Theatre Editor Therese Walsh finds out more…
Tess: Tell me more about the Scottish Casting Network?
Neil: The Scottish Casting Network came from the Scottish Casting Workshop which was something I started in 2019. I was trying to figure out a way to help the people that cast in Scotland to see more actors. It basically was a workshop where people that cast from the industry would get to see actors rehearsing, having fun and giving a performance at the end. So the next time they are casting for something, they have got a few more names in their “rolodex.”
The long term goal was always to get the industry to take it over. That’s what the Scottish Casting Network is. The Network has 6 buildings: The Tron (Glasgow), The Traverse (Edinburgh), Dundee Rep (Dundee), Citizens Theatre (Glasgow), Lyceum Theatre (Edinburgh) and Pitlochry Festival Theatre (Perthshire). Each building has committed to holding one workshop every two years, which means there will be three every year. This is huge, as ultimately there is currently nothing else like this in Scotland.
Tess: The six theatres that have signed up are established institutions in the Scottish theatre scene, how was it that you got them on board?
Neil: Time. Time and perseverance to be honest.
I was surprised with how up for it the theatres were. From the very first workshop everybody said “this is a great way for us to meet new people” but also not to waste people’s time. The people who attend are from every facet of casting within theatre, TV and Films in Scotland. We don’t guarantee they will be there on the day, but each time we tend to get quite a few people from a variety of institutions.
Tess: As an actor yourself why did you see a need for this? What were the gaps in the industry that you were experiencing?
The reason I set up Scottish Casting Network is because I just wasn’t getting any auditions. I didn’t really know anyone, and I just thought I am going to try and put this thing together.
There are roughly 4,500 actors with a base in Scotland and about 190 jobs a year, so the odds are heavily stacked against people. Also, auditioning people is just hard, it takes a lot of energy and time, so when they are auditioning for jobs they can only see so many people before it gets to a futile point, which is why this workshop is important. It means the casting directors get to see more people perform, they get a feel for who they are.
Prior to running the workshop, I would have said Scottish theatre is a closed shop. I would have said they hire the same people. Ultimately, what I have learned is that this is not true.
The biggest problem is transparency. Because we don’t know how many auditions theatre’s have held or how many people they have seen, unless your friend was in the audition for that play and didn’t get it, you don’t know who they saw, all you know is that it wasn’t you.
This then allows us, as a disparate acting community, to create our own narratives, and to say to ourselves “they only see the same people.” Ultimately, that’s not true. There just hasn’t been any framework or structure to allow them to see more people, and that’s the joy of the network.
Tess: Can students get involved?
Neil: The Scottish Casting Network is aimed at professional actors. The main stipulation is that you have completed full time professional drama training (doesn’t matter where or to what level, could be a college course or RSC course). If you have trained in theatre and drama you are welcome to apply, as long as you have a spotlight link.
If you are still in training at the moment, you are welcome to apply, it is less likely you might be selected for it. At the moment we have about 200+ people applying, and there are 48 spaces, so priority will be given to people who have graduated and have been working towards a career.
Tess: Do you have any advice as an actor for a young person on how to make it in the theatre industry?
Neil: The advice I would give is advice I was given in drama school: It’s a lifetime career. If you want to be an actor, you have to commit to giving it 5 years. If you are not going to give it 5 years then don’t bother doing it. I was 5 years out of drama school when I got my first decent role in something. My tutor said give it 5 years before you can start expecting to work, and give it 10 years before you start doing the work you feel like you deserve. It’s quite depressing and it is quite a long term view, but it is the reality of it. Some people can be very lucky, some can take 5-10 years before they start doing the work they want to. If you do want to do it you have got to be in it for the long haul.
Image courtesy of Birds of Paradise Theatre Company