Coronation Street actor Joe Duttine 'auditions' TMC Acting students

Our Level 3 Performing Arts (Acting) students show off their skills during an exclusive acting workshop with the soap opera star.

Earlier this month, Joe Duttine swapped the cobbles of Coronation Street for City Campus Manchester to hold mock auditions and share some industry insights with our Acting students.

As part of the workshop the students were able to ask Joe, who currently plays Tim Metcalfe in the long running soap and previously starred in hit Channel 4 drama Shameless, about his experience and get some top tips for succeeding as a professional actor. 

Speaking about his visit Joe commented: "It's nice to experience how younger people are taught these days. I trained in a knackered old church. The facilities here are fantastic. I'm really impressed by it."

In addition to the Q&A session students also performed mock auditions, receiving feedback and guidance from Joe. Reflecting on the experience, Level 3 Performing Arts student Thomas said: "It helps give you an insight into the industry. If we're going to audition for drama schools, TV shows, films, or projects in the future, then we need to experience what it's like to be in an audition to understand what you actually go through." 

Thomas' fellow student Bhavita added: "I think this mock audition practice helped me to know my process of calming down before going into the audition room. I've learned how to break down a script, understand character relationships and how to develop a character."

Commenting on the session Performing Arts Tutor Donna Agg said: "This was such a valuable experience for the students. They asked Joe insightful questions such as how the industry has changed, how to work with agents and how to approach auditions. 

“It’s been a really valid and exciting day for them.” 

Watch our video above to learn more about Joe Duttine’s visit to The Manchester College.

Find out more about The Manchester College's Level 3 Performing Arts (Acting) course and apply today.

Transcript

Donna Agg, Performing Arts Tutor – Acting:
We've had a really exciting day because we've got Joe Duttine from Coronation Street come in and he's going to be auditioning them for a fictitious theatre company. He's going to be choosing six actors out of all of our actors. 

We started off with a Q&A, all the students have been able to ask Joe interesting questions about what it's like to be in the industry, how it's changed the industry from when he started off, questions about agents, auditioning, about being in a soap, what drama school was like, and just what it's like to be an actor. So, it's been a really, really valid, kind of interesting and worthwhile day for them. 

Joe Duttine, Professional Actor:
I work with younger people all the time and the industry's changed, and the way that we approach our job has changed and it's just nice to kind of get an experience of how younger people are taught these days. I trained in a knackered old church. This is fantastic, the facilities here, I'm really impressed by it. Yeah, I think it's great. 

There's always going to be stuff that's made and produced and we need young people. So, it's something that needs supporting. 

Thomas Chatterton, Performing Arts student – Acting, Year 2:
Learning from professionals and learning from your tutors, it's almost like a cheat code. Today we just did a mock audition, and I'm really proud of myself for actually signing up and performing in front of Joe. 

It helps give you an insight of what the industry is like. I mean, if we're going to audition for drama schools, or TV shows, or film, or projects in the future, then we're going to need that experience of what it's like to be in an audition and in front of a panel and to understand what you actually go through. 

Bhavita Pulamarasetti, Performing Arts student – Acting, Year 2:
Having these sessions with stars coming in helps us learn more about their journeys and what they have done and how we can approach things, you know, you never know where an opportunity can come from. 

I think having this mock audition practice really helps me to know my process of just calming down before going into the audition room. I've learned how to break down a script, how to understand character relationships, how to develop a character. 

So, I got into New York Film Academy and the course is Acting for Film. Most of the time we work on shooting. We make student films ourselves and I have a chance to do a thesis film and they also include a little bit of writing, directing on the course, so that everybody knows what other people on the set are doing. So you have a full understanding of the whole job. 

Joe Duttine, Professional Actor:
I think the best thing about being an actor is that you don't really know what's around the corner. So it can be forever evolving and forever changing. And as long as you're prepared to take the high with the lows, then it's exciting.