New to Australia -- Accents, Getting Started, Advice :)

Hi guys, I am new to Australia and not really sure where to turn, so any advice would be great! I'm living and working in Melbourne and would like to start getting involved in casual acting -- community theatre, amateur film, whatever really -- with a view toward developing skills to maybe eventually start auditioning for commercials/looking for an agent/etc. In other words, I'm a realist and I'm not quitting my day job any time soon :) But I've always loved acting (and have always been told I'm talented, for what it's worth, lol) -- and I'm looking at getting involved in theatre or film here in Melbourne, to see where it might lead. Specifically, I guess I'd like to know: 1) Would my North American accent be a big problem in getting roles here in Australia? i.e., would I have to start taking accent lessons or something to try and develop an Aussie accent? (Maybe this is a ridiculous question but I was concerned about it anyway!) 2) Would taking part-time or short classes be the best way to get started? If so, are there any that are more reputable than others in the Melbourne area? I looked at the full-year NIDA weekend course (The Actor, 18+) for Melbourne, and think I might like to audition for that, but it's a lot of money and I'm not sure if it's really worthwhile? 3) Is there a list of community theatres/university productions/etc. that hold open auditions in Melbourne? All of the ones I found on Google are quite outdated. 4) As far as film goes, are there any reputable websites that post openings for actors in student films/shorts/things of that nature? I have taken a look at the FAQs on this site but am not sure they are really Melbourne-specific, so any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys!

1) I'm a Canadian ex-pat, & often wonder if my accent holds me back, or if I should change it for a role. (I'd be interested in other people's thoughts on this as well). My Aussie accent is a bit worse than Meryl Streep's, although the folks back home think I sound very ocker. My Perth friends find that hilarious. Having said that, the last couple of plays I've been in, I have just used my "normal" voice (as did the rest of the cast) & I think it all turned out OK. The multicultural (dare I say multinational) world we now live in makes a big melange of dialects realistic anyway (at least for modern peices). I think this flexibility is a good thing for all of us. I am working on other dialects, have used them where appropriate & important for certain roles (big head start on various American types, of course, which comes in handy), but I have decided to stop pre-judging myself, do the best that I can in terms of being real and present in the scene, and just leave the casting decisions to the director. In short, the more flexible you are in terms of varying the way you can present yourself, be it physically or vocally, the more options you will have. No reason at all not to just get out there anyway! 3) This website is a great start, as I'm sure you're noticing. There are always auditions & student films posted, so keep an eye on the Auditions section. You can also put a profile on here if you register as a member, providing details about yourself & what kind of projects (paid or not) you are looking for. I can't comment on VIC classes (although I'm sure others can), but learning is never a bad thing! Ditto film sites - others will have to help with that. In the meantime, you can also join or create a script-reading group (which incidentally can be a great way to learn things & test out those accents amongst friends - and maybe coach them on some North American sounds while you're at it!) Best of luck with it! :-) L

Good suggestion, Joe - I'll give it a shot. Although weirdly, I was once cast in Brigadoon & then West Side Story - who would've thought that Scottish & Puerto Rican could have so many similar sounds!