has anyone ......

[mollymandy]

hello my daughter would like to be in soaps , she is ten and i am worried she will be over worked or dissappointed , but she really wants to give it a try has anyone else , had any experience with this type of thing ... we live in leeds .. any clues on where to start or what to do ?

[Buenchico]

Unfortunately, your daughter's chances of getting a part in a soap are probably almost zero.

Casting is almost always done through stage schools. Additionally, most children used in these series have to live close to the studios. (There are strict rules which basically mean that the TV company have to be able to prove that the child is not missing out on any school work). Even a child who was the outstanding star at a drama school would probably have little chance of getting a part in a TV series unless they lived in London or Manchester.

Enrol your daughter in a local children's drama group by all means. But don't let her expect that it will lead to television stardom. (Actually, once your daughter has appeared in a live stage show and received the applause of the audience, she will probably come to realise what a load of rubbish most TV programmes. Hopefully she'll start to appreciate and love live theatre).

Chris