Interview in National Theatre Backstage Guides
Sam Stevenson CD spoke to me about auditioning for this NT resource book. I hope it de-mystifies the process a little!
A series of pocket-sized introductory guides to key aspects of theatre-making from acting and directing to set, costume, props and make-up.
Auditions can often be the most feared aspect of being an actor and yet, as the author points out, casting directors are on the side of everyone who auditions for them. They want you to do well, feel confident about the audition and in turn give the director the confidence they need to choose you.
The insights and reassurances throughout this book provide a little-seen glimpse into the world of casting, helping you to understand how casting directors and directors view the process and what purpose the audition serves.
Casting director Sam Stevenson draws on her rich experience, from both her time as deputy head of casting at the National Theatre and her varied freelance career, to delve into the challenges and possibilities that you might face. She explores the intersecting, underlying principles of auditioning for stage and screen, whether you are meeting online, in-person or self-taping.
This book helps bridge the gap between you and the people who are making the decisions, to help it feel like a less scary process.
The National Theatre Backstage Guides offer accessible, practical and positive introductions to key areas of theatre, useful both for complete novices and as a consolidatory tool for those who already have some theatrical experience. They equip the reader with essential information they require, acting as a springboard to further development.
Each Backstage Guide is informed by examples from National Theatre productions and draws on in-house expertise - like me!
“Famously well judged, never presuming knowledge about the discipline being examined – but also not shying away from the more nuanced elements of the practice”