Casting assistant/ director
Casting means selecting the right actor for the part, as simple as that. It could also involve advertising and arranging auditions, sifting CVs and photos, seeing actors/ agents, and eventually choosing the performer (usually in conjunction with the director/ producer).
Alastair Coomer, 31, is deputy head of casting at the National Theatre. Originally from Cheshire, the English graduate took a postgraduate course in theatre directing, briefly worked as an actors’ agent and then got the job of casting assistant at the National.
He says the best thing about his job is the sheer variety of the plays that he helps to cast and the opportunity to work with the very best actors, writers and directors in the business. However, Alistair points out that the hours can be long and that on average he spends two to three nights a week at the theatre seeing actors.
