by Audition Doctor | Aug 7, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions
Whether you are looking for help with public speaking or making a presentation in the workplace, Audition Doctor can help. In a relaxed environment, each individual can develop the confidence and skills necessary when communicating with an audience.
How we can help: one to one coaching for public speaking.
These coaching sessions are tailored to your exact needs and if required, i can travel to your office to save you as much time as possible in your busy working day. They will focus on overcoming any fear of public speaking, conveying your message and engaging your audience in order to deliver a knockout presentation. By connecting to an audience, it is possible then to develop their trust and enthusiasm for both you and your business, thereby boosting your success. The coaching can last as long as you wish.
Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to know more information.
by Bel | Jul 19, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
I have been a professional actress for over twenty years and during this time I have had some fantastic jobs and met some wonderful people along the way. After I left drama school I have always continued to train by doing classes or one to one with a coach. I have enjoyed these sessions over the years and definitely felt that there was an improvement, however, in between I have felt very low about my ability- especially in the area of television and have often felt that I am missing something.
Then by lucky chance I came across Tilly Blackwood. Tilly is without any doubt the best drama coach I have ever worked with. Tilly has an incredible ability to help you find the truth in what you are doing; her methods are subtle yet very effective. In one of our sessions I found myself so deep in character, that it took me a while to recover. I was able to trust what Tilly gave me and go with it- pure joy. I also have felt incredibly motivated since Tilly became my Coach. Although I have enjoyed Shakespeare in the past, now I love it and find myself seeking it out wherever I can. Suddenly my ears have been opened and I am able to truly enjoy and appreciate it.
I have also noticed a 100% improvement in performances in my auditions and film work. I did some filming the other day and for the first time I arrived feeling confident in my ability. I was able to go for it and not feel worried and the result was clear for all to see.
I cannot recommend Tilly highly enough- she is a very special and talented person who is able to share her gift with her students in a very positive way. I am just so happy that I have found her now.
by Bel | Jul 11, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, News and Events
Students come to you with scripts from all mediums- television, theatre, film- does your approach to each of these differ?
It doesn’t differ at all- all of them require an intricate analysis of the text. The luxury of having an entire script is rare in television and film. Nowadays, not only are you quite often given the script at the very last minute but usually only the scenes in which your character appears. This means that you have to understand your character very quickly; big decisions have to be made in a very short amount of time and you have to be open and malleable because there are so many different ways to play the character. This is where your drama school training becomes invaluable because you have had the benefit of three years of constant experimentation and trial and error.
With television you might not have the luxury of time, so I think it’s very important to explore every avenue; which is what I encourage my students to do at Audition Doctor. Often students pick a route which is completely justifiable, but when I steer them down a less obvious path they quickly realise that, that choice is also equally valid. What I aim to do is to show them that there are far less constraints in acting and so many more interpretations than they think, and the more ambiguous ones are often far more interesting as sometimes they suddenly have these seismic shifts in the way they perceive the text.
Was it daunting when you first got out of drama school after having been in such a structured and intense environment?
I was lucky enough to be offered a professional acting job before my training at drama school officially ended, so I didn’t have that feeling of disorientation and displacement that a lot of graduates can experience. Although I still had the structure of daily employment, it was very new working with people who were complete strangers and not my fellow students for the past three years. It was exhilarating to get a foot in the door, but at the same time that feeling of achievement was slightly marred by the nerves that are not unusual for any inexperienced actor on their first acting job. During the rehearsal process, in my head I was constantly questioning whether I could pull it off.
How and when did you get your first agent?
I got my agent in my last year at Guildhall and I definitely wouldn’t have had the opportunity for so many casting directors and agents to see me if I wasn’t at a drama school. As with any industry, the acting world is closely- knit, which means word of mouth spreads very quickly; such wide exposure to all sorts of people from the acting world is something that only drama schools can provide. I played Nora in ‘A Doll’s House’ and it was flattering that a couple of agencies wanted to take me on. Getting professional approval outside the confines of drama school was thrilling. I remember thinking that the acting world wasn’t as closed and exclusive as I previously thought and excited that there might possibly be a place for me in it.
by Audition Doctor | Jun 25, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
I was lucky enough to have worked with the talented Tilly Blackwood before an important audition for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Training with Tilly was an incredible experience. She is professional, passionate and inspiring. Tilly was easy to work with; she respected my creative decisions all the while guiding me in the right direction. She pushed my boundaries and challenged me.
Her classes were held in a safe, peaceful and quiet environment, making our time focused and extremely beneficial. I have Tilly to thank for the success of the audition. It was such a pleasure to work with a teacher that really cared. Tilly changed my career and consequently my life, I know that she has the power to do the same for you.
Chelsea Macleod-Elliott
by Audition Doctor | Jun 21, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
Drama School Coach Tilly Blackwood
Bel Knight speaks to Audition Doctor founder Tilly Blackwood
What would a typical lesson at Audition Doctor be like?
Happily for me, I don’t have a set lesson plan that’s set in stone for every student. I see drama school applicants, professional actors and also people in other professions who want to improve their presentational and public speaking skills so there is no standard lesson. Every lesson is fashioned to suit the unique needs of each individual.
When does your coaching start for people applying to drama schools?
With drama school applicants, I see students at every stage at the audition process; some come to me months in advance and others the day before. Ideally, a student would come to me earlier rather than later because it’s important to have time to experiment with various speeches and to ensure that at your audition, you are presenting yourself at your very best.
How do you come to choose drama school speeches?
A lot of the time students initially come to me with English A- Level speeches that drama schools see time and time again. With people wanting to get into drama school, I suggest they go to the biggest bookshop they can find with a cup of tea and spend some time looking through as many plays as possible. They tend to bring me a selection of speeches and then we try them out in the lesson. Students often very quickly know which speech feels right for them but the most important thing is to give yourself the luxury of doing lots of ‘acid tests’ when it comes to drama school speeches because you will be doing them often and over an extended period of time.
So what would you say is the ideal period to start lessons if you want to get into drama school?
I would say about 5 months before your drama school auditions start. I’m always very wary of giving specific periods of time because obviously it depends on the student. What I am certain of is that I need to ensure that I have sufficient time to get to know the student and steer them to see specific plays that I think might spark an idea. It’s surprising how little drama school hopefuls go to the theatre. Often great performances by professional actors might influence a way of doing a speech or simply change a student’s perceptions of what is possible. Recently, I encouraged students to see Jerusalem and Much Ado About Nothing. It’s interesting, I notice a marked difference in my students after having watched actors such as Mark Rylance and Eve Best give such phenomenal performances. I often find they are more daring in their choices and more open to taking risks in their speeches for drama school.
Theatre tickets can be incredibly expensive; how would you encourage your students to go more often?
The vast majority of my students applying to drama schools are in their teens and twenties and there are so many schemes that give cheap theatre tickets to young people. I think if you want to be an actor and go to drama school, you must be aware of the goings-on of the profession and constantly expose yourself to experienced actors who have already been through the journey that you want to embark on. Also, at drama school auditions, they frequently ask what plays you’ve been to see recently. Drama school places are in such short supply that inevitably they want to accept aspirant actors who are knowledgeable and passionate about the theatre.
by Audition Doctor | Jun 14, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
Below can be found the Audition Doctor list of useful website links for acting classes:
The Academy Of Live And Recorded Arts
www.alra.co.uk
Arts Educational Schools London
www.artsed.co.uk
Birmingham School Of Acting
www.bsa.bcu.ac.uk
The Old Vic
http://www.oldvic.ac.uk/
Central School Of Speech & Drama
www.cssd.ac.uk
Italia Conti Academy Of Theatre Arts
www.italiaconti-acting.co.uk
University Of The Arts London Central Saint Martins
www.csm.arts.ac.uk/drama
Drama Studio London
www.dramastudiolondon.co.uk
East 15 Acting School
www.east15.ac.uk
Guildford School Of Acting
www.gsauk.org
Guildhall School Of Music & Drama
www.gsmd.ac.uk
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
www.lamda.org.uk
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
www.lipa.ac.uk
Manchester School Of Theatre
www.theatre.mmu.ac.uk
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
www.mountview.org.uk
The Oxford School Of Drama
www.oxforddrama.ac.uk
Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance
www.bruford.ac.uk
Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art
www.rada.org
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
www.rsamd.ac.uk
Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama
http://www.rcs.ac.uk/
by Audition Doctor | Jun 14, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Bel Knight interviews Audition Doctor founder Tilly Blackwood
How did you come to set up Audition Doctor?
It started as a happy accident. Initially Michael John at the Actor’s Centre suggested that I teach a couple of one-off sessions once a month, due to the overwhelmingly good response I was then invited to have my own regular class each week. These acting clases were quickly oversubscribed so I decided to set up Audition Doctor.
What do you do at The Actors Centre?
I teach Shakespeare Masterclasses, Audition Masterclasses and Introduction to Acting courses there. Being part of such a rigorous and unique organisation means that I am in quite an uncommonly good position. At the Actor’s Centre, I mainly work with young professionals so I’m very conscious of the ever-changing demands placed on up-coming actors.
What would you say to someone thinking of an acting career?
Acting is a wonderfully fulfilling career if you are willing to be adaptable and as auditions for both drama schools and theatre and telly jobs are getting increasingly more cutthroat, actors need to continuously develop their auditioning skills. The reality is that it can be a dog-eat-dog world and when people realised that I had an insider-view so to speak, they started to ask for more acting sessions- especially one to one lessons so I set up Audition Doctor.
What do remember of your acting teachers?
I also remember how my own acting teachers at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama such as Patsy Rodenburg-the internationally renowned voice coach- had such a profound effect on my journey as an actress and I suppose I’m in a way trying to pass on what they opened my eyes to- things like being present, staying true to the text and being connected to the language are all acting absolutes.
Do you think the auditioning process has changed from when you started twenty years ago?
Yes, radically so. The nature of the acting profession has changed immeasurably. I auditioned after a three year English degree at university and chose speeches that were totally wrong for me; I did Amanda from Tennesse Williams’ ‘Glass Menagerie’ who is a 60 year old Southern woman- not the best choice for a 22 year old from Sussex and Portia from ‘Julius Caesar’. I was also stupid enough to think that it was fine to learn my audition speeches overnight- you just can’t get away with that now.
What do you think of the acting industry today?
The acting profession has always been a highly competitive industry but there are so many more people applying now. Consequently, much more thought has to go into your audition speeches to highlight your individual talents, so your audition can differentiate you from the gazillions of others.
What do you remember of your first audition?
When I did my audition I didn’t have a large amount of acting experience- Acting and directing in productions at university was about it-apart from the West End musicals that my parents used to take me to. Now I think you have to be far more savvy because the acting world has changed; Equity is no longer a closed shop and there is more of an appetite for reality TV. While it’s great that acting has become more inclusive, there exists a kind of assumption that anyone can act. Admittedly, there is no definitive guide to acting or auditioning but the honing of any sort of craft requires an enormous amount of passion, discipline and technique which I hope Audition Doctor fosters.
by Audition Doctor | Jun 6, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions
Working with Tilly has had a huge impact on my confidence as an actor, and in a very short space of time I have achieved significant breakthroughs in my acting.
I enjoy every minute of our sessions and highly recommend Tilly as an excellent coach; one who is extremely committed to your development and success. Tilly, thank you, thank you and thank you again!
Eleanor White
by Audition Doctor | May 23, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
If I had not met Tilly I believe that the outcome of my drama school auditions would have been extremely different.
Her amazing enthusiasm and patience gave me the confidence and the ability to succeed. I would recommend Tilly to anybody; she has a great sense of humour and is a delight to work with. I would just like to express my deep appreciation as I couldn’t have done it without her.
Thank-you Tilly.
Carly Barnes
by Audition Doctor | May 10, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions
Tilly is truly a superb teacher. She really makes the effort to get to know you before you begin working with her. She takes her time with you and gives you space to really explore the piece you’re working on.
When you work with her, you feel at ease as you know she isn’t judging you, she is very constructive with constructive with her feedback. One of the best things about Tilly is that she genuinely cares about nurturing and developing your skills and encouraging you keep in touch with how your audition went. I’m very grateful to know her and hope that every actor out there gets the chance to work with her.
Rita Walters
