Establishing your acting career in London is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a global hub for the performing arts, having an almost overwhelming number of theatres, production studios, agents, voiceover companies, acting classes and much more. The opportunities to grow your career are exceptional.
On the other hand, because of all this, London is one of the big three cities with the largest concentration of actors as residents, alongside Los Angeles and New York, so the competition is fierce.
Still, the significant opportunities London offers upcoming acting talent make it an ideal city to launch your career. These eight steps can put you on the path to success.
1. Get training
There’s no point tearing off to every audition or casting call you can find if you’re not ready to impress the casting directors. Whether you go the whole hog and train for a qualification at a drama school or you hone a specific skill at a focused acting class, you’re more likely to stand out at auditions as a result.
If you have the resources and time required, London has some of the world’s best acting schools, and some offer short courses and workshops as well as full-time training. Top schools include the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, East 15 Acting School and Rose Bruford College.
Bear in mind that you need not attend drama school full-time to be successful. Indeed, luminaries like Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren found their way without formal training.
2. Gain experience
There are many ways to gain experience and increase your acting IQ. Check casting platforms for listings of projects being made by students and emerging creatives, and follow casting directors on social media for further opportunities. The more you connect with other actors, directors, writers and other creatives, the more you will hear of opportunities to widen your acting experience and find ways to become an actor in London. You could enquire at places like theatres and production companies about shadowing a theatre director, stage manager or someone else with a job connected with acting.
With today’s technology, it can be easy and cheap to get together with other creatives to make and edit your own films with as little as a smartphone and a laptop. And clips from the resulting projects can bolster your showreel when you don’t yet have professional credits to fill it. You could contact amateur dramatic societies, which welcome new actors. London also has a thriving fringe theatre scene worth tapping into.
3. Put together a professional portfolio
To apply for acting opportunities and post profiles on casting websites, you will need to have a good-quality acting CV, headshot and showreel. It’s worth taking a bit of time to create a well-designed CV that is pleasing on the eye and concise. If you have the funds, commission a professional photographer to take your headshots. If not, you can take your own against a plain backdrop, ensuring you are well-lit. If you don’t yet have clips for a showreel, you could edit together some examples of you performing monologues that fit your casting type.
4. Build your presence
Getting out there networking and building a list of connections will boost your chances of getting acting work in London. You could try to get work at a theatre, perhaps at the box office or as an usher; you can also offer to do readings or work backstage. Ask your friends whether they know anyone in the entertainment business, and if it looks like they could help or advise, ask for an introduction and try to fix up a meeting.
Network with fellow actors by joining in-person groups and forums online such as the London Actors Network on Facebook and UK Actors TweetUp. Attend events such as those organised by Kino London, the British Film Institute, Shooting People and Shorts on Tap. Follow like-minded people on social media.
5. Attend casting calls and auditions
Once you have your portfolio in place, you can sign up to casting platforms and then start responding to casting calls and attending auditions. Keep auditioning to increase your chances of landing roles and improving your CV and showreel.
6. Look for an agent
Agents use their industry connections with casting directors, producers and directors to secure auditions for their clients. But beyond getting you through the door of the audition room, agents offer ongoing guidance and support. They also negotiate contracts on behalf of their clients, as well as ensure their actors get paid in a timely manner.
To apply, send your CV, headshot, showreel and a covering letter to a specific agent rather than to the agency’s generic email address. Take some time to find agencies that seem a good fit: Look at the actors they already have on their books (is there a gap for someone of your physical description?) and read up on them before you apply, taking note of any specific instructions they give on how they prefer to receive applications.
7. Use social media to expand your profile
Using social media is an informal way of getting noticed in the business. Follow individuals, companies and organisations that could enhance your career, such as casting directors, directors, theatre companies, production companies and broadcasters. Ensure your grid is populated with video clips of you acting in the sort of roles you would ideally like to get cast in, and put a link to your or your agent’s website in your bio. Be sure to announce any work successes or developments on your social channels too.
8. Have a game plan
Like many things in life, persistence, consistency and making smart decisions will greatly increase your chances of success. Plan out a structure for your days, weeks and months, aiming to move further towards your goal of becoming a professional actor. Accept that at times it’ll feel like you’re moving two steps forward and one step back, but so long as you can see advancement, however small, you’re on the right track. And try not to take professional rejection personally: there are many reasons you may not have been chosen that you’ll never know and that have nothing to do with your skills or potential.