Hi guys! Olivia here. How are you all doing?

So a lot of the time if you live away from the big cities you can feel stuck in the ‘middle of nowhere’. Especially if you want to start auditioning and acting, it might feel like a struggle to get your foot in the door. I get plenty of emails and YouTube messages from aspiring actors who just don’t know how to get started when they are from a small town.

In the extreme, young performers insist on moving away from the UK to America, more specifically to Los Angeles, where the majority of acting work happens and where the big blockbusters are made. Well I’m here to tell you that moving to another country is not always the answer and can sometimes be the worst step to take if you haven’t prepared yourself.

When you’re starting out the first things you need to consider:

  • Take acting classes or join a Youth Theatre
  • Get some experience performing on stage
  • Read plenty of scripts and build up a collection of audition monologues

Can you see how getting an agent and auditions isn’t a priority? The above is a must when you are starting out because agents and casting directors need to see your experience in performance building on a CV – this can be done through your acting classes, school plays and youth theatre companies. Training and getting acting experience is essential before attempting to get acting work!

There will be a local drama club or youth theatre where ever you live in the UK. Lots of small towns have arts centres and small theatres and they are great starting points to finding a drama club! Just pop in and ask where they may have leaflets for amateur theatre companies you can join and also which companies come in and use the space to rehearse and perform.

What else can you use to find local acting training opportunities? The Web of course!

My Stage Door.co.uk is a wonderful website for UK based young performers. Click ‘Directory’ on the main page to search acting schools by county. The website itself also gives very useful tips and it takes a second to register.

UK Arts allows you to search higher education acting courses by region too, and the website itself has great information about auditioning for drama schools at degree level if you’re considering it now or in the future.

If you do howeve feel ready to start auditioning and getting an agent who will help you try and find auditions, you do not necessarily need to move to start this. Of course you must be prepared to travel to where the auditions are held which can be in major cities like London, Liverpool or Manchester, but you do not need to be based where your agency is based. The majority of agencies are listed in Spotlight’s Annual publication called ‘Spotlight Contacts‘. You will need to look at the agencies’ addresses to see where they are based because although you will need to audition for them and meet them, you do not have to go into the office all the time!

Don’t forget you can always try finding auditions without an agent (read full article with casting website links here!) and of course websites like ScreenTerrier.com and NAPM.com do a great job of discussing the latest casting news in the UK.

There is a wonderful theatre and film industry in the UK and you do not need to move continents to do what you love! Moving cities is not a magic solution. It’s what you do, not where you live, that will have an affect on your goals. So if you’re not doing something right in London it doesn’t mean L.A. will make it right for you! Get it right where you live first!