by Isobel Staples 24101641
Second year has been such a unique challenge which has allowed me to discover and develop my strengths and identify my weaknesses. Through Artistic Development: Arts Industry and working with professional directors I’ve found new pathways into the industry and marketable ways to set myself apart from other actors. My personal reflection and tutors feedback from skills lessons and projects has informed the process of understanding my casting type and areas where I can progress. This has also been especially useful when preparing for third year, looking for potential audition monologues and scenes for the showcase, in order for me to present myself as an actor that I’m proud of.
To begin writing my attached biography (please see Figure 1) I went through the current and previous third years Spotlight profiles to gain inspiration as I know we share similar experiences. I wanted to highlight the different layers of roles and opportunities I’ve been afforded, throughout training and beyond, to indicate I can be multi-faceted. I also wanted to be succinct and to the point, choosing my words carefully, like ‘energetic’ and ‘detailed’ to communicate two very different styles of my personality. It did feel a bit awkward to write about myself in the third person but it was good to get used to as I now understand that most actors have to write their own bios for all of their work. My only official credits will be through the Conservatoire so I made sure to highlight them at the beginning to show their importance. I am also proud of my external work, especially my movement experience, and I felt it was important to mention because I know that in the future I would like to make and perform physical theatre. At this point in my training this feels like a useful mark of where I am as an actor who is still very eager for varied experience and I think I could definitely edit it to suit a particular role/agent.
After our workshops with Ruth Cooper-Rowan I felt moved to go into further research on creating my own company. I think I’ve always wanted to do it but haven’t considered it seriously because it never felt like it could be a reality. It’s so encouraging to learn that it’s a viable career path, that obviously takes hard work and dedication, but can be successful as well as rewarding for communities. (See Figures 2,3&4) In my graduating year I’ve also considered the possibility of being part of a smaller collective to get a proper insight into the inner workings of fundraising, budgeting and outreach.
One company that particularly inspires me is Discarded Nut Theatre Co. A registered charity that operates in Winchester. It’s co-created by two local women ‘powered by the belief that creativity belongs to everyone’, especially focusing on cultivating local artistry. They take major works like Othello and Frankenstein and produce them on smaller scales, making them tourable to reach a higher number of audiences. Lots of their work is participatory and encourages young people to actively engage in the arts. I’m personally aware of how the pandemic and severe funding cuts have impacted theatre in my area so it is moving to see a charity that is so committed to their cause, be successful.
I really support their ethos and think it would be an
amazing opportunity at the start of my career.
(Please see Figure 5)
They also recently cast a Leeds Conservatoire graduate,
so I have a connection as a jumping off point. The team seem friendly and approachable, advertising job
openings on their website and instagram, but as I am
so local I could even go into their base to try and
establish a working relationship.
An even bigger goal of mine is to try and work with Headlong. My first introduction to them was when I performed as ‘Child’ in their adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 in 2016. Then in my final year at college we used their distinct style to perform Chris Bush’s Faustus: That Damned Woman. After being lucky enough to see their reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Leeds Playhouse (Figure 6), my admiration solidified. Their projects instantly align with me as someone who loves history and classical texts as well as modern, abstract theatre.
This year I have been told that I often bring a different approach to rehearsal rooms and I think that this is me really trying to embrace my neurodiversity and see it as a tool for my theatre making. I want to make work that is bold, original and electric. Headlong reimagines classics for modern audiences to question narratives and biases. Creating a balance between challenging and accessible storytelling is what I think they do so well and why I would want to work with them. (See Figure 6)
They also have a year-long directing development programme ‘championing and celebrating emerging theatre directors from across the UK.’ You get to work directly with the team and have access to their rehearsal rooms, R&D’s and workshops, whilst also taking advantage of their immense industry connections. This would be an incredible way to level up my career further down the line.
I wanted to intentionally highlight the roles I was proud of and worked hard on, as well as ones that match what I currently think my performance style/casting type is and what I want to continue doing out in the industry. I also felt it was important to display range with classical pieces, such as Shakespeare’s Midsummer and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, against the modern with Punch by James Graham (2024) and Faustus That Damned Woman by Chris Bush (2020) to demonstrate versatility and an eagerness to try new things.
When developing my CV I wanted to use bright colours and dynamic formatting to bring in some of my personality and set myself apart from other actors. I used Canva templates as inspiration, which I really like because you can customise each element, from colours to graphics. After trying lots of layouts I settled on three potentials, which I could possibly use for different types of castings or agencies.
ACV 1: I’m pleased with the bold red script that draws the eye immediately to my name and headshot. I also feel like the colour is a fun way to inject the bolder elements of my nature.The simplicity of the layout in a plain font hopefully makes it easy for anyone reading to pick out the key information and adds a layer of professionalism.
ACV 2: As well as this, I wanted to experiment with even brighter colours and a more interesting design to demonstrate that creativity is key to my work and important to me as a person. I even left a space for a QR code that would link to my Spotlight, which would be easily accessible in case of further interest. It feels like a fun gimmick that could actually be practical and benefit me as a new performer trying to break into the industry.
ACV 3: In this one I completely toned it down in case the others didn’t feel appropriate for specific agents/projects. The straightforward style feels comprehensive and coherent, which could definitely lend itself when I know that most of my information would already be available on Spotlight.
Going forward, I would use Canva again, but may try to create my own template out of fear of being basic and losing credibility. I would also use my new headshots and make them more visible by leaving a bigger space and aligning the text around them. The colour themes will also have to match so that all of my marketing materials feel cohesive and uniquely tailored to me.
When creating these CV’s I discovered how vital it was to have a versatile document that efficiently communicates crucial details and strengths in fast paced industry settings.
Initially, I was nervous to start thinking about my headshots as someone who’s not always so secure in my appearance. I now understand how vital this part of marketing is, not to look perfect but to effectively portray my casting type and who I am as an artist.
I do really like Akta, the vivid backgrounds make people’s faces luminous and eye-catching in a line up. All of them look very beautiful and I was conscious that they could be too bright and polished, where I would also like to be considered for grittier, dramatic roles. Seeing the current third year Akta headshots and speaking to my second year peers who are planning to use them, I was also concerned that I’m being swayed by how trendy they are. When this happened previously with Yellow Belly, who were really popular, I heard from other actors that agents had made negative remarks about them being too mainstream. I wouldn’t want a potential agent to think I was just taking the easy route or to be lost in a sea of very similar headshots.
On the other hand it’s also a positive that they work with ‘over 5000 actors a year’ making them ‘one of London’s most booked’ studios, indicating how trustworthy and established they are. They also provide a ‘pay what you can’ initiative which I really admire and appreciate. When looking closer at their website I did find examples of darker backgrounds being used for girls with similar skin and hair to me, which give a more down to earth feel that I would want to express. (See Figure 7)
Another company I have considered is VRC Studios, also based in London.
Their shots have a more classical and cinematic edge that would be dramatic enough for stage and clean enough for screen. The variety of their portfolio would also mean I could showcase my range through very different photos. I did notice that most of them do have a darker vignette which makes the subject appear serious and mature. This could benefit me, considering some of the work I am interested in, however I do not want to limit my opportunities by aging myself. They are also a more expensive option at £250 for a basic headshot session, but considering their renown and good reviews about their professional conduct and fun direction I would be more inclined to book with them. (See Figure 8)
I know that when I have my appointment I want to take a variety of coloured tops with different necklines and do several hairstyles, to indicate different time periods and role archetypes.
Second year really made me confront the gaps in my process that was built throughout the first year. Working with professional directors as well as having lots of opportunities to perform in skills lessons, such as scene study, I had to really examine my preparation and warm up to provide the best possible base for acting. In lesson with Alex Palmer, we spoke a lot about having an in-depth, ‘flexible toolkit’, that can be relied on in any room. (See Figure 9,10&11) I had to analyse what’s actually integral and what I’m doing for the sake of it.
For example: I think one of my strengths is bringing physicality to a character so in my warm up I must connect to my body. I really like yoga so I begin by using different flows depending on the character’s mindset. In my Shakespeare assessment, I increased my pace and focused on my core, with breathing techniques such as ‘Ujjayi’, and affirmations like ‘I am focused’ and ‘I am strong’. This grounds my thoughts into the world of the character and generates internal heat and increased heart rate, instigating Lady Macbeth’s sharp energy and dynamism.
Having a tailored warm-up is highly valuable and I have already noticed how much more secure I am in professional rooms now I’m realising the full advantage of personal preparation and I can’t wait to take this forward.
In my first year portfolio I wrote that one of my main goals was to try and do some directing, which is why I felt so blessed to have the responsibility of Assistant Director and Movement Captain for Beth Knight on our Established Repertoire project. I looked into what the role takes and how I could be of the most use in a rehearsal.
I’ve always been an actor who likes to research as a way to feel secure in a character and play. However this has sometimes hindered me as I can get hung up and too in my head during actual performance. A breakthrough that stemmed from this role was using my love of research and detail to deep dive into the world of the play in order to fully understand the directors vision and be able to support it. I was in attendance for every call and although the days were long, it was so nice to prove to myself that I could stay focused and present throughout. Professional projects also usually have short time frames to produce work and I know I want to be an actor who can show up and deliver energy and enthusiasm across each rehearsal. It felt so rewarding to be able to really throw myself into a project and I felt really proud of my contributions. I loved this experience and definitely want to develop these skills throughout third year and then into the industry. The idea of being an Actor/Director really interests me and I think the insight and specificity would make me more exciting as an artist.
Throughout this project we had a specific call for Actioning which I had never really used before. We split the words into three categories (see Figure 12) and created lists of things that the character was capable of throughout their life, which I found myself referencing throughout rehearsal. The verbs provided such a useful shorthand for all of my character research, leaving space in my head for actual organic thought. As previously mentioned, at the beginning of second year, in our first skills block, I discovered that my fixation on thorough research often complicated my acting process. A lot of my performances came from wanting to show the audience that I was fully informed. On reflection, this probably comes from being a perfectionist and wanting to have the ‘right’ choices. It was really powerful to become aware of this and try to disconnect from it. I am learning to trust myself and be more instinctual, which I think Actioning really helped to unlock. This felt like such a key moment for me: figuring out something that was holding me back, working on it and immediately seeing the benefit. It’s reassuring to know that there’s so many more of these moments to come throughout my career. I think I’m more comfortable going into creative spaces knowing I am growing into a self-aware actor who can be adaptable and is open to learning and changing.
My experiences have transformed me from a student into a more rounded actor and maker: someone interested in creating work that will make a difference and who has the passion, courage and skill to market myself to the industry.
I really want to continue my love of devising and evolving what stories I would want to share, so I need to keep interacting with as much new work as possible, utilising my Leeds Playhouse Under 30’s membership to get to the theatre, taking time off work for scratch nights and creative networking events. I also need to keep discovering what interests me aside from theatre. Retaining creative hobbies like scrapbooking and journaling to uncover what of my own experiences could influence my making, but also challenging myself with new ideas and experiences by looking into things I have no prior knowledge on. I think going to more art galleries, libraries and museums will introduce me to different world views and educate me on other perspectives, providing valuable stimulus (like our Royal Armouries project).
I also want to continue to keep on top of everything that’s going on in the industry. This year I’ve really challenged myself to stay more aware by simply following theatres and makers on social media, signing up to mailing lists and reading theatre companies newsletters- things I would’ve never really considered as proactive but have really altered what I see day to day. So many open casting call-outs and theatre workshops are announced online now, so staying connected is more important than ever. There are also so many helpful resources for free on YouTube! I’ve watched full Uta Hagen acting classes, Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley interviewing each other and even the National Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest. I’ve made a conscious effort to reduce my consumption of short form content, so instead of doomscrolling I can actually alter my algorithm to use technology for good.
Another way I’ve been lowering my screen time is trying to read lots of plays. This initially began as a way to find material for our Scene Study classes and has progressed into finding some of my new favourite playwrights. Miriam Battye and Charley Miles are amazing examples of writers who create unapologetic, multidimensional female characters that I immediately clicked with. Additionally, I’ve been trying to pick up plays that don’t immediately jump out at me to exercise my ability to artistically reflect and analyse what I like and dislike.
Overall, second year and this portfolio has taught me that I cannot be avoidant as I take the next steps into my professional career. I must be proactive and face the industry head on to be able to showcase my skills with confidence.
Discarded Nut Theatre Co. About us. Available at: https://www.discardednut.com/
Headlong Theatre Company (no date) About Headlong. Available at: https://headlong.co.uk/ (Accessed: 28 April 2026).
Headlong Theatre Company (no date) Opportunities and artist development. Available at: https://headlong.co.uk/
Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell, G. (1949) Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Secker & Warburg.
Faustus: That Damned Woman Bush, C. (2020) Faustus: That Damned Woman. London: Nick Hern Books.
Punch Graham, J. (2024) Punch.
Canva Canva Canva design platform. Available at: https://www.canva.com/
AKTA Headshots (no date) Actor headshots. Available at: https://www.aktaheadshots.co.uk/
Yellow Belly Headshots (no date) Actor headshot photography. Available at: https://www.yellowbellyheadshots.co.uk/
VRC Studios (no date) Actor headshots portfolio and pricing. Available at: https://www.vrcstudios.com/
Leeds Playhouse (no date) Under 30s membership. Available at: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/
Royal Armouries Museum (no date) Royal Armouries Museum. Available at: https://royalarmouries.org/
