ADULT COURSE OVERVIEW
Adults: from about 18 years... to whatever age you care to admit to! This is a course for people who really do want to enter the Acting profession.
Present members include people who have never acted before to Post Graduates and practicing members of the profession.
There are different classes for those who have had more or less experience, but members move across groups when they are ready to do so in order to advance their training.
The sessions are fortnightly. This is because work is set in-between sessions and it is assumed that members have day-time jobs and commitments. All work is of a practical nature but must be undertaken to stay on the course.
Present members travel from local areas and throughout England to participate on the course. The intention is to create a supportive but ambitious and gently competitive group of people who are focussed on the profession and being an active part of it.
These general notes may help you:
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The overall course is likely to last around two years: this is greatly dependent upon your practical experience when joining and your rate of ongoing work and progress during the sessions. There is no overall time set for the course but as you advance you may be moved into different groups to accelerate your progress and allow different learning experiences. Many members continue to attend as they realise the importance of forever being 'prepared' and don't want to be under-performing at their next audition.
Initially the course may not seem demanding but once underway there needs to be almost daily work on your set text. There is no 'academic' work involved other than on certain occasions, maybe reading and researching your work as any professional actors would be expected to do.
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You may already have done work in acting or you may be new to it. Professional casting does not depend upon qualifications but on actual shown ability at that audition. For this reason mock auditions, both internally and with actual casting directors as well as camera work are undertaken.
So many potential actors think only of long-term contracts on i.e. 'Soaps.' If you look at David's record of supplying to Soaps it is extremely high, especially the vintage 'Coronation Street.' However, it is statistically untrue to think that most actors stay with one role in one series. Just calculate how many people in ongoing Soaps have long-term contracts? And think how few these are to the many, many actually working as professional actors! You need to be trained to move from role to role; that is how the professional really works. This is why the course is designed to maximise your potential as an actor on a broad-playing basis.
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Camera work is a vital part but only one part of your work. Basically, if you can't act no amount of sheer camera work will make you act! The course is designed to give you a much variety and flexibility as an actor you can manage, and then adapt this to the medium of stage, T.V. and theatre. (Few long-term professional actors survive on just working in T.V.)
Absence: If you are under contract to a company (T.V. / film / theatre) you aren't absent. You maybe, but then maybe they won't use you again!? Exactly the same approach is taken with the course. If you want it - you're there! Naturally there can be occasional absence, but run up any accumalated absence and sadly you could be asked to leave the course. This is a course for achievers.
During the course there are various 'Showcases' these are important techniques, and very different from a normal 'stage production.' They initially tell David, and then your agent and casting directors of your immediate appeal, your strengths in acting and your diversity. Several of these will be included on the course.
Sessions:
These vary in length (never less than 2.5 hours) dependent upon group numbers. Numbers are kept small, usually about 12 per group. Sessions are 'ongoing' and are £22.50 per session, payable in a two session block = £45.00