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Dear John

How do I make the most of my graduate showcase?

First published 14th June 2007

Question:
It might seem a bit strange to be featuring advice on graduate showcases when we are virtually at the end of the showcase season. But just as it is good to have a definite career direction in mind, it is no less useful for the wave of students who will shortly be embarking on their final year's study to have a think about how they will approach next year's showcases, when they will be faced with the daunting task of displaying their accumulated skills to the industry in a scant few minutes of stage time. Of course, it's not only graduates for whom such forward thinking is useful - for many part-time students and people already in the industry, a little planning and application can make a big difference to the value of showcase time to all concerned. Here to offer some pointers is an agent who has a lot of experience in identifying the most promising performers from the showcase shop window, and one of this year's most promising graduates, who, given that she is now a represented artist, has definitely done something right.

What the experts say:

Polly Andrews

Polly Andrews, after graduating from Mountview and acting professionally for six years, has worked in various thriving theatres, including Watermans Arts Centre, Bloomsbury Theatre and the Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh. She started her career as an agent in 2000 and has worked for Shane Collins Associates since 2001.

"I think the thing I would suggest performers do for their showcase is actually more of a list of things not to do - meaning accents they haven't quite got right, or wearing costumes or using props they aren't fully familiar with. In a showcase, agents and casting people are looking to see what you can do, so given that you will probably be a little bit nervous anyway, it really isn't the right time to start trying to stretch yourself.

"The truth is, we all want you to be good - we wouldn't have invested time in coming to your showcase if we didn't - so really your job is to let us see you at your best, whatever that best means for you. The choice of pieces is important too - don't pick a scene that nobody can understand unless they see the full production - even if the scene is a good one - the audience will be trying to work out who is who and what is going on, more than they will be concentrating on you. Far better to have something simple that gives you space to relax and show your abilities. While dramatic scenes done well are great, if you can handle comedy, it is a very good element to have in a showcase. If you can make us laugh you will be helping us remember you - which is what showcases are all about.''

Amy Booth-Steel

Amy Booth-Steel is born and bred in Birmingham, she is graduating this year from Birmingham School of Acting. She is a CDS Spotlight Prize nominee 2007, BBC Carleton Hobbs Radio Bursary nominee 2007 and Laurence Olivier Bursary nominee 2006. Amy has just filmed an episode of Doctors for the BBC and prior to drama school, performed in Don Quixote Rides Again, A View From the Bridge and Elizabeth Rex for the Birmingham Rep.

"The first thing I decided to do was be myself in my showcase. Obviously I was playing a character, but I didn't pick a character that was too far from who I am, so I could show off my real strengths as a performer. For me, a good showcase is about showing who you are and what you can do to potential employers, rather than either showing off or putting yourself under undue pressure.

"I did a lot of planning in advance to make sure I used the short stage time I had available in the best possible way. I wanted to show my strong vocal ability, but also my comedic talents, so I did both a musical number and also a comedy scene. However, to avoid that jagged feel you sometimes get when showcase performers suddenly switch from one character and mood into another, I kept both of my pieces in the same backstage setting. In a sense I was aiming to present a mini-musical or mini-sitcom - the two kinds of work I'd really like to pursue over the next stage of my career. Given that I now have a good agent, approaching my showcase the way I did seems to have paid off in taking me the first step of the way towards that goal.''

John sums up

Showcases can be a pressure gig and I hope it is clear from our two contributions above that with the right approach a lot of that pressure can be alleviated long before your time on stage. They are also a great opportunity not just to bring your talents before the right people, but also to hone the art of showing yourself at your best in a short time period - something that most of us need to learn to do at almost every career junction, no matter how long we have been in the business. It is usually only when we dream about success in our heads, that we have that luxury of all the time in the world. To this end, the more showcases you do the better. In this context, a particular big Dear John hoorah to the first ever showcase for Spotlight prize nominees event, at which I recently saw Amy and other talented acts do their stuff. I hope it is the first of many such events and encourage you to check out www.spotlightcd.com for details of this and a whole range of other ongoing Spotlight support for graduates.

* Shane Collins Associates, who represents Amy, can be contacted at www.shanecollins.co.uk or on 020 7470 88644

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