33 stories by "Soapbox"
As a recent graduate with professional experience on touring shows, I have been frustrated by the way technical theatre operates in this
At the end of 2017, I was pencilled in for an acting job. The casting agents wanted me to keep three days
Watching classic films over Christmas reminded me of the stories told to children of people "making it", just by being noticed sweeping
I recently finished a contract in a creative/production role on a large-scale musical in London. A job that should have been inspiring,
The role of an understudy is a strange one. It can be a real hoot and is rewarding, as you meet some
I recently attended a casting panel with three female casting directors, who spoke very candidly and honestly about the industry. It was
The plight of the performance artist is, I think, greatly overstated and overwrought. So-called 'artists' such as Franko B, who slit his
Theatre is a didactic device, but is it legitimate? That depends on the people involved in it. As a teaching device, theatre
Before Christmas, an actor rang a fellow agent to ask: “Do you usually buy all your clients a Christmas present?” It’s an
Depression has the ability to affect any industry, and working in the arts is no different. From the outside looking in, people
Headshots. The word that makes (most of) you actors out there sigh and quiver with dread and confusion. And unfortunately in the
As an agent, I feel almost compelled to write down and share my thoughts on working with actors after a hectic year so
I have always thought that the aim of non-fiction books was to make you feel so mundane that you simply had to
As actors, we embrace opportunities to create, perform and tell our stories. And something amazing happens when we start to realise that
I live in a small town called Bishop Auckland, Durham, and we've had a notable person or two. We've had a prime
I just want to be clear from the start " this issue is not about sour grapes or resentment or bitterness over
Why should one show dictate the conversation in our industry? During recent years numerous publications have reduced their coverage of the arts, and
As a financially struggling lover of theatre, I am delighted that I have booked 60 shows in 2016, and my average works
The audience takes its seats and the overture starts. Flashes appear from around the auditorium. A solitary mobile phone rings in the
I have a problem with diversity. It has become the mot du jour for theatres that want to appear forward-thinking and edgy,
January. I had just come back from more than a month of travelling " to South Africa for a job, then California
Being a hearing-impaired actor comes with its challenges, but none as difficult as trying to source government funding for discreet hearing aids.
The past few plays I have been to see have been fantastic productions: Les Blancs, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Show Boat, to name
When someone insists on yawning loudly in the cinema, it’s annoying. When that someone is your mother, one’s annoyance increases. When you
It was my second professional job as an actor. I was hired as an 'acting ASM' which meant I was an assistant
