Nathaniel Morrison wears many hats in the theatre world – actor, singer, dancer, artistic consultant, and patron for West End MT. He also runs the West End Gospel Choir and works as a vocal coach. Nathaniel is also an agent at Red Talent Management alongside head agent Rob Wilkinson. We sat down with him to talk about what he looks for in performers, how to land an agent, and the art of auditioning.
As an agent, how do you know someone is right to put forward for a particular role?
It’s often skill-set based – I think as an agent it’s important for you to try to get inside the mind of a casting director. It’s good to know your clients and have an understanding of what they’re capable of as well as their style, their vibe. That’s why it’s important to have good relationships with your clients, because then you’ll know if they’re right for a particular role. Every breakdown comes with a list of things that they’re looking for.
So say for instance, they’re looking for someone who can tap, someone who is comedic, has good comedy skills. Even if your client has got that written down in their profile on Spotlight, it’s good for you to know, and have first-hand experience of whether they’re actually hilarious or good with the comedy instead of just trusting what is on the profile. Sometimes people have things on their profile that they’ve not had chance to do for a while, so they might be a little bit dusty and they might feel a little bit unconfident. So that relationship and constant discussion with my client will let me know what their current skills are, and that’s how I know they’re right for a role.
When you’re in a panel situation and you see a performer, what are the green flags that immediately make you think you might want to meet with them?
Personality! Personality, vibe, energy. It’s personality and energy and obviously if a person that performs with every inch and ounce of their body. The energy, the passion—you can’t deny it! I think it’s safe to say that when we look at performers like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, whoever you admire as an artist, you know that they have what we might consider to be that je ne sais quoi, that extra special quality they have, that thing, that X Factor as some would call it.
So yeah, I’m always looking for someone that stands out, someone that gives you a really cool, interesting vibe, someone that captivates you, not only in their performance, but even in the way that they manage themselves and their personality.
Are there any red flags that you see in performers that make you think twice about signing them?
It’s important that when artists are presenting themselves on a professional level that they’re ready for the opportunity. If you’re not ready, it can be obvious. Confidence is one important aspect as if you don’t possess this for whatever reason -it’s then challenging to identify the fullness of their ability. Not only that, but I’m going to go back to personality again. If the personality isn’t great, then I’m going to wonder whether I should take my chance.
What if the performer IS ready, they’re just feeling under-confident?
I would try to help them identify the qualities that they are really good in, highlight those things and encouraging them to apply the confidence to work on the aspects that they’re challenged by so that they then shine in all areas. It just takes work, self-belief and practice.
It sounds really cliché, but you’d be surprised – if you really start buckling down, believe in yourself, focus on a positive attitude, meditate on those positive attributes and apply yourself in practice, then hey- the world’s your oyster!
What are the three things you recommend for everyone looking to get an agent?
First of all, I know this is so cliché again, but are you on Spotlight? Most agents, if not all agents use Spotlight and because of that it helps if you have a Spotlight profile set up. However, even if you’re not on Spotlight, it’s not the end of the world, agents can work with you.
Second thing is to make sure that again, you are ready. You’ve got to be ready because this is a very competitive industry and there’s a lot of challenges within it that you have to be resilient and ready for. So are you physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally ready? We know what that looks like.
Third, be ready for that professional relationship as well. Are you ready for a relationship with someone who’s going to be representing you, who’s going to be fighting to get you into those rooms? Who is going to be presenting you to the world, to the working world?
What is the most common mistake you’ve seen from an auditioning performer?
I call it dropping the ball, and that’s losing focus. Maybe imposter syndrome overcomes you and you’re like, “what am I doing?” I don’t like calling it a mistake, I’d rather call that an experience because it happens to the best of us. We just lose focus for a minute and all of a sudden we can’t concentrate, we can’t get the routine because we’re suddenly “in our heads”.
You can also lose focus in the sense that maybe you get chatty amongst people that you’re auditioning with, or you’re not paying attention to the directions that you’re given by the choreographer, director, teacher, whoever. It’s making sure that you are present and giving the situation your full attention.
If there was just one tip you could give for someone who’s going into an audition or trying to get the attention of an agent?
Be yourself and own all of what you have. There’s only one you, everybody else is taken, so what’s the point of you trying to be somebody else or something you’re not?
I also think there’s nothing wrong with being your own cheerleader. You don’t need to apologise for your skill set and for what you have going on for you.
Also, PMA—positive mental attitude. It’s in the fabric of language and conduct. How you speak will tell me whether you’re a positive type of person. That’s the kind of person that casting directors want to work with. Nobody wants a negative Nelly!
Keep it positive. Be yourself. Trust in what you have – and Fly!
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