News & Advice

News & Advice

Resources for Actors Recent Work All

Headshot Hunter’s Guide to Headshots

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11th May 2017

As an actor and agent, I know how essential it is to have a good headshot. When I started my search as a young aspiring actor to get my own headshots done, it was a big financial investment I was anxious to get right. I knew good headshots would be vital to get auditions and, ultimately, paid work.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Straford-upon-Avon

A Guide to Being an Actor Outside of London

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21st April 2017

A Guide to Being an Actor Outside of London by Katie Burchett. One of the biggest questions for anyone outside of the city who wants to act is this: Do I need to be in London? I trained as an actor at the Birmingham School of Acting and moved to London after graduating.

The Sins of Sor Juana

What Are Drama Schools Looking For? With Lise Olson.

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2nd March 2017

There’s no denying that getting into drama school can be an arduous affair. I often tell students that there are a myriad of reasons why a school could ultimately decide not to offer them a place and many of those reasons may have absolutely nothing to do with ability.

Andrei Costin in 'The Kite Runner'

Andrei Costin on Life After Drama School

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1st March 2017

For an actor, life after drama school can be many things - turbulent, emotional and occasionally glorious are a few words that come to my mind. I recently got the chance to catch up with my good friend and actor Andrei Costin and he described life after drama school as ‘challenging’.

Birdland

MA Acting at the Birmingham School of Acting

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22nd February 2017

After interviewing acting coach and director Lise Olson for my article 'What are Drama Schools Looking For?', several people were interested to find out more about the MA course at the Birmingham School of Acting, of which Lise is the course director. For anyone considering...

Anecdote

Free 12-Month Membership to Backstage

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14th February 2017

Win a free membership to one of the biggest casting websites in the US now rapidly growing in the UK. All you have to do is share your story. Send in an interesting tale from that rehearsal, audition or drama school class. The best entries will have a valuable lesson behind them.

Free Trial Workshop

Free Trial Workshop (16-21s)

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14th February 2017

Urban Young Actors are opening a brand new class on Wednesdays at Quad Studios in Leicester. This class will be for 16-21 year olds and opens in May. I will be leading the weekly sessions that will focus on acting technique and training. To kick things off, we'll be running a free trial workshop to give new members a taster of the work we do at Urban.

London

Tales of an Actor

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1st February 2017

It is the nature of the beast that an actor, over their career, will accrue a solid collection of anecdotes from training, auditions and rehearsals. Over the past week I asked people to send in their tales of struggle, revelation and hilarity and the response was overwhelming.

#WAKEUP

#WAKEUP

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13th June 2018

At the end of last year, I posted on Facebook after witnessing a young girl being sexually assaulted in Leicester. A friend commented and said why don't I use music to do something about it. Six months later and I'd like to share this...Two stories about real people I've encountered in my life which have had a profound effect on the way I see things. One is the victim of sexual assault and the other of homophobia.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Audition Panel

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28th March 2018

In April I joined the panel at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire during initial and recall auditions, and in January 2019 I became an official member of the panel. It's extremely rewarding being present at the start of an actor's journey when they have bags of potential and their whole career ahead of them.

‘Shooting Truth’ by Molly Davies

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21st December 2017

Deep in the woods of an abandoned village, the present is haunted by the past as a group of students embark on a film project about a 17th century witch, Freya. The time periods bleed into one another as the shoot unfolds and we learn the truth behind Freya’s troubled past.

CYC

Curve Young Company: ACT

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13th September 2017

After a hugely successful taster session, the branches of Curve Young Company have now formed their companies for the coming year. I'll be leading workshops with the advanced CYC Act company and directing the production projects which will be presented at Curve next year.

LCPA

Acting Classes @ LCPA

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4th September 2017

I am delighted to announce I'll be running acting classes at the Leicester College of Performing Arts (LCPA) from September 2017. LCPA has a long list of alumni performing in the West End and in productions nationally and internationally. I'll be working with the performers on acting technique, leading up to their final production next year.

Curve Young Musical Theatre Company present: Oklahoma!

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15th July 2017

"Our 40-strong cast from Curve’s Young Musical Theatre Company take you on a journey of love and heartache, friendship and conflict through this timeless musical! The year is 1906 in the town of Claremore. There are open skies and endless possibilities, in the birth of a new era and a brand new state. Welcome to OKLAHOMA!"

Write Yourself In

Central School of Speech & Drama: Write Yourself In

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21st June 2017

Write Yourself is a new project from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama that encourages young people around the UK to get involved with writing for performance. The project offers schools, colleges and youth theatres in London, Leicester, Oldham and Stoke free writing workshops.

Breakin' Convention

Breakin’ Convention – International Hip Hop Festival

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15th June 2017

On 23rd and 24th May, Breakin' Convention (the international festival of hip-hop dance theatre) came to Curve, Leicester for the first time. Breakin' Convention is an award-winning and critically acclaimed organisation that represents the origins and evolution of hip hop culture from around the world and around the corner.

Consequences by Strictly Arts

‘Consequences’, a Film by Strictly Arts

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18th May 2017

As part of Strictly Arts, I've spent the last week shooting an anti-knife crime film in and around Birmingham. The project is funded by Derby City Council and the film will be released later this year.

How to Utilise Social Media: A Guide for Actors and Creatives

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21st June 2019

The performing arts industry is changing. More and more casting directors, directors, agents and theatres use social media as a vehicle for their latest project, and I’m not just talking about student films and profit shares. Major castings are regularly opened up to the twittersphere. It’s never been more important for actors to have an online presence and if utilised correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool. But where to start?

Katie Burchett (To Be Seen 2019)

“To Be Seen” by Kieran Vyas and Katie Burchett

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1st April 2019

This week we'll be performing an extract from our brand new solo show at Nottingham Playhouse for their Amp Night. In a bleak, futuristic world, people rely on their online presence in order to survive. As daily news vlogger Luna fails to engage an audience the pressure to be good enough, pretty enough, funny enough, begins to take its toll and distorts her perception of reality...

Riad Richie on His Season with the RSC

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21st February 2019

Riad Richie debuted at the RSC for their 2018-19 season, performing in Tamburlaine (Michael Boyd), Timon of Athens (Simon Godwin) and Tartuffe (Iqbal Khan). As he now enters the final week of the season and looks ahead to the future, he is certainly an actor I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of. I sat down with him to reflect on his time with the RSC.

BA (Hons) Acting – Leicester College & ALRA

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7th February 2019

Being born and bred in Leicester, I was delighted to hear that ALRA was collaborating with Leicester College and De Montfort University to bring a new BA (Hons) Acting course to my home town. The school invited me in to deliver acting classes to the first year of students as part of the curriculum...

The Good Companion

BBC Radio Leicester’s Asian Life Festival

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16th September 2018

Celebrating five decades of Asian life in Leicester through food, arts and culture, BBC Radio Leicester’s Asian Life Festival explored all aspects of the journey so far that have made Leicester the incredible city it is today. Part of the festival was 'The Good Companion', a skit written by Divya Ghelani, which I had the pleasure of directing.

King Richard's Cyber Horse

‘King Richard’s Cyber Horse’ by Sara Bodinar

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29th August 2018

This autumn I'll be directing 'King Richard's Cyber Horse', a brand new play by award-winning writer Sara Bodinar. The play was commissioned by Urban Young Actors especially for their end of year show and centres around a virtual reality game in an apocalyptic future. Rehearsals begin in September and the production goes up on 23rd November.

#WAKEUP

#WAKEUP

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13th June 2018

At the end of last year, I posted on Facebook after witnessing a young girl being sexually assaulted in Leicester. A friend commented and said why don't I use music to do something about it. Six months later and I'd like to share this...Two stories about real people I've encountered in my life which have had a profound effect on the way I see things. One is the victim of sexual assault and the other of homophobia.

Drama School Auditions

A Modern Guide to Auditioning for Drama School

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3rd June 2018

When I auditioned for drama school I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Retrospectively, I can identify the choices I made that led to me being accepted, however, I can't quite remember which of those choices were intentional, instinctual, or just good luck. Since then I've spent many years working as an actor, director and coach, and now have experience on both sides of the panel. What I've realised is...

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Audition Panel

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28th March 2018

In April I joined the panel at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire during initial and recall auditions, and in January 2019 I became an official member of the panel. It's extremely rewarding being present at the start of an actor's journey when they have bags of potential and their whole career ahead of them.

RESOURCES FOR ACTORS

Six The Musical

Shekinah McFarlane on Her Life, Career and Six The Musical

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5th December 2019

Shekinah's previous credits include American Idiot (UK Tour), Hair & Hair50 (Hope Mill Theatre - Vaults Theatre), The Lion King (Disney Theatrical, UK and International Tour) and most recently, her West End run of the smash-hit musical Six which she's currently taking on its UK tour. Despite her jam-packed schedule, she made time to chat and answer a few of my questions.

How to Utilise Social Media: A Guide for Actors and Creatives

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21st June 2019

The performing arts industry is changing. More and more casting directors, directors, agents and theatres use social media as a vehicle for their latest project, and I’m not just talking about student films and profit shares. Major castings are regularly opened up to the twittersphere. It’s never been more important for actors to have an online presence and if utilised correctly, social media can be an incredibly powerful tool. But where to start?

Riad Richie on His Season with the RSC

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21st February 2019

Riad Richie debuted at the RSC for their 2018-19 season, performing in Tamburlaine (Michael Boyd), Timon of Athens (Simon Godwin) and Tartuffe (Iqbal Khan). As he now enters the final week of the season and looks ahead to the future, he is certainly an actor I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of. I sat down with him to reflect on his time with the RSC.

Drama School Auditions

A Modern Guide to Auditioning for Drama School

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3rd June 2018

When I auditioned for drama school I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Retrospectively, I can identify the choices I made that led to me being accepted, however, I can't quite remember which of those choices were intentional, instinctual, or just good luck. Since then I've spent many years working as an actor, director and coach, and now have experience on both sides of the panel. What I've realised is...

RECENT WORK

ALRA North – Acting for Camera

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18th October 2019

It's easy to become passionate about people when you begin to study human behaviour. There's a fire in the eyes, radiance in the smile and an energy that fills the room when we, as humans, are truly at ease and impassioned. We all have these qualities; they are natural, effortless and beautiful, but they also have a habit of evaporating the moment we start to act or sense the camera.

Katie Burchett (To Be Seen 2019)

“To Be Seen” by Kieran Vyas and Katie Burchett

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1st April 2019

This week we'll be performing an extract from our brand new solo show at Nottingham Playhouse for their Amp Night. In a bleak, futuristic world, people rely on their online presence in order to survive. As daily news vlogger Luna fails to engage an audience the pressure to be good enough, pretty enough, funny enough, begins to take its toll and distorts her perception of reality...

BA (Hons) Acting – Leicester College & ALRA

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7th February 2019

Being born and bred in Leicester, I was delighted to hear that ALRA was collaborating with Leicester College and De Montfort University to bring a new BA (Hons) Acting course to my home town. The school invited me in to deliver acting classes to the first year of students as part of the curriculum...

The Good Companion

BBC Radio Leicester’s Asian Life Festival

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16th September 2018

Celebrating five decades of Asian life in Leicester through food, arts and culture, BBC Radio Leicester’s Asian Life Festival explored all aspects of the journey so far that have made Leicester the incredible city it is today. Part of the festival was 'The Good Companion', a skit written by Divya Ghelani, which I had the pleasure of directing.