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News: Pubs and theatre. An age-old pairing.
This exciting project will no doubt resonate with anyone that has ever stepped into a pub, so this February, grab your pint of Drunken Nights and witness something completely original and unique.
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News: The 28 Day Project launches wonderful opportunities
The 28 Day Project is an exciting initiative offering emerging talent a step into the film business.
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Have you got the Star Wars X Factor?
Thousands turned away at open auditions after standing in the rain for hours.
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News: TheatreCraft returns to help young people’s backstage careers
The 8th annual event returns to the Royal Opera House later this month.
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BLOG: Theatre: the best casino shows around the world
Casinos around the world offer some of the best theatrical entertainment you can find.
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BLOG: 5 Best Actors in Superhero Cinema
Is “superhero” acting any less challenging?
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Blog: Films to study for inspiration
Watching great actors can often inform your own work.
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Blog: Shakespeare experimenting with the limits of contemporary drama
Briony Rawle heads to Yorkshire and takes a closer look at Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.
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Review: Bat Boy, Southwark Playhouse ✭✭✭
A campy fun musical with bite screams Douglas Mayo.
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Review: Visitors, Arcola Theatre ✭✭✭✭
Barney Norris first full-length play is an exquisitely written examination of love and loss, writes Alex Delaney.
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Review: 1984, Almeida Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭
This fresh vision of 1984 feels like a rediscovery of Orwell’s dystopia, writes Sophia Longhi.
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Review: Secret Theatre – Show 4, Lyric Hammersmith ✭✭✭✭
This review comes with a capitalised, emboldened and even italicised, SPOILER ALERT. That should do, writes Briony Rawle.
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Straddling the footlights
Simon Greiff is a jobbing actor with major West End and film credits. He holds a unique position in the London Casting scene, writes Knight Hooson.
Add a commentSimon Greiff“You shouldn't be the judge of your own talent. You should be an open vessel – turning up, having self-belief and having done your homework – but let them judge you, don't judge yourself. The hardest part of this industry is the casting process.”These words come from Simon Greiff, and if anyone should know about the casting process, it's him. Simon holds a unique position in the London casting scene. A jobbing actor himself (with major West End and film credits) he also moonlights as a ‘reader' and casting assistant to such heavyweight casting directors as Pippa Ailion. Simon is the man they turn to when they want to give auditionees a real actor to read opposite, rather than a casting assistant. In this capacity, he has sat through numerous auditions and seen both the good and the bad. In his opinion, auditions are all about preparation.“As long as you are prepared, you've learned the material and have done as much research as you can, that's all that you can do. You can only turn up as a blank canvas and hope that you are the person they are looking for.” Ultimately though, Greiff says, it comes down to your look. “If your look doesn't fit, then you are going to have to go a long way to convince the director that you are right. I have seen so many talented people coming in, and they think it's because they aren't talented enough that they aren't getting the job, and it's really because they aren't tall enough, or the wrong ethnicity.”“You shouldn't be the judge of your own talent. You should be an open vessel – turning up, having self-belief and having done your homework – but let them judge you, don't judge yourself. The hardest part of this industry is the casting process.”
These words come from Simon Greiff, and if anyone should know about the casting process, it's him. Simon holds a unique position in the London casting scene. A jobbing actor himself (with major West End and film credits) he also moonlights as a ‘reader' and casting assistant to such heavyweight casting directors as Pippa Ailion.
Simon is the man they turn to when they want to give auditionees a real actor to read opposite, rather than a casting assistant. In this capacity, he has sat through numerous auditions and seen both the good and the bad. In his opinion, auditions are all about preparation.
“As long as you are prepared, you've learned the material and have done as much research as you can, that's all that you can do. You can only turn up as a blank canvas and hope that you are the person they are looking for.”
Ultimately though, Greiff says, it comes down to your look. “If your look doesn't fit, then you are going to have to go a long way to convince the director that you are right. I have seen so many talented people coming in, and they think it's because they aren't talented enough that they aren't getting the job, and it's really because they aren't tall enough, or the wrong ethnicity.”
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