This portfolio will outline the milestones I wish to reach over the next five years and explain exactly how I plan to achieve the goals I have set out for myself. My aim is that, in five years time, I will be earning a living solely through performing, with the ultimate goal of being a soprano on the West End, in shows such as Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. In this portfolio, I will demonstrate how I plan to achieve this through my lifestyle, training, networking and professional marketing, as shown in Appendix 1. I plan to develop on each of these elements in order to become a stronger performer and enhance my career. Some things taken into consideration include; cost of living, maintaining skillset and gaining experience.
Lifestyle
In researching the decision on where to live post university, I decided to create a finance sheet that examines the difference in cost per month between living at home, in Oxfordshire, and living in London. As seen in appendix 2, the table factors in expenditures from rent to dance classes, and is based on research of the average living costs in each area. It’s important to note this does not factor in elements such as healthcare, subscriptions or a pension, however I believe it to be a useful estimate of what my monthly spending may look like, in an ideal scenario. As seen, the difference is significant, with London being £2487 more expensive. Therefore, living at home is the realistic and financially sustainable option post university. The proximity to London is convenient for auditions and will reduce the risk of missing opportunities due to travel. Additionally, not paying bills and council tax means I will have more disposable income to spend on classes, thus contributing to maintaing my skills. I plan to live at home a minimum of two years before considering moving to the outskirts of London, as this will allow me to save money and find somewhere nicer than I could currently afford.
While living in Oxfordshire, since I have established connections there, I will be returning to my waitressing job. This will provide me with a steady income from evening work, allowing me to pay for dance classes in London or Oxford. Additionally, I would like to maintain my involvement within the theatre industry while not performing, therefore I plan to continue teaching children’s theatre on weekends. Currently, I work at Razzmatazz Leeds, a school that teaches singing, dancing, and acting to children aged 2–18 (Razzmatazz, 2025). Working here has helped me to develop transferable skills such as; confidence, discipline, and communication, all of which are valuable qualities for a performer. For this reason, I would like to continue learning through this type of work. I plan to do this by applying to Razzmatazz Oxford, as I can be transferred here when a position becomes available. If this is not possible within my first year post graduation, the American Dance School in Wantage (Clipsham, 2017) regularly hires assistants and teachers, allowing me to have the same experiences and opportunities that Razzmatazz has given me over the last three years.
In addition, I would like to begin singing at bars and local events. This will not only generate more income but will also allow me to have regular singing practice in front of an audience. Something I have learnt throughout university is that performing for people is the most useful form of audition preparation. Our regular shows at Leeds Conservatoire have given me confidence in my ability and taught me how to deal with illness, anxiety and nerves when performing. One unexpected lesson I found during my singing cabaret, seen appendix 3, was that I found it difficult when speaking unscripted to an audience. Therefore, throwing myself directly into ‘gig’ style performance, will force me to develop the charismatic, confident aesthetic I wish to take into an audition room. I plan to get these opportunities by recording myself singing, as seen in appendix 4, a range of pop and rock songs. I will then send these to local pubs and bars, as well as apply to weddings through entertainment nation, a site which allows couples to view profiles of singers (Entertainmentnation, 2024). Overall, this supports my five-year plan, as it allows me to perform regularly in front of an audience, developing my confidence as well as bring in extra income.
Appendix 5
Training
As part of this module, we have learned valuable lessons in keeping track of our time, contacts and money. Something I have started and am excited to add to, is my audition spreadsheet seen in appendix 5. This log notes down key information about the professional auditions I have attended or self taped for. It includes elements such as; who was on the panel, what I wore and sung, any feedback given and the audition outcome. This is a crucial part of my five year plan as I aim to use this to address the which of my skills require attention. For example, after my Phantom audition, I was informed that I needed to develop my classical singing and vocal range if I want to progress further next year. Therefore, upon recommendation from my agent, I have been in contact with Claire Underwood, a vocal coach who has previously been the vocal supervisor for west end shows such as Phantom, Les Mis and Mary Poppins (Showminds, 2026).
In preparation for my singing lessons, using character breakdowns (Stageagent.com, 2026), I have created a table which features the key sopranos I wish to play professionally. The table includes the characters range, time period and location. In creating this, I found that a high percentage of these women sing notes from D6-F6, therefore I will be focusing my lessons on expanding my range, as currently my top note is a C6. This research has also proved useful in finding audition material, as I can look at similar characters and assess if their songs work for the given brief. Additionally, it has further highlighted the elements I need to work on to ensure I am technically prepared for these roles, making it a useful tool to continue adding to.
For my first year out of university, I have set myself the goal to attend at least two dance classes per week. This will mainly be in jazz/musical theatre, with the intention of maintaining my technique and improving my pick up skills, in preparation for auditions. I recognise that currently my pick up ability is slower than average, which unaddressed will hinder my audition progress, particularly when it comes to shows such as wicked, that have a dance round first. To combat this, I will be attending challenging dance classes with professional choreographers at studios such as Pineapple in London (Pineapple, 2026), which offers a wide range of classes accessible to all abilities. This also ensures I can progress upwards to a harder class if I wish, meaning I am not just maintaining my skills but also developing them. This will help build my skill set in accordance with the current industry, while simultaneously networking and building relationships.
As many west end casting directors prefer to see performers with experience it is important to have good audition prep, to increase the likelihood of booking a job. In this first year I would like to be in pantomimes and smaller scale productions while I get to grips with the industry, providing me with a fantastic building block of experience. Therefore, being well equipped with dance classes and singing lessons, will ensure I stand a strong chance at having a successful audition. In turn, I hope that in years two and three I will start being seen for large scale shows, such as west end and touring companies. Therefore having my first year out of university focused on training and experience, will be vital if I ultimately want to be on the west end in five years time.
Lastly, when I cannot attend classes in London, I plan to go to MDP in Oxford (MPDA, 2023), where I will attend their intermediate musical theatre class as well as look into fitness sessions. It is important that, as well as technique, I keep up my stamina and fitness as some productions, particularly pantomimes, can have up to 14 shows a week (Salt, 2022). Thus, I need to be physically prepared for the demands of the industry.
Networking and audition experience
In his Psychology Today article, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” Fredric Neuman highlights evidence of promotions and job offers being influenced by “recommendations by a powerful friend” and connections with people in positions of power (Neuman, 2014). This is very much reflected in the theatre industry, where actors are often called for auditions upon recommendation by agents and casting directors. Therefore, it’s important as a performer to meet as many people as possible and build industry relationships.
For me, the first step in this process was securing an agent and on the 22nd of April 2026, I signed with Callum Connolly (CCM, 2016). This was a significant milestone for me and has opened up many opportunities for auditions. It also gives me someone to turn to when I need advice about panels and material.
In addition to this, I attended my first professional audition for The Phantom of the Opera West End. During this process I was recalled for the role of Christine, which meant performing in front of Paul Wooller. Paul is the Head of Casting at Cameron Mackintosh Limited, where he casts major productions such as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Mary Poppins (CDG, 2025). Being in this room was an excellent start to my professional soprano career, as it meant networking with a powerful casting team. I quickly learned the importance of making a positive impression, since casting directors can work across many projects and may consider me for future productions. Thus, I aimed to show that I am keen, easy to work with and approachable, in the hope of being remembered and invited back for future casting calls.
Lastly, over the course of this module, there is one class that has particularly stuck with me, which focused on networking and branding. In this, we answered questions about who we were as performers, as well as given different examples of what networking can look like. Here I found that one of the best ways to network, is to connect on a personal level, for example, finding out someone’s interests and hobbies can help build rapport. During this class, Claire recommended we keep track of who we know by creating a spreadsheet. As seen in appendix 7, this document contains the person’s name, how I met them, key details and most importantly, their contact information. I have found this extremely useful, as I can look here before entering an audition room and find points to touch on outside that given circumstance, as well as contact professionals about projects they are currently working on.
Appendix 9
Professional Marketing
In our lecture on branding, we spoke about how to market ourselves on a professional level, with examples ranging from headshots, to voice and show reels. For me, as the soprano characters I wish to play are, due to the vocal quality, mostly based in historical time periods, see appendix 6, I chose to focus my acting reel in Edwardian times. As seen in appendix 8, this reel demonstrates how I can hold myself appropriately and speak in the fashion required. This choice was further reinforced when I attended a commercial casting master class with casting director Suzy Catliff, where she stated that my look blended into many time periods, as upper or lower class, making me a perfect choice for a period piece. As I knew this was something I wished to explore further, I planned my headshots in accordance to this casting type. For example, the particularly classically leaning shot seen in appendix 9, has already proved successful as I submitted it for my phantom audition and was called into the room purely based this photograph.
Lastly, I need to consider my social media presence. After evaluating my Instagram, I realise it needs updating and made relevant, as this is something casting directors will look at, I need to ensure I have more musical theatre content available to view. Therefore within my first year out of university, I aim to establish a more theatre specific social media page. This will include posts of dance and singing, as well as engagement with other performers online, to help establish a stronger presence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I plan to use my first few years out of university to save money, train and gain audition experience. Laying this foundation will allow me to establish connections and a presence within the industry, meaning by year three I am auditioning for London based shows. I hope that with successful show reels, singing lessons, dance classes and self reflection in auditions, I will begin to progress in recalls. As a result, by my fifth year out of university, I will be technically skilled, confident and experienced enough to book a job as a leading soprano on London’s west end, meaning I have achieved my ultimate goal and marking what I hope to be the beginning of a successful and rewarding career.
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