Aislinn Turner
Introduction
This portfolio holds the materials I have made thus far, detailing the choices I have made so far and what drew me to them. Alongside this, I wrote about key learning moments in Year 2 which have shaped my learning as an Actor-Musician.
When compiling the research for this portfolio I was reminded of how close-knit the industry is – which feels supportive yet challenging in terms of employability. A common misconception is that you can only work in theatre if you live in London, but this portfolio has enlightened me to the breadth of regional work. However, it is true that “The industry is often built on nepotism, and secret nods and handshakes, and unpaid internships.” (Healy, 2025).
Due to this, my marketing materials need to be carefully considered to maximise my opportunities. In the research I have collated I have been determined to find theatre that spans across the UK and particularly where I am based (North-west and West Yorkshire). Discovering how to market myself in an industry known for facing financial challenges has been both insightful and surprisingly exciting.
Biography
When drafting my biography, I looked on spotlight to take inspiration from current graduates regarding structure and content. This enabled me to look at my biography through the eyes of an Agent or Casting Director. Despite this research, I felt my biography didn’t communicate my skills and who I was as an actor (Fig 1).
In my latest draft (Fig 2), I used words like “enthusiastic” and “energetic” so that the reader had a more specific understanding of who is walking into their rehearsal room. I wanted my interests to be concise therefore I included, “comedic, political work” as this is the theatre I am usually drawn to as well as highlighting my interest in TV and screen. I previously mentioned how I am keen to take on “a wide variety of roles,” therefore I want this to be evident throughout my biography.
I continue with a breakdown of the roles I have played during my training, I picked differing roles to emphasise my versatility as an actor.
My skills as an Actor-Musician required its own segment of my biography to help it stand out. Primarily, I want a blend of my personality and technical skill within this biography. I structured my instruments in order of skill and included my “love for music” to communicate my passionate approach as a performer and how this influences the stories I am wanting to tell. My second draft focuses on what I will bring to a rehearsal room and my current interests in theatre rather than the vague, impersonal first draft.
To conclude, I write about my graduate season so that an agent is aware of the style of roles I am being cast in and where they can see me perform.
Fig 1
Fig 2
CV
The most prominent features on my CV (Fig 3) are my name and headshot as it is the core information I want readers to remember. Similarly to my biography, I wanted hints of my personality throughout which I found difficult as a CV feels very factual.
I researched the use of colour in a CV and what it communicates, I chose magenta for my name and large headings as it suggests creativity and originality. With this, I used a dark blue to accentuate my skills and credits which suggests reliability and professionalism. My name is in a different font to the rest of my CV conveying authenticity, the following information is all in a readable font with clear titles so that relevant information can easily be found by the reader. Crucial information regarding my Spotlight ID and location is positioned at the top so that it is easily accessible whereas, my personal contact information can be found at the bottom, convenient but not overly accentuated.
My experience echoes the work I would like to pursue, classical, modern and Actor-Musician shows. Including these credits and the instruments I played demonstrates my dedication to the craft that I want to go forward in. I hope to swap my Royal Armouries credit out with a show from third year to more accurately represent my theatrical interests. My skills are in a clear section underneath my headshot; I have listed my instruments in order of playing ability and ensured to mention voice and dance to sell myself as a versatile actor.
Fig 3
Headshots
I researched 9 photographers (Fig 4) in a variety of locations to give myself a wide selection of choices, this also helped me to discover what I want in a headshot. I favoured headshots that used a lack of shadows and dark, melancholy colours – I thought it immediately opened the actor out to a generous range of genres.
My favourite photographer is Akta (Fig 4), I looked at individuals with similar eye, skin, and hair colour to me to gain an insight into what my own headshots might look like. There is a warm, natural light which compliments the colourful backgrounds creating a bright, professional look for the actor. These headshots work perfectly with the style of roles I would want to be considered for, they have a softness to them which will enhance any shots regarding classical work while still creating a more serious feel with the use of slight shadowing – this is helpful as I would like to work with Shakespeare material. Alternatively, the vivid colours and the fresh look captured in the shot will help me when looking at contemporary pieces or regional, modern work.
If I cannot get the ‘pay what you can’ these headshots will become out of my price range due to location, therefore I have looked at Emilie Goldie Photography who is very similar to Akta and is in a more convenient location for me.
Fig 4
Industry Research
After watching ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ on the West End I was inspired to want to be involved in similar Actor-Musician shows, it helped me to think of my instruments in terms of employability The folk, jazz-tinged style of music directly aligned with the work I would like to either create or be involved in in the future. I researched Actor-Musician shows based in Leeds and Liverpool (Fig 5) to make myself aware of current work being made outside of London. Leeds Playhouse has had a strong run of Actor-Musician shows with ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ and ‘The Flood’ both offering opportunities to use folk instruments – I play flute and guitar which align within this style of instrumentation. ‘Brassed Off’ is coming to Leeds Playhouse, I would love to work in this style of theatre however I realise that I have no instruments that correlate to the brass genre which usually appears in northern, political theatre. This is something to think about if I learn a new instrument.
Fig 5
Pantomime is a growing genre for Actor-Musicians to shine in, it is also a large factor of a performer’s income. I have watched Liverpool Everyman’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto since I was young and have seen how the influence and skill of Actor-Musician shows have gotten stronger over the years, I was eager to research how I could get involved. During panto project earlier this year I was lucky enough to be involved in a Q&A with Rob Salmon, the director of Leeds City Varieties’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto. He mentioned that skilled female drummers are highly in demand as there are few in the Actor-Musician industry – as a drummer this has inspired me to become more vigilant in my instrument practice particularly as it is commonly in panto. Following this conversation, I researched directors and casting directors (Fig 6) to understand their prior experience and how they have come to work with Actor-Musicians, this has helped me to discover new theatres and who I may work with/be cast by once I graduate.
Whilst researching Liverpool’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto I investigated Liverpool Everyman and Liverpool Playhouse’s associate companies both to see who I may work with in the future, gaining an insight into the theatre happening locally around me (Fig 7). In addition, I found multiple programmes within the Everyman that can support me as an emerging actor – for instance YEP would assist my ongoing acting training after graduation. The writing facilities would aid any shows I looked at creating, particularly in a climate where new work is encouraged amongst Actor-Musicians. Leeds Playhouse holds many similarities, both theatre’s artistic directors (Tom Wright and Nathan Powell) are keen to work with emerging artists which feels incredibly supportive as someone who is based in both areas. If I stay in Leeds post-graduation, I am eager to attend their season auditions so that I can become familiar with the creative team, I will want to become a familiar face amongst casting directors both in Liverpool and Leeds.
Fig 7
Another local theatre near me is Shakespeare North Playhouse, having recently taken interest in Shakespeare after our assessment I researched this theatre based in Prescot (Fig 8). It produces several Shakespeare plays annually, in 2023 I was a stage manager with ‘A Place For Us’ during my work experience, who have performed Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth – this is a connection I can rely on to build my network surrounding classical theatre.
I also researched Northern Broadsides in Halifax and Elysium in Durham who have great focus on powering northern voices in Shakespeare. My goal is to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company due to their regional work, their dedication for improving education and their excellent productions. I researched the Co-artistic directors (Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey) to see where they worked prior to the RSC. Daniel Evans had a background in Musical Theatre performing in numerous Sondheim productions, but there have not been many Actor-Musician performances within the RSC. However, it would be naive to think that it will never happen with both Daniel Evans’ background and the growth of the Actor-Musicianship industry.
Last term I played Viola from Twelfth Night and was told that kind of driven, female character is my casting type – this feedback has inspired me to play Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing due to her dry humour and determined nature. I think she is a great character to be played with a regional accent as I personally think it gives the play more context and passion, I would love to be involved in an Actor-Musician version set in Liverpool.
Fig 8
Fig 9
As I am wanting to create regional work it was crucial to research agents near me, I gathered information on current and past Leeds Conservatoire graduates to infer which agents may be looking to cast at the end of my graduating year (Fig 9).
Articulate Agency appeared numerous times, they focus on supporting new actors and offer accent support to give them as much work opportunity as possible. Similarly, Nicola Bolton management “nurture[s] young, fresh talent” (Bolton, 2017) and has represented graduating actors from similar areas to me. Both agencies offer the support and guidance I would value as a new graduate, in third year I will use Nicola Bolton’s recommended “rule of three” and email both agencies to invite them to my showcase or a third year show I am in.
As well as this I felt it important to think about which agency I would like to be represented by in the future, I found the casts of both Liverpool and Leeds’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Pantos (Fig 5) and found agents through that. Roberts & Williams Associates LTD has its own section for Actor-Musicians on its website which feels promising to help me find the work I would like to be involved in. Also, AHA Talent represents Actor-Musician Zoe West who is frequently in the Liverpool Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto and recently played Romeo in a queer version of Romeo & Juliet in Liverpool Everyman. Their credits mirror the style of work I would like to go into; I will use social media platforms such as Instagram to see their future performances and how I might contact AHA Agency.
Summative Statement
The Moors: Making A Character My Own
The Moors was a rewardable experience as I was able to put my process into practice through a three-week project, notably improving my confidence in my acting ability. Director Sean Linnen began by leading table work to unit the text – this amount of depth set foundations for my areas of research. A key discovery was that I need time to break down my character before I can be fully vulnerable on stage. By doing extensive research I felt secure in my character’s given circumstances, so I was therefore able to complete character questions to a sufficient standard, enabling me to add nuances to my character. Previously I have struggled with offering bold choices, but having a solid foundation of character research ensured my performances weren’t repetitive. Instead, I was able to enjoy exploring the complexities of my character and how she responds to the environment around her.
Originally, I believed that too much character research would restrict me, but it unlocks a bold performance, creating a creatively freer character process. Moving forward I want to apply this written work prior to entering the rehearsal room so that I know my character well. Here, it enables me to be active in a scene, listening to my scene partner to give a spontaneous performance. To start good habits for working professionally, next year I will complete extensive research for each production – as I will have to stand out within an oversaturated industry.
Panto: Using Professional Music
Working on Leeds City Varieties Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto was where I developed the most musically. Through the 2 weeks process I improved significantly on my musical confidence and sightreading ability. By using the same music that the Leeds City Varieties company used, I was pushed to play music more advanced than I thought I was capable of. Being cast without an audition significantly challenged my singing ability, as I was given the ‘princess’ character performing songs such as ‘Common People’. This style of musical theatre singing is completely out of my comfort zone, but it forced me to take a character first approach which immediately made me less self-conscious.
A particular challenge I faced was drumming ‘How will I know” for the first time; I find drums a hard instrument to practice outside of the rehearsal room as I take many musical queues from the rest of the company. Similarly, sight reading drum music challenged me – as it is written in a different format to melodic scores. Something that helped me was to simplify a piece of music whilst still rehearsing so that my mistakes do not impact the piece and my time is being used efficiently.
I wish to take this practice with me going forward, it not only took mass amounts of stress off me, but it also enabled me to break the piece down so that in each run through of the song I could gradually add harder sections till I could play the whole song as written. This is a useful technique when learning music for all my instruments, as the Actor-Musician work I am wanting to be in involved learning choreography, lines, music and developing a character all at once. This could easily become overwhelming therefore simplifying a piece of music so that it does not take my whole attention during rehearsals will help. As the current form of Actor-Musicianship is mostly musicals, the improvement in my vocal confidence will serve me greatly in future projects. I now know that I’m an alto and have a bank of key techniques to help me improve this vocal register (Fig 10). In future, I aim to implement these techniques and sing in front of an audience as much as possible to cement my training.
Fig 10
Shakespeare-Trusting The Work
Following the Moors, feedback advised that I needed to trust my work and let it go when performing so I could be present in the scene. This was my focus when going into the Shakespeare project, however I found this difficult as Shakespeare requires a significant amount of effort to do such iconic character justice, making me even more apprehensive to simply trust my preparation. A key moment was when Esther told me and my scene partner to do the Last Thought Repeat exercise (repeating the end of my partner’s previous line). This helped me to really focus on actively listening, as I can sometimes slip into demonstrative acting with previously conceived deliveries. This helped to ground the scene in authentic desires, whilst working with given circumstances.
This is a technique I want to use throughout my acting career as listening makes for an entirely authentic performance. I easily forget to listen in a scene and instead focus on how my character is feeling but this exercise aided me in merging a character’s emotional arc into their line delivery. This is particularly helpful when breaking down the Shakespearean language – but something I can go further with – as a lot of my feedback after the Shakespeare assessment stated that I did not use the language to its full potential. As I am wanting to do a lot of Shakespeare work in the future, I would like to work on the detail of language and how I can use it more freely to show expression. When working on audition technique, a repetitive note I received was that I didn’t make a variety of choices -this has made me think differently about the way I act in an audition as I need to showcase multiple things I can offer as an actor. When auditioning for Shakespeare I want to avoid over-naturalising the language and instead use it with precision so an audition panel can see the amount of care and passion I put into my work.
Conclusion
I have focused on trying to discover who I am as an actor and what my interests are throughout my training – I personally do not think there is ever a definite answer. However, looking back at my key moments throughout Year 2 has helped me to define what it is right now I am interested in and the work I will put in in the future to better my skills. The work when making this portfolio has aided how I can market myself to better my chances of being cast in a specific role.
Much of the marketing required me to see myself through a casting director’s eyes, it required more critical thinking than I originally thought. My bio was the most personal thing someone would read before seeing me in an audition therefore I wanted to ensure my personality was captured throughout. Using specific colours and structures in my CV communicated my personality and professionalism within to this industry. Choosing the perfect photographer for headshots helped me to decide the style of looks I should use to suggest different genres of theatre.
Previously, I had little to no understanding of the industry and the people inside it however I now feel confident in knowing which agents and casting directors I want to communicate with in third year to help myself professionally when I leave the Conservatoire. Discovering theatres near me and the exciting work they do has inspired me to explore regional work and create strong connections with artists both based in and around Liverpool and Leeds.
