Audition Secrets

FIRST HAND Insights From Over 1000 Auditions Worldwide

Introducing ... Audition Secrets

Here's how to get ALL your AUDITION questions ANSWERED

DIRECT ACCESS to GENUINE industry insiders

Rehearsals for The Stripper with Richard O'Brien (Creator of the Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Welcome fellow performer!

I'm Emma ... a Brit now living in New York (via London's West End & the Hollywood Hills of L.A.) and after gaining INSIGHTS from over 1000 auditions worldwide it's time to pass on what I (& my contacts) learned the hard way

But hey ... for all you know I could be full of POOP, right?

So, before we go any further ... Let's bring out the Elephant hiding stage left & get those first BIG, inevitable & ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED questions out of the way, right up front shall we?

You know, all those ...

"What the hell have YOU ever done in showbusiness to be giving advice?"

... type questions

Have I ever been PAID to just dance? YES

Have I ever been PAID to just sing? YES

Have I ever been PAID to just act? YES

Have I ever been PAID to just model? YES

Ever been cast as LEAD in a well known West End production? YES

Ever been cast as LEAD in any Broadway / Los Angeles productions? YES

Ever toured as LEAD in well known productions? YES

Ever appeared in Feature Films? YES

Ever been in music videos? YES

Ever worked on Cruise ships? YES

Ever auditioned anyone yourself? YES

Have you ever TAUGHT dance? YES

Have you ever TAUGHT acting? YES

Have you ever TAUGHT singing? YES

Good for me, right? But let's dig into the err, less glamorous side of showbusiness ...

Have you ever bussed tables, tended bar, handed out seeds-in-a-mug outside a local Sainsburys & sold Ice Cream at the back of Starlight Express? YES

Have you ever 'got lucky' in the industry? YES (who hasn't?)

Have you ever been robbed of a role for which you were the obvious choice? YES (but again, who hasn't?)

All of that stuff ... and much, much more

My name is Emma-Jayne Appleyard & I've been where you likely are right now. I also started performing as a youngster at my local dance school in Leeds UK (see photos below) doing all the same 'routines' you've probably done!

Dance School show

School Drama production

Photos courtesy of Armley Dance School, Leeds, UK

That young girl you see above came to realise that talent alone won't get you where you want to be

The world is full of talented performers, but talent alone is simply NOT ENOUGH. You have to also be good at MARKETING your talent, selling yourself, in AUDITIONS

Industry Insight: Did you know that the entire process (from auditions to performance standards) for a production in Londons West End is FAR HARDER than any Broadway show will ever be?

Frank Sinatra sang this about New York ~

"If you can make it here you can make it anywhere"

... but I'm here to tell you, in my opinion, Londons West End is the REAL 'Proving Ground' that makes New Yorks' Broadway Shows a cake walk for UK performers!

CHICAGO The Musical

Album Cover Shoot

Commercial Work

Catalogue Work

Female Lead (Ulla) In
The Producers

Theatre Work

LA TV Pilot

Lead Role in The Stripper

Julien Macdonald Showcase

Cruise Ship Work

Fantasy Film Sequence (choreographed by Bruno Tonioli)

Cabaret In Asia

Cast Of The Producers
(With Peter Kay)

Carnegie Hall NYC

Red Carpet at a Film Festival

CHICAGO
With Alison Moyet

Typical questions you can get answered as a member of Audition Secrets™

I'm going to my FIRST EVER audition! What is your BEST advice?
If I want to follow in your footsteps, which college should you attend?
Do you have any tips that can shave YEARS off my journey, as you did?
Is Contemporary / Ballet the same as Commercial / Theatre?
Is it true there are only two ways to get an audition in London's West End?
What was the 'thing' you did at your first audition for CATS age 16?
Is it true auditions are more to do with ______ and ______ than raw talent?
Which colour combination should I only ever wear ... if I'm are told to?
I'm a dancer & my 'turn-out' not quite good enough ~ any tips?
I have an audition for a TV commercial. What should I expect?
Why do TV casting directors want to know insignificant things?
What are the BIG mistakes you see at Musical Theatre auditions?
What ARE the two things any audition pianist NEEDS to know ... ASAP!
Should I ALWAYS sing songs the casting people know well?
What were your experiences successfully auditioning for CHICAGO?
What were your experiences successfully auditioning for 'The Producers'?
I didn't get a job & genuinely don't understand why. What do YOU think the reason may have been?
I've landed a Cabaret run in Europe. What should I expect?
I dream of being a showgirl at the Lido or the Crazy Horse in Paris. What insights can you share to fire me up ... or turn me around?
How do I confirm if the company trying to hire me is 'reputable'?
I've been offered 'work' that is often sneered at, but it's PAID, constant & I think a great place to hone my craft. What do YOU think?
If I'm always struggling to 'make weight' what is your advice?
I want to get into Commercial modelling. How many agencies books can I be at any one time?
What kind of dance work is the most lucrative?
Who can I trust with my make-up when dancing in Movies?
Any advice for when the AD (Assistant Director) shouts "Action"?
If the audience are not the REAL 'paymasters' in a West End Musical, who is?
If I'm INJURED on stage, who pays for Physio?
Do headshot photographers take acting / musical AND commercial / modelling shots?
Is it ever OK to tell little porkies on my CV?
What is that book called that lists all the agents in the UK?
What fee is reasonable to pay an agent as a joining fee, or a website as a listing fee?
Under what exact circumstances should I consider paying to audition?
How do I know if my agent has put me up for a job?
And 1000 other questions you haven't thought to ask ... YET

Phew! Let's take a break

OK, time for a few FAQ about Audition Secrets™

Q. In a nutshell, what is the main benefit of joining Audition Secrets?

A. Audition Secrets is UNIQUE. For 'chump change' you are acquiring a DIRECT PIPELINE to a genuine industry insider who has experienced of over 1000 auditions ... and all her contacts worldwide
I've been where you are, worried about what you worry about, understand your hopes, dreams, goals desires & of course fears ... & have lived in the trenches, travelling the world being PAID to perform (singing, dancing & acting) cast opposite & alongside recognised household names in the performing arts / entertainment industry, in Europe, Asia, London, L.A. & New York.
Oh, and if I can't answer your question, as mentioned I have direct access to a whole cabal of industry luminaries who likely can
Q. Why did you decide to use a PRIVATE Facebook Group to run the Audition Secrets membership?
A. Audition Secrets is an interactive membership program. To best serve everyone, you need to be able to post questions other members can see. I need to be able to post answers every member can see. We both need the option to send a 'private message' if the questions is personal

We need to be able to quickly & easily upload / download photos, upload / download video clips, upload / download documents & have all this updated in real time from anywhere you & I happen to be on the planet
Facebook Private Groups allow ALL that ... AND you already know how to do all that stuff on Facebook anyway, right? So unless & until it becomes a better option for everyone to move to another platform or private membership site, the current obvious choice is a Private Facebook Group due to the almost zero learning curve
Q. Why doesn't this show up on either a Google search or a Facebook search?

A. When you say 'this' do you mean this very page you're reading right now, or the PRIVATE Facebook group? Unless you type the exact www address of this very page into Google you won't ... and that is by design because ... we don't rely on organic search marketing & so don't optimise for it ...

You arrived at this page via an Ad or direct link, right?

As for Facebook search, Audition Secrets is a PRIVATE group. You have to be 'sent' via private link (or invited via THIS page) to join. Membership is 99% direct link / invitation / word of mouth only. If you're one of the lucky 1% who stumbled upon THIS page on your own .... congrats ... you got lucky!
Q. Is there a minimum term / commitment for my membership of Audition Secrets?
A. Nope. You can cancel (or just pause) your membership any time. We currently use Paypal subscriptions as our processor which means YOU are always in total control
Q. What if I have a question I feel sure has probably been asked before? Is there a search function ?
A. You CAN search the posts, but if you're like me, you won't. So Just ask again. We will have people who log in most days (or I'm doing a private critique for them ~ see below) others who will visit only when they have a question

Audition Secrets will become not only a 'moving feast' of knowledge to browse, but also a place where YOU can get YOUR question answered ASAP. I have no problem answering even basic questions as often as you have them, even if that's just a link to a fuller answer elsewhere

Q. I'm still young & have many questions that are very basic. Will people judge me for not knowing even the fundamentals?

A. You are the reason I wanted to launch this membership. YOU are why Audition Secrets exists
YOU will likely get most benefit from being part of my tribe. More experienced members will hopefully jump in with their take on your question, which I welcome, because .... no one has a monopoly on good ~~ideas~~ advice!
Honestly ... It's the people who think they know everything that can't be helped ;0)
Q. Do you offer a 'confidential' review, critique / Q&A service for a personal performance I might not want to post in the groups open forum?

A. Yes. For a modest fee I will personally & confidentially review any performance (on video or MP3) ~ returning my honest feedback usually within 48 hours
(I know what the people who will be judging you are looking for, so if I am brutally honest it's because they will also be brutally honest)

Q. Can we ask questions that are not directly related to 'Auditions'?

A. Oh Yes. Anything you may want to know about show business, or anything that's worrying you going forward {send me a DM if it's personal} or you've heard conflicting information about, or what to expect when working in/at/on/with XYZ country, theatre, cruise ship, agency etc

I can give you MY take, and / or ask the experience of others in the industry I have come to know & trust worldwide
Think of Audition Secrets as your personal 'one stop shop' for EXPERT show business advice that you simply can't get from friends, peers, Facebook etc

Honest (sometimes brutal) answers only those who have 'been there & done that' can ever know
No 'hearsay' no fluff & no filler ... which means if I don't know about something, or I'm not 100% I will say so, OK? (Then I will go away & find out!)

Soooo ~ how much is Full Membership to Audition Secrets™ ?

Our current offer is the best ever deal ...

Try Audition Secrets for just ... £1

Seriously

DON'T SAY YES NOW ... Just say 'maybe'

ONLY £1 (7day Trial)

After that, if Audition Secrets is right for you ... do nothing

Then it's only £5 p/w!

Cancel anytime!

Please note: We are still in Beta (pre launch) which is a fancy way of saying we need hyper-active 'charter' members to post questions and check for bugs & glitches & wotnot
(When I say 'we' I mean my web designer & I)

So if you can see this Blue box you can still get in for the £1 TRIAL then it's only £4 p/w IF you're OK engaging by posting frequently & so help us spot the odd gremlin {tell admin}

Once we have enough charter members &/or are happy all the bugs are gone, this box & pre launch discount will disappear

It's only £1! ... Let's get going!

Claim YOUR Trial Access To The Private 'Audition Secrets' Facebook Group for Only £1 ... & after that it's still only £4 Per Week! (Paid Monthly)

YES! Enrol me In the private Audition Secrets Group

Secure payments through paypal...

Pssst ... Remember, there is NO minimum membership term. You are ALWAYS in control. Cancel anytime via YOUR Paypal

My name is Emma-Jayne Appleyard & I've been where you likely are right now. I also started performing as a youngster at my local dance school in Leeds UK (see photos below) doing all the same 'routines' you've probably done!

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