So, your child wants to be a professional actoR

As parents, we want the best for our children – plenty of good food, a loving home, comfy clothes and a career that will bring them happiness. And, if our children show a career interest early on in life, we do our best to support them.

But what if your child decides they want to be an actor? As adults, we know that acting is a challenging field to break into, especially in this day of reality TV and YouTube where non-talented people can become celebrities. 

But if your child is really keen, there is a way for them to learn all about the industry before they become adults, helping them decide if acting really is the career choice for them.

Youth theatre, like The Young Company (TYC), is a perfect place to introduce your child to the world of acting, although they have experienced a similar dramatic activity before they even started school through make-believe play.

With a young theatre group, children learn the different aspects of the acting spectrum such as getting into character, memorising lines, learning to speak clearly and performing on stage to a live audience, to name just a few of the industry skills they learn.

TYC is perfect for all ages. It provides a variety of programs from beginner to advanced for children and young adults from preschool age to 25 years old. It also has in-school and school-holiday programs, showcases young talent through productions throughout the year and even has a red-carpet awards night each year.

There are many world-famous actors like Colin Firth and Daniel Craig who showed an interest in acting at a young age, which led them to join a youth theatre (National Youth Theatre). Colin was just 10 years old when he started attending drama workshops before deciding to be a professional actor at just 14, while Daniel began acting in school plays at the age of six before and continued acting in high school performances. 

While your child may not become a famous actor like Colin and Daniel, they have a chance to get a taste of the acting world, perform with a professional youth theatre group in front of an audience and see if acting really is for them. If it is, you just never know - your child could be the next OO7!