JBR
@JBRAgent
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J or JBR. They/Them/He. Manager, Writer, Agent. Book now out from Nick Hern Books https://t.co/1Puj5cgSE1 Stay Connected, Stay Creative.
London, England
Joined September 2014
Look, Mum! I made it to the @NationalTheatre (bookshop)!!.Still find it hard to process this and still so grateful to @NickHernBooks for the opportunity.
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This is a photo of service dogs watching Billy Elliot The Musical as part of their training. Have a lovely Sunday.
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"If you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life - then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred". Statement from Daniel Radcliffe. ❤️
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Covid is so smart it can tell the difference between work gatherings and social gatherings. Quite amazing.
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Called a client with a direct offer for a West End lead yesterday. They’ve called and texted me so many times since to ask if it was a prank that I began to doubt it myself. Nope. It happened. One day you’re in your muggle job and one call can change everything. Believe.
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The Cecil Hotel ‘documentary’ is four hours that should have been 30 minutes.
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Didn’t realise how many people would like this when I posted it. For those asking here’s the full (delightful) story.
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Can’t wait to hear all the details of the government’s 50% off theatre tickets encouraging people back to theatres when they’re allowed to reopen. You’re definitely planning that, right @RishiSunak @OliverDowden?.
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Imagine you had the kind of clout where you could choose any project at all. Daniel Radcliffe has that kind of clout and he chooses to do musical theatre. I am feeling very emotional about this tonight.
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Struggling today. Anyone else finding it’s a one day up, one day down cycle?.
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I’m just an agent, sitting in front of a spreadsheet, asking you to pay your creatives on time.
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White Privilege in The Industry is knowing you can spout any dickfuckery about any subject regardless of insight and experience in the knowledge it will not affect your career in any way while Black, Asian and Minority creatives fear never working again if they say a word.
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Instead of repeating “it’s hard to make a living in the arts” as an unalterable or irrefutable fact we should be working to change that ideology. There is a LOT of money in our industry - we need to rework how it’s distributed and who we value within it.
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If you’re going into a drama school and telling undergrads who are starting their showcase prep that they will be past their sell by date within a year, or a failure if they don’t get signed - you are the problem.
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If Rishi knew anything at all about the arts he'd have known that responding to variations of "why don't you get a proper job" is actually part of our training.
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You’ll never persuade me that specifying “actors trained on accredited courses” isn’t elitist and exclusionary. I’ve worked with actors from accredited courses and actors from non-accredited courses and with actors who didn’t train traditionally. No difference.
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"I CANNOT ACCOMODATE PEOPLE WHO NEED LATE APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE OF DAYTIME JOBS".This annoys me on casting breakdowns. I don't know any actors who don't have daytime jobs that they need to take into account when arranging castings.
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I have a BA(Hons), an MA, a PGCE(Distinction) and 35 years of professional experience in my field. I don’t need to retrain, I just need a competent government that recognises the value of an already existing highly-skilled workforce.
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@hugomichaels @nickeardleybbc “Sorry to say but the GOVERNMENT has been mostly at fault for the second wave.”.Fixed it for you.
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August is a weird month, my head isn’t right until the 15th/16th are done. 16 years ago today I woke up in a basement, did some coke & drank a pint of vodka as per my daily routine. It was the last time I did that. If I hadn’t got sober I wouldn’t be here. Simple as that.
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There is NO shame in being a "returner" or a "latecomer" to The Industry. Come, go, come back, it's always going to be just as bloody hard. Be proud of the life experiences you've had and don't ever be ashamed that you took time out to pursue another interest or just to live.
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Saw a woman stop by a homeless man, bend over & speak to him. He started to sob and, sorry, I thought the worst, that he was being abused in some way, so I crossed to see if he was ok. She was repeating, quietly, over & over in his ear "you are somebody.". And now I'm sobbing.
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I’m tired of holding my nose and giving money and energy to the political party I hate the least, of compromising on my values. I’ve joined @BThroughParty and I look forward to working with them to shape a future I believe in.
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The Bill returning (albeit with a new name, Sun Hill) is a bloody brilliant idea. It gave so many actors a start in TV. We definitely need more episodic dramas that offer a high turnover of roles for actors to cut their teeth on.
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This government has not “saved theatre”. It has saved buildings. Theatre is not bricks and mortar. Theatre is you and me. We are theatre. Curtains fall, buildings crumble. Artists rise.
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I love client reactions to booking a big job. Silence. Tears. Laughter. Incredulity. Screams. Sometimes all of them. It's an absolute joy, and I just got to make that call three times.
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People often say "how come we don't make great working-class actors like we used to?" 'Cos they used to be able to sign on the dole while they pursued their acting careers.
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Being “fully committed” to your creative career doesn’t mean it has to be the only thing in your life. I’m fully committed to my dog, but that doesn’t mean I ignore my husband. Be fully committed to YOURSELF and ALL your passions.
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Waive the visas, not the flag.
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This isn’t just about respect, it really is also about protecting the mental health of the actors. To live one’s day to day life permanently in a heightened state of tension and stress is incredibly damaging, both mentally and physically.
Soapbox: Don’t leave actors hanging, casting directors – sometimes a ‘no’ is appreciated
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Five years ago today I started a new chapter as an agent. Today it's time to turn the page and start another story. Very happy to announce my new venture.
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Well done @BorisJohnson @RishiSunak @OliverDowden - the collapse of the cultural industry happened on YOUR watch. The envy of the world, a world class BILLION pound industry and you oversaw its ruin. Congratulations.
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Thank you to everyone who got in contact with me via email and messenger and phone and told me to keep going, I very nearly gave up. Thank you everyone who signed my petition. And thank you @SpotlightUK.
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It took a while but we have finally found someone unskilled working in the arts - step forward @OliverDowden.
Culture Secretary: "We have had to stall" plans for reopening venues further
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I really can't imagine why so many white people are so intent on tearing down Meghan Markle? What on earth could all these white people be finding so disturbing? I can't possibly think. #SarahVine #PiersMorgan.
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Perhaps @SpotlightUK would like to stop ignoring me and the many paying members who are asking about a freeze in subscriptions. You are a JOBS BOARD. There are no jobs. You are your membership. Respond to them.
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I hate it when you buy ‘Ripe And Ready’ avocados and they turn out to be neither ripe nor ready and now I can’t have breakfast and I’ll never have the deposit for a house.
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Be. Patient. No-one is racing ahead of you. You are not falling behind. This is your journey and you travel at your pace. It all comes when it comes.
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Telling someone they're going to be making their West End debut will NEVER get old or boring. Love my job.
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Just because someone says they are a Casting Director in their profile IT DOESN’T mean they are. Please be careful. PLEASE do your research. Ask people you trust, check IMDb, the CDG. Don’t send personal details, PARTICULARLY if you’re a minor. Some very dodgy people out there.
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Representation doesn’t just happen. Inclusion doesn’t just happen. It has to be an active, conscious, prioritised choice.
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My husband of 3 years, partner of 11, inspiration always, lover eternally, best friend forever, is 32 today. In the post we received a signed contract with a theatre to produce his musical, @WickerMusical. We might just go back to bed because today cannot get any better.
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I've been reading @BritishVogue since the '80s. Under @Edward_Enninful I've fallen back in love with it and the 2019 September issue is absolutely superb with exceptionally detailed work from HRH The Duchess of Sussex; inspiring, thought-provoking and uplifting.
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The first name to spring to mind when I think of who “led the charge” to bring audiences back to the West End is Nica Burns.
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You get up, you go again. That's basically the secret; just keep getting up and going again. I know it can be a struggle, I know it feels like one step forward two steps back but we just keep going inch by inch by inch.
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I shall probably regret this - but who’s got a Musical Theatre tattoo?. Around my right wrist I have “I chose and my world was shaken, so what?” tattooed in cursive script. Anyone else got one?.
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The cast of a show are ALL essential, talented performers. An understudy is NOT second best, the Ensemble are not an afterthought. Every single, individual performance is enriched and improved by everyone else. Theatre is collaboration. Everyone is essential.
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I'm bad at promoting myself, I get embarrassed by compliments, I don't retweet personal praise - but today is the official publication day of my book and I spent a lot of time on it and I've had some fantastic comments on it. So, here's a link to it.
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Your first audition back might feel weird. You might be anxious or feel you've forgotten how to audition. It's like going out for the first time after you've been ill -you'll feel wobbly & uncertain to begin with. We've been through a trauma, allow yourself time to heal.
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From March 6th. A Self Rep Service for unrepresented actors on Spotlight who want direct FREE access to an agent. Sign up by sending your Spotlight link to selfrepsat@jbragent.com. 40 minute Zoom Q&A every Saturday from 10am. Self Rep shouldn't mean left out of the loop.
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@BritishDems Tell us you’ve never read a book without telling us you’ve never read a book. 😂😂😂😂.
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I thought I’d be OK, I really did, I thought I’d be blasé about it, but you turn onto Shaftesbury Avenue and it HITS you; the lights, the energy, the excitement. I lost it for a second. Tonight, I’m at the theatre, in the West End. At Six. And it all feels like coming home.
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I reckon Boris is like an Aunt at Christmas who, when told that actors can’t work if theatres are closed, replies “Why don’t they just get a job on Eastenders?”.
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Could we stop suggesting regional theatres are mainly important as places where shows originate before coming to the West End? This idea that the WE is the be all and end all of theatre in the UK is not helpful.
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Ok, nude scenes in showreels should come with a warning. Although, I admire your balls. Ahem.
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I was today years old when I learned that 🤗 is “hug”. I thought (genuinely) it was “jazz hands”.
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Sunday in the Park, Pretty Woman, Dear Evan Hansen. I love it but we do make musicals here too you know.
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A 🧵.1) I don’t tell people to “stick it out” or “never give up on your dream”, I think it’s absolute bullshit. That aside, the current situation in the industry is terrifying. We have so many mid and early career creatives quitting. Ok, there’s a lot but we train loads of….
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A workman farted in the open air and said "Enjoy" to the person who heard it and now it is ALL kicking off in my local resident's Facebook group & the person is complaining to the local MP and demanding 'something must be done' and idk why I pay for Netflix cos this shit is FREE.
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Saw the prices for the Sondheim concert and I hope everyone has a lovely time.
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A non-alcoholic Buck’s Fizz to start the morning because I am 47 today.
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Having to chase a bloody drama school for work done more than TWO MONTHS ago is the absolute pits. Stop chatting shit about supporting mental health & make a commitment to paying your freelancers on time - that would actually be a practical step to support better mental health.
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I once climbed out of a third floor dressing room, shimmied across the outside wall to break into another dressing room during the Royal Variety Performance so I could let Tom Jones in because he had locked himself out wearing only a pair of Calvins and a mic belt.
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A little anniversary that almost passed me by - haven’t had a drink in 16 years. And if you’d known me before then you’d know how impossible this milestone seems to me.
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A film school emailing at midnight with a self-tape request for end of day today and a financial offer of £37.50/day filming. I’m too tired for this.
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When you’re just graduating, it’s hard, really hard, to imagine your career ten or twenty years down the line. Looking back over 34 years what strikes me is how all of us in the industry weave in and out of each other’s lives. We’re all on this weird journey together so be kind.
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If you want to do TIE or community theatre, or outdoor theatre then you go do it. And any agent who tells you it’s “the kiss of death” or “not proper theatre” - well, if I speak….
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This industry has so many ways of subtly shaming you, delicately degrading you, devaluing you. And we’re so used to it we just put up with it. We’re in an abusive relationship with the industry. No wonder there’s a mental health crisis.
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Reactions to Line of Duty finale from our industry are very telling. We want a bogeyman, one person we can blame, wrap it all up, job done, problem solved. What we don't want to face is systemic, institutionalised problems. Particularly pertinent for our industry right now.
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Randomly a client's mate happened to be filming them for a laugh the other day. He caught the EXACT moment I told them they were making their West End debut. Proper knees buckle, almost fainted. I can't even tell you how I felt watching that video. I wanted to burst with joy.
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We had five "no's" this week but finished up with one lovely "yes". Believe me that agents feel every no just as personally as you do.
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Tired of being asked “why stay in the arts if it’s so difficult?”. You know that feeling you get when you cry at a piece of music? When you can’t wait to watch another episode of TV show, or get excited about a film, lose yourself in a book, gasp at a painting?. That’s why.
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Actually, Cinderella isn't the first world premier of a new musical to open in this country since the pandemic. It isn't even the first world premier of a new musical to open in the West End since the pandemic.
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“There’s a theatre game called Zip Zap Boing. If you know it. I’m sorry”.😂😂😂.
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Actors of colour deserve more than the maid or the ensemble. That's not diversity, that's tokenism.
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It is my proudest achievement in the three years since I launched my own company that, even during the pandemic, we upheld our commitment to put back into the industry. We have, since launch, put a % of our gross income to support our clients creative development.
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I felt emotionally broken by @HamiltonMusical & then my cat climbed on my chest & used her paw to mop up a tear & now I’m totally destroyed & trying to explain to her why I’m crying & I don’t think she cares but if she could do something to help I’m sure she would SAVE THEATRE.
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There has GOT to be a better system than "pencil". I am SO sick of clients losing work in their day jobs because pencils don't get released. This system hasn't worked in years. Time to stop saying "that's how we've always done it" and come up with a better system.
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Twenty years ago I was being treated at a psychiatric unit and couldn't see any way forward. It gets better. And worse. And better again. Keep going.
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You know when we talk about diversity and representation in theatre we’re talking about creative teams too, right?.
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Helped myself to a small, gold-wrapped chocolate from the glass bowl on the counter to go with my latte. "Are you sure you want that?" asks waiter. The cheek!!!."Yes, I am ABSOLUTELY sure!". It was butter.
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Took myself off to the cinema for a solo date. I’m the only person in the screening. It is pitch black - I’ve genuinely never been in a cinema this dark. I’m about to watch Scream and I swear if this turns out to be an immersive event I am not going to be happy.
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During all this we talked about how our industry benefits the entire nation. We must now be prepared to make good on that. If we have been seen as elitist we must correct that. If we have been thought of as exclusive we must show we are not. We must be the change for ALL.
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Getting an offer for a second West End debut for a damn hard-working client has pretty much rounded out my 2019 better than I could ever have hoped for!.
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I feel very fucking emotional right now. It’s been a really rough few days. To everyone who supported me, publicly or privately, I’m very grateful.
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