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Dear John

What to do after the Edinburgh Festival

First published 24th August 2006

Question:
I'm back from my first Edinburgh. The show went well and I was hoping to get an agent out of it. No such luck - now I'm back home, out of work and don't know what to do. Have I missed my chance?

Answer:
What are agents really looking for? How do I get agents to come along and see my show? If I had the proverbial penny for every time I have been asked the same question, my own agent would be very happy indeed. We have touched on the 'no work without an agent/no agent without work' myth in this column before. Why this myth is so disempowering is once we are outside the nurturing environment of drama school or coming down from the 'high' of performing in a festival, kickstarting the job search on our own can certainly seem like an uphill struggle. But the hard truth is the ability to motivate ourselves is often as important as our talent. It's vitally important to understand the principal function of an agent is not to provide either vision or motivation. It is a real shame when talented performers have as their end goal 'getting an agent', with the assumption that everything will then fall into place, rather than knowing what they want to achieve and looking for the right agent to help them achieve it. To show you that not only is working with an agent just one of several career strategies but that there is no typical agent, here are two people with experience in different aspects of artist representation.

What the experts say:

Sharon Harris

The Harris Agency represents actors up to about the age of 30. Sharon is also a qualified drama teacher and, in addition to the agency, runs a drama school. Both agency and school have very successful track records. Current high-profile clients include Lacey Turner (Stacey Slater in EastEnders) and Alexia Khadime (Nala in The Lion King for the past four years) while clients such as Anthony Costa and Myleene Klass have gone on to find fame in the music industry.

I am often asked what I look for in prospective clients. The first thing to remind you is that, like us, different agents have different specialisations. Performers need to take this on board to avoid wasting your time and money on submissions to agents who just don't deal with the kind of work you do.

Similarly, we all have different priorities in taking on clients but I think the following should be fairly universal.

* Talent. Obvious, maybe but I mean talent that the client is putting to good use, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for them. Actors must be able to improvise and read scripts accurately and naturally. All of which only comes with practice.

* Looks. No set rulings here. Everyone has a chance - good looking, quirky, all shapes and sizes. All ethnicities. But do you need to be realistic about your own looks, be ready to make the best of them and understand that it's first and foremost a business, so different individuals will do better in different markets.

* Attitude. Speaking of realism it amazes me when new actors, "only want to do films with a deep and meaningful story and would only accept an edgy, challenging role". The arrogance of youth often makes me smile. Needless to say the majority of these young people crash down to earth when the only chance of getting seen for a job is by a commercial casting director who is looking for a walk on. Everyone has to start somewhere.

* Being proactive. Actors should be proactive in advancing their careers. They cannot just sit at home waiting for the phone to ring.

* Photos and Spotlight. Don't wait to get an agent before you invest in a selection of good headshots and do whatever you can to get into Spotlight. The Spotlight Link is now the best way of being seen and put forward for work.

Peter Barnes

Peter Barnes has been a professional actor since 1967. He works mainly in TV, theatre and film, roleplay and corporate videos. He's had both conventional and co-operative agents and is currently with ANA. He is on the management committee of the Co-operative Personal Management Association and is very active in Equity.

It's perfectly possible to get work without an agent and it can often be best to suggest yourself for a specific role. Casting information services can help - although they are not always reliable. Equity members can use Equity's Job Information Service. There are also productions with regular casting, such as The Bill, Casualty and Holby City. Many theatres have websites which list forthcoming productions. In addition to 'conventional' agents, there are 36 co-operative agencies in the UK (32 belong to the Co-operative Personal Management Association).

Many co-ops have been around for decades, such as my own, ANA. Most, if not all, have websites showing their actors and CVs. Co-op actors run the agency themselves. Commission is generally lower and client lists are smaller (about 20) with fewer 'overlaps'. Co-op actors are usually more in touch with what's going on in casting, because they're also agents. All in all, co-ops are an excellent way to understand the industry and make personal contacts with those responsible for casting. But co-ops are also a big commitment and responsibility - co-op actors attend agency business meetings, see the work of co-op colleagues and the work of applicants your agency might be interested in. A decent co-op will require the same high standards from you as you - in your agent role - would be applying to future applicants.

John sums up

Since agent queries come up so often in this column I have got together with respected agent Mary Elliot Nelson to produce the brand new Agent Ebook. As the name suggests, this resource aims to separate fact from fantasy and answer 101 of the most frequently asked questions, from what agents do, to how to decide whether you need one or not (and if you do, how to improve your chances of getting one). We've also tried to give you a breakdown of the career-building stuff you need to be doing. You can download the book from my website. There are always going to be more performers looking for agents than there are agents (or indeed co-operatives) with vacancies. This also applies to performance jobs in general, whether you have an agent or not. If you are going it alone you can certainly be forgiven for feeling there's a mountain to climb. Agents are often facing that same mountain, which is why the more you do to self-generate work, the more, not less, attractive you are.

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

* Sharon Harris may be contacted via theharrisagency@ukonline.co.uk

* The ANA's website is at www.ana-actors.co.uk

* Going Beyond The Fringe - transferring your show for theatre

* Tips for the Top - how to transfer your show to be broadcast on TV and radio

* Good Job - where to look for your next job.

* If you're considering taking a show to Edinburgh next year for the first time, you may also be interested in our guide: How To: Put On A Show At Edinburgh

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