Full name/age/job title

John Manning/31/Assistant Producer and Casting Director for a commercial theatre producer

What do people think you do in your job and what is it you actually do?

The definition of producing can vary from show to show and company to company. It can mean anything from purely finding the money to put a production on to conceiving the production from start to finish; finding the script, the director, the cast and then looking after the show when it's up and running. I think there's a perception that producing is first night parties and lunch at the Ivy and there is a limited amount of that, but there are an awful lot of nuts and bolts that need to be fitted for a show to have legs.

Our main show is currently The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre, which I've been working on since it opened three years ago. Today I've been sourcing a T-shirt printer to get T-shirts made for our street distributors, contacting other shows to see if they'd like to advertise in our programme, talking to a regional theatre about launching our second UK tour and emailing a Japanese producer who is staging a replica production in January. There's a bit of everything. We have two other shows touring, another opening in September and three more in development. It's a busy time.

On a casting level, I'm surprised by how many people don't quite understand what a Casting Director does. It's exactly what it says on the label. I work with directors helping them to assemble a team of actors for a show. There's the administrative and logistics side; calling agents, sending out scripts, setting up auditions, putting in offers, negotiating money, issuing contracts. And the more creative side; suggesting actors for roles, seeing a lot of theatre, going to drama schools. Again, people mistakenly think it's about meeting celebrities. I do occasionally get asked "have you cast anyone famous?." If I'm on a first date, I know that's a bad sign.

Guide us through how you got to your current profession

I did an English degree at Birmingham University. I knew when I left I wanted to work in the theatre but wasn't quite sure in exactly what capacity or how I might achieve this. I guess I was slightly naïve too because I hoped that by getting a good degree and doing a lot of theatre at university it would mean I would be able to get a foot in the door quite easily, but things were incredibly slow to start off. I spent a year after uni applying for jobs advertised in the Media Guardian and getting nowhere. It was a very frustrating time because I was so hungry to work and I just wasn't getting any interviews.

I did some voluntary work for Birmingham Arts Fest, some work experience on the Arts section of a local paper, then a three month intensive computer course, so I could have something concrete to put on application forms when they asked if I had IT skills. By this time, even though I was living at home, I was strapped for cash so I had to do some temping - filing housing benefit forms for the local council for four months - which was dull and depressing. I began to think my degree had been a waste of time and money. Over the course of a year I applied for more than eighty jobs and only had two interviews. One was as Marketing/Admin Assistant at Regent's Park, the other as Marketing/Admin Assistant at Salisbury Playhouse. The latter I got - but it took me over a year to get it.

My job at Salisbury was doing a bit of everything - they wanted someone who would just get stuck in. I worked both in the marketing department in a team of three and as assistant to the Artistic Director, which involved helping with the legwork behind casting. The casting side of the job just started to grow - I guess because there wasn't a resident Casting Director, I just took on more and more responsibility. I was starting to see a heck of a lot of theatre and suggest people for parts.

After eighteen months, I became Casting/Literary Co-ordinator, replacing the marketing side of the job with developing new work and taking the casting side to the next level. I was there for four years in all. It was a great training ground. However, in retrospect, I could maybe have left after three years rather than four. I was a big fish in a small pond and I think there can sometimes be a bit of prejudice from the London theatre scene about regional work - they don't always take you very seriously.

I then went freelance as a Casting Director for nine months. Financially it was tough but it was good to spread my wings and to work with some theatres other than Salisbury. I knew it was only a temporary step so I could handle the financial hardship for a bit. I then went to the RSC as Casting Co-ordinator on The Complete Works Festival which was a big personal achievement for me as I had always wanted to work there having gone to see shows at Stratford as a teenager and a student. It was great to work in a casting department rather than by myself and the perfect time to be there with so much excitement around the festival but it was only for a seven month contract so, after I'd done my bit, I was back to freelancing.

While working at the RSC, I realised that I missed working within a company. Freelancing has a great freedom to it but it can get lonely and the erratic workload - busy one week, twiddling thumbs the next - got tiresome. So I applied for my current job with a commercial theatre producer which I saw advertised in The Stage. It's been good because I've been able to use my literary, marketing and casting experience as well as learn new areas of the business, like the financial side; distributing royalties, contacting investors, preparing budgets. The company is quite small so I now feel I've become an important cog in the works. The casting side of my role was never in the initial job description but it seemed to make sense for me to do it because that's my background. I've also continued to do freelance work when I have time. Most recently I've cast the tour of An Inspector Calls.

Would you describe yourself as creative?

I would definitely describe myself as creative but I'd say only 30% of my job could be described as that. There can be a lot of paperwork. I guess the creative side is suggesting actors for projects, developing scripts and there is a certain amount of creativity that comes in marketing a show - having input into poster design, writing copy, ad campaigns etc. I think an ideal job for me would be 75% creative but that's just not realistic. No job is 100% creative. Even actors have to do their tax bills at the end of the day.

What are your future plans and dreams? What would help you fulfill these dreams?

I've found it hard to plan my career so I no longer have a master plan, but I've now passed the 30 mark so money has become more of a priority than it was even two or three years ago. It's no longer about just doing a good job. I want to get paid well enough for it too which is notoriously difficult in the arts. I'm not sure where the next move will be. I'd like to lead a show from the off and I think there might be the opportunity to do that in my current job. I think I've proved I know what I'm talking about so it's now just a question of finding the right project.

What advice would you give to young people trying to break into the industry?

It can be very difficult. I think particularly in the arts, the old adage of "it's not what you know but who" is as true as ever. I am often meeting people who got their first jobs because their parents knew someone or some friend of a friend tipped them off about a vacancy, which is a real downside of the industry. There's always the argument that "if I wasn't any good, they wouldn't keep me" which I guess is true but it can be impossible to get anyone to give you the opportunity in the first place. Placing an advert in the Guardian can be expensive and so companies quite often give jobs to people who they already know to bypass the expense. I still hear of people being appointed in jobs that I've never seen advertised.

How can you put yourself up for a job if you don't even know it's going? (That line will come back to haunt me as it's often a criticism leveled at casting directors). I guess you have to be persistent without being desperate and if one door isn't being opened to you, you must try another. It's worth writing speculative letters. Even if a company doesn't respond they might put you in a drawer and dig you out when they are next recruiting. You may want to offer your services for free but you mustn't let yourself get walked over. I know of people who've worked for companies for months and months without being paid and I think the current vogue for internships from the US can be an excuse for free labour. They are absolutely worth doing for a limited time but who can afford to work for nothing ad infinitum unless you have a private income?

Having said that, I have been surprised at the number of people who I see being given opportunities who don't  take them. You may have to do some really boring crap but that's a part of any job and you're unlikely to walk out of university into some amazing position which you'll find utterly fulfilling. If you stuff envelopes and photocopy for a year in the industry you want to work in, it's better than stuffing envelopes and photocopying for a year in an industry you don't. Don't be too grand to make the tea. Three months down the line you can say to your boss "I've noticed there's a pile of scripts amassing on your desk. Would you like me to take a couple home, read them and summarise them for you?" If you're quick at your work, you can get through the menial tasks in three quarters of the day. Then you'll have time to take on stuff with more responsibility.

Name five people/organisations/websites/resources that you find useful which would be beneficial to those wanting to follow in your footsteps.

Artsjobs.com - not really around when I first started but I have used it recently to recruit and it seems to have some good jobs on it

Whatsonstage.com - if you want to work in the theatre, you must have your finger on the pulse. I have no time for people who haven't a clue what's going on and this website is pretty comprehensive at posting up-to-the-minute news

Lastminute.com - another of my bugbears is people who want to work in the theatre but never go. "What have you seen recently?" is always one of the first questions I ask at interview. You would be surprised at the number of people who haven't seen anything within the last few months. There excuse seems to always be "it's too expensive" which I admit is sometimes the case, but there are places you can get cheaper tickets like lastminute.com or audience club which I've recently become aware of, whereby you pay a yearly fee and they offer you very cheap tickets.

The Stage Newspaper - good for both jobs and industry news. I always scan the weekly listings too so I have a good idea of who's been cast in what if I don't know already.

Spotlightcd.com - Spotlight is a brilliant directory which gives you details of pretty much every actor in the country as well as listing their agents and credits. It's invaluable for casting directors.