Full casting
Series, serials, single dramas and feature films, from leads to day players.
Services and process
For productions
I work with you from the first conversation about a script to the last signed contract.
What does CW Casting do for a production?
Development and pilots
Casting to help a project get commissioned, then carrying it into series. 9 of my credits began as original casting.
Open, street and regional searches
For parts that need someone specific to a place or a world. How those searches work.
Young performers
12 productions built around child and teen casts, with UK licensing rules and safeguarding understood from the start.
Comedy with weight
Comedy performers who can carry drama, and dramatic actors who can be light. Half of my credits are comedy or comedy drama.
Casting alongside your casting director
If you already have a casting director, I can cast the UK side with them. How we can work together.
Process
How does the casting process work?
- BriefWe talk through the script, the tone and what the broadcaster needs.
- SearchLists, availability checks and, where it helps, an open call.
- Tapes and auditionsIn the room where possible, on tape where not.
- RecallsChemistry reads, and shaping the ensemble so every character fills a different space.
- DecisionsPresenting choices to producers, directors and executives.
- Deals and contractsOffers, negotiation and paperwork.
How can we work together?
In one of two ways, wherever the production is based.
Lead casting director
I run the whole process from London: brief, search, tapes, recalls, decisions and deals.
Partner to your casting director
Your casting director leads. I find and tape the British cast, and handle UK availability, agents and contracts.
Auditions are held in the room where possible and on tape where not, so everyone making the decision sees the same material. How two casting directors share a production.
Credits include productions for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, PBS, Acorn TV and Focus Features. Which streamers and studios I have cast for.
Which shows came back for another series?
Changing Ends, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Detectorists, Alma's Not Normal, Here We Go, This Way Up, The Marlow Murder Club, Tell Me Everything, Avoidance, The Change, Two Doors Down, Cheaters, Hetty Feather, Obsession: Dark Desires and 13 more. See them all in the credit list.
Questions producers ask
How casting works, when to start and ways of working together.
What does a casting director do?
A casting director finds and proposes the actors for a film, series or play, and manages the process from the first brief to the signed contract. That means reading the script, drawing up lists, checking availability, running auditions and self-tapes, organising recalls and chemistry reads, presenting choices to the director, producers and broadcaster, and negotiating the deals.
When should a producer bring in a casting director?
As early as development. A casting director can help a project get commissioned by finding the right actors for a pilot or a pitch, and can help work out what a part needs before it is fixed on the page. 9 of the 110 credits on CW Casting's list began as original casting for a pilot or first series.
How do I hire a casting director in the UK?
Choose by credits, then send the script. Look for a casting director whose past work matches your tone and scale, using their credit list, the Casting Directors' Guild and IMDb. Approach them directly or through their agent, with the script or idea and your dates. Catherine Willis of CW Casting can be reached through the contact page or her agent, Independent Talent Group.
How does casting work in the UK?
Casting in the UK runs through one main platform, Spotlight, and through actors' agents. The casting director sends a breakdown, agents suggest clients, and actors audition in the room or on tape. The performers' union is Equity. Child performers are licensed by local councils. UK casting directors also use open calls and street casting to find new faces.
How do casting directors in different countries work together on a production?
In one of two ways. One casting director runs the whole process, or two share it: the lead casting director keeps the search as a whole, and a partner casts the roles in their own country. As the UK partner, CW Casting finds and tapes the British cast and handles UK availability, agents and contracts. Decisions are made over self-tapes and remote sessions.
Does casting British actors help a production qualify for UK tax relief?
Yes, a little. To claim the UK's Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit a film must pass the BFI cultural test, scoring at least 18 of 35 points, or be an official co-production. Two of those points depend on who is cast: one if a lead actor is a UK or EEA citizen or resident, and one if at least half the cast are. The credit itself follows where the money is spent, not the actors' nationality.
Can actors from overseas work on a production filming in the UK?
Yes. An actor who does not already have the right to work in the UK needs a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed UK sponsor, usually the production company. For work of three months or less, actors who do not normally need a visa to visit the UK can use the Creative Worker visa concession and enter without a visa. Everyone else applies for a Creative Worker visa, which lasts up to 12 months and costs £340.
What are the rules for casting child actors in the UK?
In England a child under school leaving age always needs a performance licence from their home local council to work on a film or television production. The production applies, and a council may refuse an application made less than 21 days before the work. The child must be supervised by a parent or a council-approved chaperone, and schooling continues at three hours per school day.