In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenplay, or teleplay. This process may be used for a motion picture, television program, documentary film, music video, play, or advertisement, intended for an audience.
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background. War films and epic films often employ background actors in large numbers: some films have featured hundreds or even thousands of paid background actors as cast members. Likewise, grand opera can involve many background actors appearing in spectacular productions.
Arthur Wood was an English composer and conductor, particularly famous for "Barwick Green", the signature theme for the BBC Radio 4 series The Archers.
Colin Bennett is an English actor. His television roles have included "Mr Bennett", the accident prone caretaker for Tony Hart in the BBC children's programmes Take Hart (1977–1983) and Hartbeat (1984–1989). He also portrayed the father in the 1985 Yellow Pages/Hornby advert Signal Box - although only in a later edit in which he thanked the son for his present.
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Since leaving EastEnders in January 2018, Fitzgerald has developed her acting career on the stage and in movies.
Spotlight is the largest casting resource in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1927, it has over 70,000 actors, actresses, presenters, dancers, and stunt performers in its database. It is used by thousands of production companies, broadcasters, advertisement agencies, and casting directors. Clients range from large organisations such as the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 to smaller production companies. Its website features a public "Contacts Listings" section, which lists a variety of professionals which provide services to the entertainment industry.
Dakota Blue Richards is an English actress. Her film debut at the age of 13 was in The Golden Compass, as the lead character Lyra Belacqua. Other lead roles include the wayward teenager April in Dustbin Baby and Maria in the 2009 film The Secret of Moonacre. In 2011 she played Franky Fitzgerald in the third generation cast of British teen drama Skins. She has also played roles in television, film and on stage.
Tom Burke is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Athos in the 2014–2016 BBC series The Musketeers, Dolokhov in the 2016 BBC literary-adaptation miniseries War & Peace, the eponymous character Cormoran Strike in the BBC series Strike and Orson Welles in the 2020 film Mank.
Harriet Jane Morahan is an English actress. Her roles include Sister Clara in The Golden Compass (2007), Gale Benson in The Bank Job (2008), Alice in The Bletchley Circle (2012–2014), Ann in Mr. Holmes (2015), Rose Coyne in My Mother and Other Strangers (2016), and Agathe/The Enchantress in Beauty and the Beast (2017).
Ralph David Blumenfeld was an American-born journalist, writer and newspaper editor who is chiefly notable for having been in charge of the British newspaper Daily Express from 1902 to 1932.
Sara Crowe is a Scottish film and stage actress who mainly plays comedy roles.
Nicholas Shaw is an English actor. He attended McAuley Catholic High School in Doncaster. He then attended the Drama Centre London and graduated in 2004.
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece given to the performer at the audition or shortly before. In some cases, such as with a model or acrobat, the individual may be asked to demonstrate a range of professional skills. Actors may be asked to present a monologue. Singers will perform a song in a popular music context or an aria in a Classical context. A dancer will present a routine in a specific style, such as ballet, tap dance or hip-hop, or show his or her ability to quickly learn a choreographed dance piece.
Renu Setna is a British actor. His roles on television include the shopkeeper Mr. Kittel in In Sickness and in Health. and Only Fools and Horses as Mr. Ram
Viva Forever! is a jukebox musical based on the songs of the British girl group the Spice Girls. It was written by Jennifer Saunders, produced by Judy Craymer and directed by Paul Garrington.
Matt Henry is a Laurence Olivier Award-winning British singer and actor.
Sarah Earnshaw is a British actress known for her work in musical theatre.
Vivian Nneka O. Oparah is a British actress and musician. She is known for her work in theatre, earning an Off West End Award nomination, and her roles in the BBC Three Doctor Who spin-off Class (2016) and the film Rye Lane (2023), the latter of which earned her two British Independent Film Award nominations.
Joseph Anthony Kloska is an English actor. He began his career in radio, moving on to work in television, theatre, and film.
Emily Courtier-Dutton became Mrs Charles L. Carson and appeared as Kittie Claremont was a British actor and theatrical philanthropist.
