550 stories by "John Byrne"
My play Americana Absurdum, which ran in Edinburgh in 2000, won a Fringe First, and then went to the Menier Chocolate Factory
Looking for a last-minute university place? Whether you didn't get the results you were hoping for or have decided late in the
I'm really enjoying my time at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. We've had good houses and nice reviews. My one concern relates back
My first professional audition was for the fifth and sixth series of TV's Skins. I was still at college and was loving
1. Plan and play Being a theatre polymath is fun and, unless you've got money-buttered bread, necessary. How many hats you wear is
As the inaugural shortlist for The Stage Debut Awards is announced, John Byrne speaks to actors and creatives about their first jobs Landing the lead role
I came up to Edinburgh last week with a play that is running in an early evening slot. It's not a bad
I left drama school last year and my first job was a play that went up to Edinburgh. I had been looking
I have at least three Edinburgh 'debut' experiences. In 1994 I entered So You Think You're Funny? at Gilded Balloon, which is
1. How is the story bigger than you? The key question in the play will be: what is this particular story inviting your
My first audition came through an ad in The Stage. The BBC was looking for comedy performers to write and perform in
1. Beats In comedy plays there are beats within the text, but I'm focusing here on physical beats: a movement (or sometimes
Can you learn to be funny? Maybe not, but courses, workshops and drama schools can teach prospective comedians how to hone their
I finished the final showcase for my drama course a few weeks ago. It went very well and I got good feedback.
My first audition was for Blandings for the BBC. Susie Parriss was casting. It was so exciting but very intimidating at the
1. The belief mindset A solid belief in your abilities, training and business strategy is vital to increasing your confidence and advancing your
A friend and I have formed a comedy sketch duo that has been doing well on the pub circuit for a year
I starting singing at the age of three. My great-grandfather would take me to roadside revivals to sing for visiting preachers. When
1. Pick your material carefully This is a very important one. Your job is to take someone else's hard work, shorten it,
I was once one of those actors who originally set up Facebook and Twitter accounts for no other reason except that my
1. Push theatre beyond sight and sound Our senses are the way we come to perceive or understand the world around us. To
After my college showcase in 1995, I met a lot of agents and decided to join Elspeth Cochrane. Mack and Mabel was
After many applications, I was delighted when, at the beginning of this year, I finally got an agent. True to his word,
1. Know the craft Not just magic in all its forms (close up, illusions, parlour, stage and outdoor), but also the craft of
I was in junior school in Smethwick, Birmingham, and got the opportunity to be a children's presenter for the BBC. My school was
