So You Want to Tread the Boards: The Everything-you-need-to-know, Insider's Guide to a Career in the Performing Arts [Paperback]

`This comprehensive volume contains a wealth of useful information...an essential read for beginners for many years to come'

Are you stuck on writing your personal statement for drama school? Ever wondered just what audition songs actually belong on that famous 'overdone' list? Can you just not get seen for those auditions? Or do you want to contact agents and casting directors but just don't know how to format a covering letter that won't simply land in the bin? This invaluable guide deals with all those questions - also asked by the established performer - that are seemingly impossible to find answers to. Full of insider tips and personal stories, this book is a must-have for anyone involved in the performing arts, offering advice on musical theatre, stage acting, film, television and all related issues. Covering an extensive variety of topics, ranging from living in London as an actor, temping to pay the bills, and where to turn after drama school training, it also includes comprehensive song lists and hundreds of essential internet links. Written from a performer's point of view, the book relates specifically to an entertainer's mindset and way of thinking, tackling practical and emotional concerns commonly faced by professionals in a user-friendly manner for all ages. This is a unique must-have book for anyone aspiring to a career in the performing arts. It offers an authentic first-hand account of the pitfalls and difficulties encountered in the pursuit of a career on stage. It is a practical, no-nonsense guide, packed with invaluable information. It is written from first-hand experience by a young actress and singer who's been there.

Jennifer Reischel graduated from the three-year musical theatre course at Mountview Academy in 2002. Her professional performance experience includes the UK tour of an evening with Gary Lineker, the Cole Porter musical Nymph Errant (Sadlers Wells), various musicals as part of the Cardiff International Musical Theatre festival, cabaret and jazz solo singing engagements at Lauderdale House, Pizza on the Park and in Singapore, as well as filming a television pilot at Pinewood Studios. Jennifer has also written for The Actors Yearbook 2008. She is still auditioning!