I am Andrea Watson, an actress, stand-up comedian, film producer, and screenwriter based in York. I am the founder and director of First Take Workshops, a supportive community of actors dedicated to developing their skills and pursuing their dreams.

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I started my journey as an actress at the age of 40 and quickly realized that there was a need for a safe and nurturing space for aspiring actors to learn and grow. That's how First Take Workshops was born in 2017. I wrote short scenes and plays for our small group of actors to practice on, which soon became short films for our first showreels. As our group grew, we began inviting industry professionals to teach us acting classes and how to audition.

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Since then, our community has expanded, and we have welcomed renowned casting directors such as Rick Laxton and Seth Mason, as well as directors and actor/director writers like Reece Dinsdale, Ian Puleston, Ruth Carney, and Ian Bevitt. We have also had the pleasure of working with agents like Alex Preistly, and renowned comedians such as Kate Smurthwaite have taught us stand-up comedy writing, while Jane Thornton has led acting classes for the theatre.

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Our workshops have received glowing feedback from our students, who appreciate the friendly and supportive atmosphere where they can make mistakes and grow within the classes.

 

As one of our students, Ray Castle, shared, "1st Take Workshops gave me the understanding that directors and casting directors are just as human and vulnerable as the rest of us. So there's nothing to be scared of! And the sessions have helped me get rid of my 'imposter syndrome.'"

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Our aim is to keep the workshops small in size so that our students can receive individual attention and work on their craft without getting lost in a large group. Our workshops tend to sell out quickly, but we repeat them regularly so that as many people as possible can benefit from our community.

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We are proud of all the actors and comedians who have passed through our doors and who have gone on to achieve success in their careers. We are committed to supporting each other's career development and training.

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If you want to be part of our workshops, join our mailing list to be the first to hear about our upcoming classes 24 hours before we launch them on social media.

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You can find out more about me and my work on my personal website at www.andrealouisewatson.co.uk.