For Tilly Blackwood, being authentically yourself is what will give you the best chance of a successful audition. Sessions often focus on speech-work, trying to find the characters and plays that give you the best chance of landing a job or getting into drama school – the ones that feel authentic and tailored to the individual.
As one former student explained: “When I first started working with Tilly, I’d almost given up on the possibility of going to drama school. From our first session I could see why she had such a phenomenally successful track record with helping students get places at top schools; in just an hour, she was able to pinpoint the things that were holding me back, and the ways in which the pieces I’d chosen weren’t serving me. I’m so delighted to have been offered a place on the BA Acting course at RADA.”
For Blackwood, it’s about creating a safe space at her home where you can truly open up. “It’s completely private,” she explains, “and you can tell me the things you’re too frightened to say to your mates: I’m never going to work again, or I don’t know how I can fit into the world of acting, I’m worried that drama school is too expensive or it’s not for me. Whatever you want to talk about, I will listen.”
Blackwood expects hard work in her sessions – “I’m on your side,” she says, “but I will also tell you the truth” – and the results speak for themselves. From practical tips for drama school auditions to rediscovering the pleasure in acting, The Audition Doctor is the best medicine.
The many testimonials from Blackwood’s former students attest to her skill. Emma Corrin, known for portraying Princess Diana in Netflix’s The Crown, visited The Audition Doctor at the beginning of her career: “As an untrained actor new to a hugely intimidating industry, Tilly managed to truly inspire me and instil in me the courage to recognise and begin to cultivate my talent.”
The ethos of The Audition Doctor is that it’s all about you. “When I meet people for the first time they’re surprised that my obsession – whether you’re a professional actor or you’re trying to get into drama school – is always you. No one does you like you. Often I find that a lot of people are quite scared of being absolutely authentic and uncensored.”
“You don’t go to a doctor if you’re well,” says Tilly Blackwood, founder of bespoke coaching service for actors The Audition Doctor. “In the same way, people don’t come to me if they’re doing fine. They come when they have a problem or a need, and I create bespoke sessions to help in any way that I can.”
Whether you’re a student applying for drama school, a professional actor looking for help with an upcoming audition, or simply need a self-esteem boost, The Audition Doctor can ignite confidence, while never losing sight of the main prize: securing the job.
Blackwood has been a full-time working actor for more than 30 years, and she set up Audition Doctor to pass on the skills and expertise she has learned from her time in the industry. “I’ve got all this knowledge, and it gives me so much joy to share it. I’ve experienced many of these same things myself: I’ve suffered with stage fright, with lack of confidence. I know what it feels like.”
She prides herself on creating a safe and welcoming space at her flat in Borough where you can work through specific problems – delivery, posture, characterisation – or just sit and chat.
Author: Tim Bano
Self Tapes
Audition Doctor is delighted to be teaming up with Bespoke Reels-the #1 showreel providers in the UK, who also host a range of talent in their custom built self-tape suite, which accommodates live streaming sessions if you need to audition internationally – to provide you with the perfect, stress free self tape experience.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.