Many people think that acting is easy. That anyone could give it a go. This is actually true: anyone can give it a go and it is easy to be bad at acting.

To be a professional actor requires professional training.

Acting is one of the few professions in the world for which many believe that training isn’t required or can be done on the cheap.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let me put it this way: If you had to have brain surgery and you had the choice between a brain surgeon who had done a professional training or one who had been to a few classes and workshops, who would you choose?

Right, you want the professional guy! Of course you do because he/she is going to be better. They have more knowledge, expertise and techniques under their belt.

Okay, so now imagine a Casting Director who is casting a new BBC programme and they need to get actors who would be right for a particular part. Bear in mind that if they get it wrong, they may not get the next casting job.

They have a choice between someone who has professional Acting School training and one who has done a few acting classes and workshops.

Yes, the outcome is clear. So don’t delude yourself – you need to train professionally and anyone who says otherwise is quite clearly deluded.

So, often I have seen people try to cobble together an ad hoc acting training and fail miserably. The fact is, professional training will lead to better results.

However, training in itself is not enough. I have known actors who have been to the biggest drama schools in the country and do not succeed, and others who went to smaller schools and did succeed. So, why did this happen?

Well, an actor’s success is down to the individual once they get into the industry. The training is there to enable the actor – the rest is then down to their application.

Basically, an actor goes to continuous job interviews. Some they get, some they don’t. The reasons can vary but one thing is certain: the better trained you are and the more optimistic, the better your chances.

Don’t scrimp on your acting training. Get the best you can afford – and if you can’t afford it, save up. It will be worth it in the long run.

If you trained as an accountant, lawyer or brain surgeon you would expect to invest in that training to be the best you can be. The same should be true when you consider training to be a professional actor.

If you just want to do acting as a hobby then a few acting classes here and there is fine and enjoyable. That’s all you need to do. However, if you are serious about becoming a professional actor, then a whole different, more professional, approach is needed.

Getting into Acting School can be a tough business. There is a high demand for places so you need to be as prepared as possible.

I sit on the audition panel for my acting school and I have seen all sorts of auditions, from the brilliant to the proverbial car crash.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that drama schools don’t mind if you mess up, because they are looking for the best and it’s a competitive environment, as is the industry.

So, here are five tips to help you secure that elusive place at acting school:

1. Usually you are asked to perform a monologue. This is a short speech from a play or film. Make sure you pick something that you can shine in and that will suit you. Don’t make life difficult for the panel by picking something you would never be cast in. You can stretch your range during your training – but to start with, do something appropriate and do it well.

2. Read the whole play and know every detail about the character, including their full name. A panel may test your knowledge of the character or play to see how well you have prepared. Sometimes I ask for the full name of the character they are playing. You would be surprised how many people can’t answer that question.

3. When you perform, don’t look the audition panel in the eye. Look to the side or above them unless you are reading with them or directed to look at them. When you look them in the eye, you involve them in the acting process and they may be uncomfortable with that. They also want to be able to watch you – not be part of the action.

4. Do some research on the school and be able to talk about what they do. It’s not all about you, you know. Walk a mile in their shoes: what do they teach and how do they teach it? This shows you’re interested in them and have taken the time to do some research.

5. Don’t antagonize a panel by being smart or confrontational. This will get you dumped faster than you can say “Acting School audition”.

Professional audition technique is an art form. When you start auditioning for acting schools, they are not looking for the finished product but raw material and a great attitude they can work with.

I cannot stress how important your attitude is in this process. When I audition people, I am on high alert for any problem people. I spend a year with the students and it could be a long year if you let the negative people slip through the net. I am not alone in this; this is the way most agents and casting directors work. We are well versed in reading the signals of any potential problem people and they never see the light of day.

So, work on having a great attitude and the doors will start to swing open.