them to direct the production. If they can help the actors to stop fucking up, the actors will thank them. But the actors are not there to fulfil the director’s internal template.

Too many directors careers have been advanced by the performance of the actors in their shows.

SIX: You Do Not Need Anyone’s Permission to Do This

No one can give you permission and you wouldn’t want it anyway. Choose a venue, it doesn’t matter where it is. Make a deal with a pub, whatever keeps your costs low.

SEVEN: Invite your Initial Network

You can advertise if you have cash, but basically your first show is to your friends, family, acquaintances, work colleagues. Don’t be proud, if it feels a bit amateur, so what, you’re starting off like many others – small.

EIGHT: Build your Loyal Following

Everyone who comes to your show gets a free programme. They get the programme if they will give you their email address. One person’s job on each show is to encourage and befriend your subscribers. They will chat them up, make it all nice, and collect email addresses. This is the basis of your future audience.

NINE: Tell Them What You’re Doing Next

In the programme for Show 1, tell them what Show 2 will be and email them within a few days of them seeing Show 1 to remind them. Then, email them within 8 and 4 weeks with how to get tickets for your next show.

TEN: No One Gets Paid Until We All Get Paid

Minimal Wage blah de blah. It is a collective agreement that no one gets paid until everyone gets paid. You can’t be sued for not paying yourself.

ELEVEN: Invite from the Start

Classic rookie mistake: failing to invite reviewers, sponsors, theatre producers etc because you’re not sure how it will turn out. You invite everyone from the beginning. They won’t come. But when they do start coming.

TWELVE: Gently Squeeze your Network

So Jane’s brother Tony has a recurring role on a big TV show. Get Tony to come. His presence will add something. And you never know, Tony may bring someone. It is ALWAYS WHOM YOU KNOW.

THIRTEEN: Start with Standards

Make a list of your principles. Only things you actually currently already believe. And work by them.

FOURTEEN: Charge One Price

All tickets are the same price. Everyone gets to see the show. If you charge a lot people expect a lot. Charge a reason ticket price, but make everyone pay the same. Theatre is the last place that social economic status should affect the seating or the price of the tickets.

FIFTEEN: Have a Website

You don’t exist without baby.

SIXTEEN: Only Quitters Lose

This is simple. Produce and produce and produce and produce. One after another after another until you get a body of work behind your company that cannot be ignored.

So that’s my advice, take it or leave it.

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND

Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow?

Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels.

His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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In November, Mark will teach an acting masterclass in Sydney, Australia – to find out more Visit Acting Coach Australia

To You, The Best!

Mark Westbrook
Senior Acting Coach
ACTING COACH SCOTLAND


Like What You Read? Want to Read More? Mark's eBook is available here
Looking for Acting Classes in Glasgow? Mark Westbrook is a Professional Acting Coach and runs Acting Coach Scotland, a private acting studio offering acting classes in Glasgow, masterclasses, workshops and audition coaching for actors at all levels. His acting studio is based in Glasgow, Scotland, although he teaches all across the United Kingdom. All Blog Posts © Mark Westbrook 2011

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Tags: building a successful theatre company, building an ensemble