If this is the first time that you have been called for acting auditions, then the following article has been written specifically with you in mind. It is intended to give some useful advice when it comes to going to the audition and hopefully will give you the opportunity to get a role or extras work in the production that is putting on the audition.
Only turn up for an audition if you have been invited. There is no point in just turning up on the off chance, especially if you did actually apply for the audition, but weren’t contacted after the initial submission.
It may be obvious to most people without having to reiterate it, but make sure you don’t turn up late. If you really think that you are going to be late for an audition or can’t attend at the last minute then make sure you contact both your agency, if you have one, and the audition staff. Far better to turn up early if you can and hopefully get the feel for the place and the people before being called to demonstrate your acting potential.
Make sure that you have two key bits of paperwork – your resume and head shot – with you when you attend the audition. Even if you have sent a digital copy of your headshot by email in advance it is still worth taking it with you as the first one might have gone missing. More likely if there was a good response to the original advert and the company had a lot of actors sending their details all at the same time the tracking system might have got a bit overwhelmed and your photo might not have got filed in a useful place.
As for the headshot, a hard copy version of your resume is worth having with you as well. You have probably sent the digital version with your headshot but that might have ended up in the same place.
Just stay cool, calm and collected during the whole audition process. Nobody wants somebody going around chatting unnecessarily or asking too many questions, or worse, telling everybody how good you think you are. Especially, don’t bother the casting director. Having said all that there is certainly nothing wrong with chatting away if you have been approached by the casting personnel and / or the people running the auditions. If they genuinely want to know about you and what you want to do in your acting career, then fire away.
As for how to dress, sometimes this can be a little difficult and it’s always a possibility that you get the tone wrong a couple of times at first. It’s best to dress professionally and turn up in neat, clean clothes which are neither too smart nor too casual. It’s always a possibility that the audition staff have given specific instructions about costume or even props which they want you to take along with you, but this is unusual.
Last, but not least, don’t drink or take any drugs before your audition, don’t smoke while you are there or chew gum and don’t be offensive to anybody or offer lame excuses if something goes wrong. Smile, stay cheerful and look enthusiastic – you’re the actor. Act the part!