{"id":5937,"date":"2024-06-12T09:20:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T09:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=5937"},"modified":"2026-03-05T15:44:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:44:22","slug":"becoming-a-performer-in-ireland-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/becoming-a-performer-in-ireland-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Your Acting Career in Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A guide for aspiring performers about how to get into the acting industry in Ireland, the acting courses available and where to look for acting jobs.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ireland is renowned for its music and literature and is home to many gifted storytellers \u2013 it\u2019s no surprise a long line of talented actors hail from here. Liam Neeson, Jessie Buckley, and Ruth Negga are notable performers whose careers have extended to Hollywood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irish talent was front and centre at the 2024 Academy Awards, with Cillian Murphy taking home the Best Actor in a Leading Role award from his role in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oppenheimer<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Irish-made <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor Things <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">having a whopping 11 nominations and four wins. Irish actor Barry Keoghan has also seen plenty of success for his role in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saltburn <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after a previous year of nominations and wins for his role in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Banshees of Inisherin.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All this follows a record-breaking 14 nominations for Irish talent at the 2023 Academy Awards for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Banshees of Inisherin<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, its stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, feature film <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Quiet Girl <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(which was the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishpost.com\/entertainment\/honoured-beyond-words-the-quiet-girl-makes-history-as-first-ever-oscar-nominated-irish-language-film-246221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first ever Irish language film nominated for an Oscar<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), and Paul Mescal, who secured a surprise Best Actor nomination for independent film, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aftersun<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Belfast and Dublin boast a thriving arts scene and are great choices for actors. If you\u2019re living in Ireland or are thinking of moving here and want to establish an acting career in the Emerald Isle, this guide will cover what you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Actor Courses in Ireland<\/b><\/h3>\n<h4><b>Full-Time Training<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For full-time courses, the prestigious<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelir.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lir Academy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Dublin is a great option. They have various <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelir.ie\/courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">postgraduate, graduate and foundation courses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in their curriculum, as well as short courses in acting and voice. Recent Lir graduate Teddy Moore became the first ever Irish winner of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/spotlight\/spotlight-prize-2023-winners\/\">Spotlight Prize<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2023 for their stage performance of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Andre\u2019s Mother<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelir.ie\/courses\/bachelor-in-acting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three-year BA Acting course<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is part of Trinity College and has an association with RADA. Alumni include Paul Mescal, whose career has skyrocketed since his graduation in 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Gaiety School of Acting<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also based in Dublin \u2013 offers a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gaietyschool.com\/two-year-full-time-intensive-professional-actor-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two-year professional actor training course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and its Alumni include Aiden Turner, Olivia Wilde, and Colin Farrell, who dropped out upon winning his breakout role in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BBC<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> drama, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ballykissangel<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qub.ac.uk\/courses\/undergraduate\/drama-ba-w400\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The BA Drama course at Queen\u2019s University in Belfast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has a multidisciplinary approach and a specialism in Irish theatre. A lot of the teaching takes place at their on-campus Brian Friel Theatre.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tudublin.ie\/study\/undergraduate\/courses\/drama-performance-tu962\/#d.en.1439\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TUD (formerly DIT)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is on the rise,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and has a host of amazing graduates. They now offer a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Drama Performance, and have the new Black Box theatre space since moving to a brand new campus in the heart of Dublin City Centre.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bowstreet.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bow Street Academy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the National Screen Acting School of Ireland and hosts a fantastic range of workshops led by industry professionals, including auditions, self-taping, showreels, and an introduction to screen acting. It is also part of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bowstreet.ie\/aac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actor as Creator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which offers funding for actors making their own short films.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cork is the second largest city in Ireland and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucc.ie\/en\/ck112\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University College Cork<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers a Theatre and Performance course (BA Hons). The college has produced some great performers who have gone on to secure representation with top agents in the country.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Part-Time Training<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside their full-time programmes, The Gaiety School of Acting offers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gaietyschool.com\/part-time-adult-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a variety of part-time courses for adults<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the Lir Academy also runs <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelir.ie\/courses\/short-courses?gad=1&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4YPB15bX_wIVLSB7Ch13rQ4tEAAYASABEgLd1_D_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">short courses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/limetreetheatre.ie\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Belltable Hub<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Limerick focuses on contemporary theatre and offers masterclasses, workshops and Artists in Residence programmes to support theatre artists&#8217; professional development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lyric Theatre is a Belfast institution where many of Northern Ireland&#8217;s notable acting and writing talent started their careers, including the Lyric\u2019s patron Liam Neeson. The Lyric\u2019s 14-week <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lyrictheatre.co.uk\/creative-learning\/classes-workshops\/drama-studio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drama Studio course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is for 18-25-year-olds, and the workshops run on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Upon completion, students are invited to audition for their summer Drama Studio production. Many of these classes are in the evening and are a great way to brush up on your skills, meet people, and keep up to date with local castings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelir.ie\/courses\/short-courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lir Academy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also offers a variety of short courses for several age groups. They range from audition workshops, accent masterclasses and voice over.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What Acting Jobs Are There in Ireland?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A slew of fantastic Irish TV shows have been on in recent years, including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Derry Girls<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normal People<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Lights<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and production is not slowing down<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ireland is home to breathtaking scenery, so it\u2019s a popular film location for home and international projects like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bad Sisters <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wednesday<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Season 2, which is currently filming in Co.Wicklow. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screenireland.ie\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screen Ireland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a great way to keep up to date with the latest production news.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irish theatre is highly regarded worldwide with Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett being two of the most well-known Irish playwrights. Dublin boasts a thriving theatre scene, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatetheatre.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Gate Theatre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a hub for world theatre with many famous faces starting their careers on its stage \u2013 including Orson Welles, who made his professional debut in 1931.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.abbeytheatre.ie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Abbey Theatre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the National Theatre of Ireland, and <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/gaietytheatre.ie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Gaiety Theatre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hosts a varied schedule throughout the year. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.civictheatre.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Civic Theatre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is 45 minutes from the city centre and champions contemporary and international theatre. The annual <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fringefest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dublin Fringe Festival<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a 16-day event every September, with over 100 shows happening across 40 venues, so be sure <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to search for casting opportunities online and via social media well in advance. It\u2019s also a huge platform for all performers to showcase their talents in spoken word, comedy, drag performance, dance and so much more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.druid.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Druid Theatre Company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has been a major showcase for both classic Irish historical works of theatre, and as well for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.druid.ie\/artist-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">developing new and upcoming artists<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Most recently Irish actors had the opportunity to perform in New York as Druid presented their DruidO\u2019Casey Trilogy to an American audience.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/projectartscentre.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Project Arts Centre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a huge supporter in showcasing experimental and adventurous projects and supporting emerging theatre companies. It is also a home for touring productions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dublintheatrefestival.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dublin Theatre Festival<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> creates a lot of opportunities for actors and supports the careers of many first time theatre makers. The highly anticipated festival brings world class theatre to Dublin every year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antaibhdhearc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Taidhbhearc<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Galway is the centre of Irish Language theatre in Ireland that showcases projects from the Irish speaking community. Actors with Gaeilge should definitely get in touch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lyrictheatre.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lyric Theatre<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Belfast and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/l.facebook.com\/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.derryplayhouse.co.uk%2F&amp;h=AT10zvw7S3AmIzqbOHVpVpeo5RbiWHQ8LOGUT1bx-M3ivu5nFKb8fwW418dtUOD7Jkhof5Mbp3qo7m9W6-79iquzhswbezNwiBO1g6ki5STjYLUxK1PQmbFMQv3lqrXij_Mg5dFVWnTf2oRODTJp8A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Playhouse in Derry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are prominent theatres in Northern Ireland with both producing incredible pieces of theatre throughout the years. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/themaclive.com\/whats-on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mac Theatre Belfast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is another great venue for theatre in Northern Ireland as well as the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/big-telly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Big Telly Company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who endeavour to bring theatre to smaller communities in Northern Ireland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can find an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtheatre.ie\/venue-index.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interactive map of theatres in Ireland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Finding Auditions in Ireland<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Casting platforms like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotlight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are a fantastic tool to find auditions \u2013 whether you have an agent or are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/help-and-faqs\/faqs-for-unrepresented-performers-on-spotlight\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-represented<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We have a small team based in Dublin who have specialised local knowledge of the industry. If you\u2019re based in Ireland, you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/spotlight-launches-improved-location-options-for-members\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">add your location to your Spotlight profile<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and filter casting breakdowns for Irish projects in your jobs feed so you can find local projects. We also offer membership payment in euros and you can now pay by direct debit. Find out more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/join-us\/performers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotlight membership<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spotlight also offers workshops to its Irish members and in the past has done workshops on TV and film castings, musical theatre, scriptwriting and voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking to work in theatre, you may also want to look at The<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Abbey Theatre<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as they have a casting email on their website and welcome <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abbeytheatre.ie\/get-involved\/work-with-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">submissions for upcoming productions<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as well as invitations to attend actor&#8217;s productions. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Gaiety School of Acting<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lir Academy <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">both post castings directly onto the news section of their websites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some notable casting directors that work in Ireland include <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.louisekiely.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Louise Kiely Casting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carlastrongecasting.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carla Stronge Casting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/maureenhughescasting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maureen Hughes Casting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/rowancasting.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amy Rowan Casting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moisellecasting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moiselle Casting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you want to catch the eye of casting director Frank Moiselle, whose credits include <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Penny Dreadful<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikings, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">then <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">watch his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/penny-dreadful-casting-director-frank-moiselle-on-self-tapes\/\">self-tape musts<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is always worth following Irish casting directors on social media to keep up to date with their projects and any roles they may have available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Living in Ireland<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dublin is the most expensive city to live in Ireland, with higher rent and cost of living than the rest of the country \u2013 although cheaper accommodation is available on the outskirts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other cities actors could consider are Galway which <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lonely Planet<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ranked as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thejournal.ie\/galway-ireland-lonely-planet-4861264-Oct2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one of the best cities in the world<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or Ireland\u2019s second most populated cities, Cork or Belfast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ireland is a great place for actors to develop their careers, with fantastic training facilities and a close-knit industry to navigate. The country is renowned for producing quality theatre, TV and film and is a wonderful option for anyone wanting to establish their acting career in beautiful surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to launch your acting career in Ireland? <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/app.spotlight.com\/join-us\/performers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check out our performer memberships<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and see if you meet the criteria to join Spotlight.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>Take a look at our website for more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/\">industry news and acting advice<\/a>, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/getting-work\/how-to-get-an-agent-in-ireland\/\">how to get an agent in Ireland<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span class=\"imgLeftSmall\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image-replace hoverZoomLink\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/spotlightuk\/image\/fetch\/w_400,c_limit\/https:\/\/spotlight-cmsmedia.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/media\/3261\/sarah-ridgway-photo.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/spotlightuk\/image\/fetch\/w_{width},c_limit\/https:\/\/spotlight-cmsmedia.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/media\/3261\/sarah-ridgway-photo.jpg\" \/><\/span>Sarah Ridgway trained as an actor and has dabbled in stand-up comedy. Sarah is now a freelance writer, and her credits include Backstage and Actors Pro Expo; she is also passionate about empowering solo female travel.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Headshot credit: Sarah Ridgway<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A guide for aspiring performers about how to get into the acting industry in Ireland, the acting courses available and where to look for acting jobs. Ireland is renowned for its music and literature and is home to many gifted storytellers \u2013 it\u2019s no surprise a long line of talented actors hail from here. Liam [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":5939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[72,64,75,49,65,44,50,81],"class_list":["post-5937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-essentials","tag-auditions","tag-casting-directors","tag-drama-school","tag-film","tag-ireland","tag-starting-out","tag-television","tag-theatre"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Start Your Acting Career in Ireland | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to become an actor in Ireland, including acting courses, where to find acting jobs, and the cost of living in Dublin.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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