What Next?

The course ends in a week and discussion in our group naturally turns to what we do next. The problem is, there doesn't seem to be a clear path forward. Should we take lots more courses, spending money that we don't necessarily have? Even if we had the money, how many of these courses would be taking us forward and how many would simply take us the same ground as we had covered before? And would we know the difference between the courses before handing over our cash?

We exchange names of schools we have heard of or attended or known others who attend. The Actors' Centre seems to have the best reputation. The Bridge School next. But it seems there are dozens in London alone. Milt the Builder says the situation reminds him of his own trade - there are always plenty of people willing to take your money to teach you something - far more than people willing to pay you for doing something you have learnt. He himself is torn between doing a full-time course and going straight into auditions. Most of us, on the other hand, have to balance full-time jobs with developing an acting career - a task that may be impossible.

From there the discussion moves inevitably on to whether to work for free. Whether we know from hearsay or personal experience, none of us is surprised - although several of us are shocked - by the number of producers profiting from desperate actors who'll do anything to appear on stage or in front of the camera, even paying for their own travel and other expenses. Would I do it? Yes, occasionally, if I felt it was merited by the script -  of course it's more likely that I would not even get so far as being offered a part.

Reality is making itself felt. At the back of my mind I've always believed that one can either act or not act - and those who can act need only experience and self-awareness to develop the talent within them. If a role demands a special skill, such as fencing, then you either study that skill when offered the role, or you study the skill hoping to find a role that it needs. As a 59-year-old whose emotional and intellectual life has been wide and varied, I'm egoistical enough to consider I have the understanding and ability to portray a wide range of characters - and as 59-year-old I don't want to spend the next two to three years of my life, plus thousands of pounds that I cannot afford, doing training after training after training.

Of course I will do a few more classes. But I have a limited budget of £1,000 to spend on further training and £500 to put together headshots and voicereels and a website. Give me two months to put together a profile and I'll put myself out there online and in person. In the meantime I'll scout around for courses - I'm particularly interested in the £5 a lesson offered in this week's The Stage (see pic) - see what I come up with. By the end of the year, I'll know how difficult it really is for hope and egosim to overcome lack of experience in an overcrowded job market . . .