…Thank you. “Is that good?” You ask yourself. Does that mean “I was perfect, the job is mine” or perhaps “You suck, get out of my audition room”? Post audition your brain goes into overdrive, writes Daniella Gibb.

But I tell you now that you'll never know what they were thinking. You can never second guess the greatest enigma of the acting world. The Audition Panel!

Auditioning is an essential part of being an actor. But my God, they aren't half terrifying! It's all consuming, from the moment you get phoned until it is over. You eat, sleep and breathe “11.30 next Wednesday, take your tap shoes” and normal life goes out of the window. I yearn for the day that I get used to it.

But until that day comes (I predict it'll be about the same time as hell freezes over,) I, and fellow actors, will continue to put ourselves through them in the hope of securing our next job. So we may as well get good at them.

Preliminary rounds for Musical Theatre begin with singing slots with your own material or a dance call en masse. If you're successful, a “recall” follows. This includes more dance or script from the show and then numerous recalls ensue before a “final” audition or workshop. Sometimes you're seen nine times, sometimes only twice. And this process will differ as you have varied castings for television, plays or adverts.

It seems the key to a successful audition is a blend of preparation and mindset. Preparation is vital to give yourself the best chance. You want to show the panel your best and truest self; not some insecure gabbling twit whom you've never met before.

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