This week the company is touring down in Devon and Cornwall, and although I am hoping for warm weather during my time off, I am dreading yet more windowless halls we may be required to perform in. Last week, one hall in particular was incredibly stuffy before we even began the performance. Then in the interval, the teachers led the children in an aerobics routine in the already sweltering hot hall. I was extremely grateful for my water backstage, which was used mostly for drenching myself rather than quenching my thirst!

One production which I am sure will be treated to an air-conditioned environment is “Scott Mills: The Musical”. I have been listening with interest every day to BBC Radio 1 when travelling between venues and the station is currently putting together the show after a suggestion from a Radio 1 listener. The show is a huge publicity machine, with listeners invited to submit plot ideas and even songs for the musical. The radio station is currently casting the lead character to appear in the show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year.

With a significant part of the ownership of the production handed over to Radio 1 listeners, the show is bound to be a financial success, although whether or not it is a theatrical success is yet to be seen! Perhaps slightly gimmicky (especially when the station is advertising auditions for anyone who fancies having a go whether they have any previous acting experience or not) but a genius money-making idea since, even at the Fringe, they are bound to profit from the show. More information can be found at the Radio 1 website.

Beaming to you live from Dusseldorf in Germany, this is my inaugural Blog from the Ben Hur Live tour. Yes, I’ve fled the UK to rehearse in Germany for 7 weeks before we embark on the 6 month European leg of the tour. I will do my best to keep on top of theatrical happenings back home and provide some sort of appropriately witty musings, but I’m hoping the antics and merriment of life on tour will provide ample enjoyment.

Firstly, I discovered I had the job at a press performance for another show…10 days before Ben Hur was due to rehearse. Despite being emailed and called the day after the audition (cue unnecessary wait!) I didn’t receive the offer and so it wasn’t until I was chatting to the assistant choreographer at another show and he uttered those immortal words “You are doing it… aren’t you?”. Well, at that point I sort of dropped my drink and grasped at whatever sturdy object was near me; thanks Marc! And so after sorting the admin error, and double checking they wanted me and not some other David Grewcock, very unlikely I know, I was booked on a flight to Dusseldorf.

Early last week I received an email from Brian Timoney (a UK-based tutor of “method” acting) claiming to contain a link to a report revealing the “dirty little secret” that drama schools “do not want you to know”. The “report”, in fact, appeared to be a desperate attempt to attract prospective students to his own drama school.

The report in no way “ruffled my feathers”, as Brian claimed it would many, but it is an interesting source to blog about. As the report was so long (although largely repetitive), I can only comment on my own interpretations of his various points, so if any readers are interested in finding out more you can visit his website.

His report appears to claim that you are only guaranteed success if you study method acting, and that no drama school in the UK does this to a satisfactory level. While the latter may or may not be true, I hope that no aspiring actors have been taken in by his many inflexible statements. It is, of course, fantastic that he believes so wholly in the method he teaches. However, to claim that the only chance of success is to study method acting is absurd. Many Oscar-winning method actors are emphasised, such as Meryl Streep and Daniel Day-Lewis, with no mention of all those successful actors without a pure method-based training, such as Kate Winslet or Johnny Depp.

There is also a claim that success in the business relies solely on your ability as an actor, not “who you know”. I think that most people would agree that this too is absurd. If the most talented actor in the world is never put in touch with the right people, (s)he may never “make it”. Of course, the least talented actor may have all the “right” contacts, but without both the ability to network and solid acting skills together, it is far more unlikely that an actor would succeed.

There are many points brought up in the report which I disagree with, including the false claim that at other drama schools “you learn how to use your voice, how to learn lines, stage business, set responses and imitating what you did before” in what Brian refers to as “parrot fashion”. My own training at LIPA was above and beyond merely learning how to use my voice and how to learn lines, and studied other methods of achieving interesting and believable “authenticity” which Brian claims can be achieved only through method acting. But my main concern is to stress to any aspiring actors that it is important to find the right training for you. Every drama school will claim that they are the “best”, and rightly so if students are expected to fully invest themselves in that school’s method of training. But each individual is different, and this is why it is so important to “audition” the school that is auditioning you. And don’t be taken in by others’ assumptions that “success” = Hollywood. Success can only be defined on an individual basis - for some, that might be LA; for others, the RSC, West End, Broadway, or British Drama, etc, all requiring different skills and comprised of different styles, which will not necessarily appeal to every actor.

I have been receiving Brian Timoney’s newsletters for many months now, and while I may or may not always agree with what is written, there is always something interesting to read. His website is worth a look if you are at all interested in method acting - www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk.

There are few blog-worthy stories from Wonderland this week. Aside from a dodgy scene change, a missing prop, and successfully driving the company van into the back of a truck, the show is happily plodding along as before, with few mishaps, embarrassing moments, or unexpected incidents to report. Shame about the truck.

The thing about touring the same show for months on end is that each week is pretty much the same as the last in terms of the show itself. But this week I was excited to arrive back in Birmingham to see that another theatre company has taken up residence next door. I fully intend to have a good mingle! After several weeks of social interaction within the same small group of people, however lovely they may be, it would make a nice change to talk to somebody new!

Seeing the company van parked outside made me wonder whether they too own a sat nav, and marvel at a time when companies toured without it. Of course, I understand that sat nav within our company is a fairly recent addition, and I am sure there are still many companies who tour without. But with two shows a day in two different venues, I do marvel at the quick and precise navigation skills of companies without sat nav!

Today we leave at 8 am to start the first performance of the week at 9:30 am. Then there is a break of an hour to an hour and a half to travel to the afternoon’s venue. Without sat nav, we would find ourselves not only spending extra time map-reading, but guessing the time needed to travel, and probably leaving earlier than necessary just in case we got lost or took a wrong turn.

As the Queen of Hearts might say, “Well, this blog is over. It’s time to close this window and go home. Goodbye.” (That is, she says something similar in our production of Alice in Wonderland. Only replace “blog” with “story” and “window” with “book”!)

And if any readers belong to the theatre company next door, give us a knock and say hello!

…or perhaps don’t lunch, according to Sir Ian McKellen in this week’s edition of The Stage (Equal roles. June 4, 2009). I’m kicking off with the continued debate over the lack of parts in television and theatre for older actresses.

Now, I must make something absolutely clear - I am all for older actresses being cast in work and would champion a realistic campaign to further the opportunities available to older actresses. However, I take issue with McKellen’s comments about audiences wanting to see actresses like Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, “it’s just up to people to provide them with the material to do so”.

Surely this is absurd? If writers are to be held to ransom in this manner then surely we could all chip in — I want to see some younger actresses in a play, I want to see the Chuckle Brothers in a period drama, I love Andi Peters, can we have a play for him? There are hundreds of talented musical theatre performers out of work but there’s no playwright fighting to write A ‘Really Long’ Chorus Line. It’s ridiculous!

On Friday, Staffordshire University launched their art and design showcase “Irresistible”, with a private showing of graduating students’ work from the media and film degrees. Having been involved in one of the student films, I had an invite to the screening and was thoroughly entertained with an evening of diverse film presentations. It was a bit strange seeing myself blown up on a big screen, and nerve-racking since I hadn’t seen the finished product yet, and I was far more comfortable watching the films I hadn’t been involved in! Awkwardness aside, I was quite pleased with the outcome and am now one step closer to putting together a useable show reel. The shows continue to open to the public until Saturday 13th June, so if you are interested in film (or are looking to study a media course or film production at university), or just happen to be in the Stoke-on-Trent area, you can have a look around during the daytime. (More information at www.staffs.ac.uk/amd).

I am on my way back to Birmingham this week, after having gone home for the weekend to do a big clean-up, pick up some clothes and carry out important actor’s homework at the Alice in Wonderland centre in Llandudno - only to discover that it closed in September. I still have Cadbury World to look forward to though, since we have Monday afternoon off - assuming that by this point I have solved the dilemma of how to fit in a visit to the doctor when I am away from home and performing during surgery hours. I would hate to give up a Monday afternoon at Cadbury World for the thrills of the doctor’s office. Besides which, understanding the intricate detail of those chocolate-y delicacies served at the Mad Hatter’s tea party is also very important actor’s homework! Yum!

Despite only a few days off from work to cram in the return of some NI documents, insurance documents and that all-important haircut whilst suffering with a heavy cold and various other medical problems, I have successfully completed all the necessities, managed to eat some chocolate (there is little chance to have a cheeky nibble whilst on tour!), visited friends up and down the country and organised a quick hop over to Dublin and back.

So why is it that when I am unemployed it seems to take a colossal amount of time to rake through a few castings, apply for some jobs, and almost impossible to find the motivation to expand my portfolio?

…and in no way am I saying I’ve got it; I gave it back years ago, and am not quite sure when I’ll have it again, but my ramblings this blog are about selling yourself. Not in a ‘fish net tight bathed in red light’ or a Mr Bumble ‘boy for sale’ sort of way, more of a convincing people to employ you manner!

As actors we’re forever selling ourselves and trying to make out that we are the best person for the job, whether it be through audition, a CV or interview. So how far can we go? How much is too much? When do you cross the line from confidence into becoming an arrogant fool?

It has been very busy in Wonderland this week, not just performance-wise, but rushing from one venue to another.

One of the necessities of touring is coping with the amount of travelling, along with living out of a suitcase — preferably one that you can pack and re-pack easily. I have managed to fail at both this weekend. After driving the tour van back to London on Friday evening, and getting stuck in the inevitable bank holiday traffic, I missed my train (by 52 seconds exactly). There were no more trains going far enough west that evening to be useful to me, and so I dragged my bags over to Victoria coach station only to find that all the coaches going in a vaguely west-ish direction were full. As it was getting late, and to the best of my knowledge my friends in London were all absent this weekend, I decided to have a small breakdown before successfully finding a hostel for the night.

The next morning, I broke the zip on my suitcase. This was not very helpful.

And the moral? When touring, take a big bag and leave plenty of room so there is little danger of breaking the zip. Always have useful contact numbers to hand (having just got my hands on a new phone, I didn’t even have the number for National Rail Enquiries), and when possible avoid holding phone conversations on the street late at night, because aside from the obvious dangers, a drunk Frenchman might just propose to paint you as a chicken, naked.

This last week has been a good week in the wonderful land of April. The company I’m working for offered me the rest of the tour, which obviously I am thrilled about, since I am enjoying the performance and, of course, being in work and getting paid!

I was also offered a tour in the autumn, which starts right after my summer work, which means I am in the fortunate position of being secure in employment for the rest of 2009. This particular tour requires me to move to London, and I am very excited to have the perfect excuse to finally take the expensive plunge! I am eagerly anticipating my week off next week, when I fully intend to use my pay to get a haircut and the extra time to pack a new set of clothes. Living in the same few t-shirts and jeans can get very boring!

Yesterday I found time to meet Jack Sparrow and randomly pulled up at a petrol station alongside the truck carrying the Hogwarts Express. (If any readers are interested, Jack Sparrow is for hire and I can thoroughly recommend him — his impersonation was flawless! If you are in London, keep an eye out for him in Covent Garden.)

The coming week sees the company back in Norfolk after a confusing week in Glasgow. (My entire family is Scottish, but I still struggled to understand the accents!) I finally found time to sort out a new phone since my previous one broke almost two months ago, so from tomorrow I hope to find more time to keep up to date with industry news online.

Having spent a lovely weekend in Greenwich, one of my favourite spots in London, I have spent the last half hour listening closely to a group of German passengers on the train in an attempt to improve my questionable German accent. Although at least “questionable” is more than can be said for my non-existent Birmingham accent.

Accents aside, the show this last week (touring around Norwich) has been going brilliantly — well received, and no major hiccups. The cast I am working with are fantastic performers, lovely people and, I think it’s worth mentioning, entirely unpretentious. I have had the misfortune to come across so many pretentious actors at auditions that I was beginning to worry that we were all like that.

It’s been lovely to explore this part of the country, in what little time there has been between performances, and the coming week takes us to the other side of the country up in Glasgow.

I am finally getting to grips with the multitude of roles I am playing, alongside my technical/backstage duties and remembering which costume I’m changing into next (in my state of brain-overload last week I failed to mention that the production is a musical version of Alice in Wonderland). My main causes of anxiety are actually nothing to do with my own performance, but rather to do with difficult scene changes, whether I can squeeze the van into parking spaces, and what I’m cooking for dinner. You may laugh, but there is a lot of pressure when you’re cooking for people you hardly know. Of course, having mastered a potato peeler, I’m ahead of the game.

More updates on my adventures in Wonderland next week.

I return to the Grads’ Club after somewhat of a bloggers’ sabbatical. I have been in America for the last month filming a very exciting new film, destined to be a blockbuster smash next year. I haven’t been able to update ou on any of this because as yet it’s all under wraps. I am playing a student nurse in a new psychological thriller and that is about all the information I think I can legally reveal thus far.

In case you hadn’t already rumbled me, all the above is a big fat lie.

On Monday last week, just as I had arrived home from my stint on the boat and had begun preparing myself for another period of unemployment, I received a phone call asking if I could get to London the following day to rehearse. I said yes, and here I am.

Of course, there is a little more to that story than simply receiving a miracle phone call. The original actress in the show fell down the stairs on Monday morning, and is subsequently out of action. The company needed another actress immediately and I had auditioned for the part before Christmas. It was a stroke of luck that the offer coincided with the monkey gig coming to an end. (Obviously not so lucky for the actress who fell down the stairs!)

The week has been what I would call “completely mental” since that phone call. For the rest of the day and well into the night I was putting finishing touches to my thesis which I had to get to Liverpool the following morning, since I would now be on the other side of the country come hand-in date (next week). Then the next day I was in London, being taught some of the songs by one of the cast on the way. Then I spent three hours getting from central-ish London to somewhere further north where I was staying with a friend. (With such little time to prepare, I have very little idea of where I am!) Then I rang my old voice tutor in a panic because the following day I was supposed to be rehearsing in an Irish accent, a Birmingham accent, a French accent and a German accent, none of which I could do! So after an impromptu voice lesson down the phone (I must owe my tutor about fifty drinks in thanks!), I tried to learn some songs before crashing out.

I spent most of the night awake, worrying about all the songs and script I hadn’t learned yet, then suddenly it was 6am and time to walk to the bus stop, try to get on the right bus, hop on the tube and look puzzled. At this point, some men told me I looked confused and was I alright, and to cut a (very!) long story short, they told me how to get to the theatre more quickly on a bus. I got on the wrong bus and ended up at a hospital, which was mildly funny because I had been poorly all morning, but mostly annoying because I had to try to find a bus from there that was going in the right direction.

Once I got to the venue, I rehearsed all day and then took the long journey back to my friend’s house. More accent work, some line runs, a few hours sleep, and it all starts again. Three days after the phone call, I’m performing in Norwich.

It’s been a completely crazy week, fun and incredibly stressful all at once. Since I have learned to drive the company van, I am spending the weekend at a reunion in Lincoln. Of course, I will have my ipod and script with me the whole time!!

The sun is out, the sky is blue, there’s not a cloud in sight to spoil the view, but its raining. Raining in my heart. Well, that’s not strictly true, there’s no rain but a big hoorah for the weather! Everything seems so much better when the sun’s out - unless you’re allergic to sunlight or a snowman of course, in which in case I can imagine it being quite unpleasant.

I’m getting into more of a fortnightly blog simply because I’m juggling quite a few things at the moment and haven’t found the time to sit down and transfer my ramblings to the web. I’ve been busy with NYT in development of a new show for Christmas which is very exciting and have recently started assistant choreographing at a rather marvellous open air theatre in an equally marvellous Royal park - as well as keeping going with auditions, which have been good and generally trying to enjoy life and not become a frighteningly dull social recluse. So far, so good.

The development project with NYT was a great insight into all the work that goes on before us mere actors get a glimpse of the script. We were fortunate to have a fantastic workshop cast who were a massive asset in bringing the story to life, confirming beautiful moments of the play and helping to solve scenes that perhaps didn’t work so well. We’re now waiting for a new draft of the script and looking to confirm the cast - I’m sure it will be a great addition to their 2009 season which will be announced very soon….! Shameless plug, apologies.

I’ve spent the last week in the beautiful surroundings of Regents Park in rehearsals for Much Ado About Nothing. I’m extremely privileged to be assisting the choreographer and so far even the mild morning after aches and sweaty vests are doing nothing to dissuade me from loving it. And this brings me, rather neatly, onto my main point: the almighty crossover!

Shortly after leaving drama school, I almost found myself on a European tour in a couple of two-hander plays and one two-hander musical. Despite undertaking only a couple of short projects since then, both paid and unpaid, I find myself relieved that in the end I was merely second choice as another girl with more experience was offered the job.

My main concern was not the toil of touring, or apprehension at working in foreign countries. It was the fact that, after initial rehearsals, I would be expected to live and work with just one person for almost a year. This would be fantastic if, by luck, we were “soul mates” and looked forward to spending our free time together. But if actors on these contracts fail to “get along”, not only are they in an unfamiliar country, perhaps in areas where many people do not speak English, but in this instance the actors would never remain in one place long enough to make other friends. Ultimately, this could turn out to be a very lonely stint.