Acting. What a very unusual thing to talk about in this chilly but bright autumn? Can you think of anything that has to do with acting? It’s taking a little bit of time I see, don’t worry, I’ll give you thirty seconds.

Thirty seconds later…

Looks like I’ll have to tell you: HALLOWEEN! Still confused? Well, Halloween is not a celebration of acting, I can tell you that for a fact. Even though you may not realise it, you do do some acting on this festive celebration. Maybe not all you do it, but who doesn’t like playing a few terrifying pranks on Halloween!? To play the best pranks, you’ve got to have some acting skills. Everyone has it inside them, I know it, they just don’t show it. If you’re not the most confident, acting in your room with the door closed may help. 

First of all, let’s talk about the most difficult part: not laughing. Oh, this always is a problem. I love acting, it’s my passion and I do it everyday by myself, to my parents or siblings, and I still can’t hold my laughter in. It might sound easy to not laugh, but it’s extremely hard. Even if it's a serious scene, laughing is sometimes just a need. Even some of the most famous actors have to take several takes because they’re not focused. For example, let’s talk about Ronald Weasley or Rupert Grint. Oh, you don’t want to know how many takes they had to do since he was laughing in every single one of them. 

Not to be rude, but your pranks for Halloween will not end up as well as you imagined if you don’t use your acting skills. For beginners, and even for advanced people, follow these 9 tips and you’ll be on your way to become a prank master:

1. 
   

    Get ready to have fun! Don’t be scared to look silly, because that’s what makes it so enjoyable. In simpler words: Be brave! Acting is always about taking risks, and doing this you won’t normally do. For those who despise maths, do drama! In drama/acting there is no right and wrong, but in maths, there is. 

   
   

2. 
   

   Learn your lines! Learning lines doesn’t always seem important. However, going on stage with your script in your hand doesn’t always look great. Once all the lines are learnt, you can relax and embrace the character you are playing. If you struggle with learning lines, this website will be a lot of help: https://www.thebridge-ttc.org/15-tips-for-learning-lines/

   
   

3. 
   

   Find out as much as you can about your character. Ask yourselves these questions: where do they live? What is their job? What do they do when they’re afraid? How do they laugh? What’s their favourite food? Ect.  Start to build up an image of their world, your character is a real person with a whole life.

   
   

4. 
   

   Acting is reacting. A phrase you’ve probably heard a bunch of times, but is one of, if not, the most important thing when starting out in acting. When you’re performing a scene you should never switch off, you should always be present and listening to your fellow actors when you aren’t talking. It’s a team sport!

   
   

5. 
   

   Go and watch as much theatre, movies and TV shows as possible! Seeing people  act can help you learn so much, and it’s really fun!

   
   

6. 
   

   Acting journal. I always keep an acting journal with me so I can note down things from a specific character from a play that I may be playing. Then I can also see how I’ve improved and grew through my journey. 

   
   

7. 
   

   Research. Can I be completely honest? I got a lot of my skills, advice and tips from my research. Hearing from other people, about what they do to help them, how they do it, can be massive help! I didn’t know any of this, until I started researching.

   
   

8. 
   

   Join an acting class. Classes? Doesn’t sound so fun, but it is great fun. You’re able to do performances, learn from other people, and most importantly: make many new friends. 

   
   

9. 
   

   Last but not least, ENJOY YOURSELF! Acting is about playing and giving yourself the freedom to explore new characters and other worlds. So have fun; your work will be better for it!

   
   

Let’s hope these 9 tips will help you, because they certainly helped me. Good luck on whatever you want to be in the future, actor/actress or not! Oh, and let me know if those pranks go well.