""Treat people as you want to be treated""

Hometown
Leeds originally and still there though my work takes me all over the country and quite a lot in London

What do you do?
Self-employed casting director

How long have you been at it?
I was casting coordinator at The West Yorkshire Playhouse from 1996 until 2000 when I decided to go freelance

What was your very first role in theatre?
As a theatre attendant selling programmes!

What else have you done in theatre?
I took a variety of FOH (front of house) roles at The West Yorkshire Playhouse until I became the casting director’s assistant.

I think one of my FOH roles as receptionist/stage door keeper helped my people skills greatly and having contact with every department also showed me the roles and skills involved backstage.

This gave me an all round view of the career paths open to me and I dabbled in backstage work including ‘follow spotting’ until I found where my skills were best used – in casting.

Have you got qualifications?
I went to Intake Arts College (when it was still a comprehensive!) and so we specialised in drama and the arts so my O- & A-level results are predominantly arts based.

I studied at degree level but a full time job in theatre came up so I dropped out to pursue this, though I wouldn’t recommend this route–it just felt right for me at the time.

I still want to get a degree and I’m now studying with the Open University – I’m doing a religion degree, just for fun!

What did you do before you started working in theatre?
I started casting for television which initially was hard as some people think there can’t be a cross over from theatre to TV. I think this has changed now but I did have to prove myself. Recently I’ve been casting short films and a couple of feature films but I still enjoy theatre casting when I do it. It’s a different discipline.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Initially…an astronaut! Then I wanted to be an actor and just fell into casting, which I really enjoy.

What do you do all day?
Really varied and no day is the same. If I’m casting something it could mean a day in the office going through submissions and setting up auditions.

If I’m holding an audition session then it will mean preparing audition admin, setting up the audition room, meeting the director and then auditions.

If I’m not at audition stage for projects then I often spend days meeting actors for generals or there can be production and development meetings.

I also try to go to the theatre as much as I can – it’s vital to ensure you see as much new talent as you can.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Meeting such a variety of people and also helping actors develop. It can be really rewarding giving an actor their first job.

And the worst?
Telling someone they haven’t got the part – though this is usually through the agent, it’s still hard. I do try to give feedback though so it’s a ‘positive no’.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
At some point I would like to set up some kind of training programme in the north for actors and also to show people wanting to enter the industry the alternative careers such as stage-management, lighting, costume design etc and offer training and support for them.

Apart from that just working with genuine, passionate people.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
To watch and experience as much theatre as you can, build up your knowledge of actors and what makes a good performance. A good casting director can recognise that special spark of potential if it’s there even in a bad performance.

Also to treat people as you want to be treated. Treat the actors you audition and come into contact with with respect. Auditions are nerve wracking for everyone so putting the actor at their ease is paramount and makes for a better audition.

Jo’s company Northern Spirit Creative