[Andufus]

Hey guys,

Its a new comer here.
If it helps, before I start, I'm 13.

I have always enjoyed singing, acting, and have been taking tap and modern lessons for ten years. I just want to get out there and get myself known but I come from a fairly small town and so other than my once a year school talent show there really is no where to go. And yea the talent show getting me somewhere? I wish.

Anyway, I was wondering where you guys would advise me to start out? I've done one or two auditions but unfortunatly I didn't get in, I was in year 4 and year 6 at the time. I wasn't anywhere near as good as I am now back then. Recently I've been doing a load of drama schooling in different forms. I perform regularly in a fairly local amatuer pantomime, once a year in the winter, and I do "Stage Coach" if that counts for anything. I started stage coach for the friends but the drama teacher there has taught me a hell of a lot of audition techniques, etc. I feel that teacher has majorly improved me.

So, where do I start?

I've been discouraged from using "The Stage" by my brother because he doesn't think there will be any youth auditions for it and doesn't trust it generally because he subscribed for six months and didn't find an audition he wanted to go to during that period. Me and my brother inherited the drama gene from some unknown relationship with some randomer ancestor because it definatly skipped my parents but my mum still tries to get us involved with things.

I'm rambling aren't I?

Sorry it's a side affect from reading John Barrowman's autobiography. (So worth picking up)

Anyway, any help would be apprieciated!

Andrew

[David]

Join a youth theatre, get every bit of experience you can. Never consider anything to be beneath you.

If you commit to this, you ought to meet people who know what they're doing. These people can, if you're good enough, bump you a little higher up the ladder.

Don't know much about Stagecoach, other than when I did a tiny bit of lighting for them they paid me £40 for sitting doing nothing for a few hours. Which was nice.

Barrowman is great, but don't adopt the 'I'm gonna walk out there plain old Andrew and I'll walk back a star'. It might happen, but I can say with a modicum of confidence it won't. It's a tough industry, and the sooner you realise that third scarecrow from the left in a small touring company is actually quite a good gig, the better.

It's very slightly easier for you, as a bloke, than it is for girls. But only very slightly.

Good luck!

[Haz]

In a word? Persevere.

Keep doing what you're doing - every bit of experience helps (even the bad stuff).

Regardless of whether there are auditions in there or not, you should read The Stage, just because it's probably the easiest way to keep up with what's happening in the industry in general.

There are certain casting directors who are more inclined to be the ones who cast kids roles. Drop me a PM if you want, and I can give you a couple of people to write to - a nice letter can often result in some good advice (if nothing more) back.

If you haven't already, compile a CV and get some decent photos taken. Even if all you've done is amateur, at your age it doesn't matter. It just looks good - like you're making an effort and taking it seriously.

Good luck!