10th March 2009
Inside the Actors' Showcase
Q & A with Jamie Garven, Senior Lecturer in Acting
Every year graduating acting students take part in a
showcase. They are given two minutes and five seconds to
prove themselves in front of agents and casting directors. Such a
brief time on stage is a daunting prospect, “nerve racking and
exciting!" as one student, Joanna Simpkins puts it. But the
agents do not come to criticize, they are looking for new talent so
it’s important to be positive and make sure the audience has a good
time. But with only two short minutes is it really possible to
demonstrate your true potential?
What exactly is the Showcase?
We perform every year in February/March in Cardiff, Manchester
and London. It’s an important feature of the year. The students get
a chance to show themselves by choosing a monologue or a duologue
or some combination of those two things. They have just enough time
to show a couple of their skills (when they might have
ten!). Think of it as a trailer, rather than a
film.
We make sure our showcases stand out from the rest by making the
experience an enjoyable one. We hire good catering services, have
live music and generally make sure there is a good atmosphere. If
the agents enjoy the experience they are more likely to come back
next time.
What brief are the students given? Does the Showcase
follow a theme?
It doesn’t have a particular theme. The students can choose from
plays, film, television, sketch shows or material they’ve written
themselves. People have done bits from novels before now. The
agents tend to think of it in relation to TV so we normally avoid
things like Shakespeare. Each piece must have changes, the
character needs to make a journey.
All the actors have a unifying style. They wear clothes that
don’t contradict the character they are playing but are not a
costume. This year they were quite casual but in the future we
might do something like put them all in suits and dinner dresses.
We use light, sound and a simple modern set to create an
atmosphere. This year we used a white box designed especially to
suit the Royal Court in London.
The Showcase changes year to year. We might feel that one year
it is slightly too funny so next time we try and get some more
serious work in there; we might feel it is a bit too serious so we
add a bit more comedy. We’re always trying to balance it, and we’re
always listening to the agents and getting feedback about what they
want to see.
How do the students prepare for the showcase? Are they
given much help?
The process is one of trial and error. They bring a piece into
class and perform it in front of their classmates. Then we sit and
assess whether it’s a good choice for them. We are looking for
something that suits the person, and, rather like a good
photograph, demonstrates some aspect of them. In two minutes you
can’t show everything.
Peers and lecturers give feedback and advice, and industry
professionals come to the College throughout the year to give talks
and take classes.
We start thinking about the choice of pieces from September,
trying out different things in class each week. In December they do
a dummy run of the show and in January they make their final
decisions. When February/March time comes we put the show on very
suddenly; we start rehearsing on a Monday and by the next Monday we
have the show.
It must be an emotionally stressful experience. How do
the students cope?
It is a tense situation. The students have to learn how to relax
and connect with the audience. The show must have exuberance. They
can’t be worried. They need to get on and hit it immediately. They
are also encouraged to give the audience a sense of who they are.
We are working on them as much as on the piece.
Who comes to the Showcase?
The London show attracts the biggest audience. We’ve performed
at the Royal Court for the last three years where we generally see
more than 120 agents and casting directors.
The Cardiff audience is also made up of professionals from
across the industry as well as other students, while the Manchester
audience is smaller - between about 30 and 50 people and again
includes casting directors, agents and directors.
What is the aim of the Showcase?
The main reason is to get students into work. It’s all about
networking.
In Cardiff the agents come to all the College shows which takes
the pressure off a bit. They usually pick five or six students that
they are interested in representing.
For London and Manchester it is really the start of a long
process. If they are interested in a student they will phone them
after the showcase, they would then have a meeting with the
candidate, then they might come to see a show… All before they
decide whether to take that person on.
However, the showcase can also be seen as an exercise in
presenting yourself, being at ease in a high pressure situation and
in communicating with an audience.
Has the Showcase contributed to students’ successes in
the past?
Yes it has. As a result of the 2009's Actors'
Showcase, nineteen RWCMD students have already been snapped up by
agencies.
On the other hand it's important to remember that some
actors do go on to find success in other ways. Jo Joyner
didn’t do well from the showcase at all. It took her until four
years after graduation to gain recognition and she now has a
successful career with a part in Eastenders.
Here are just some of this year’s
successes:
- Matt Aubrey was spotted at the London Showcase by United Agents
and subsequently secured roles with the BBC playing Tom in
Framed alongside Eve Myles and Trevor Eve, and in major
new drama, Laconia, written by Alan Bleasdale.
- Elin Phillips was signed by Gemma McAvoy for Emptage Hallett
and has secured one of the leads in a new Welsh hospital drama,
Crash.
- Catrin-Mai Huw signed has to Regan Rimmer Wales and landed a
part in Gavin and Stacey.
- Sarah Ovens has signed to Independent Talent. She has been
filming for the new Harry Potter film and has won the part
of Miss Martin in the BBC’s Emma.
“Absolutely amazing – quality
outstanding” – Piers, Roger Carey
Associates