Casting New Female Star

[tammyy2j]

Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks has launched an online search for a new female star.

Hollyoaks production house Lime Pictures hope to discover the show's next Roxanne McKee (Louise Summers) as they invite female viewers aged 18-30 to send in audition clips in the hope of being cast as the programme's new 18 or 19-year-old student character, India.

The web-based audition process, titled 'Desperately Seeking', opens today and will entail downloading a short script, videoing a performance and uploading the audition to the official site. Videos can be uploaded from the beginning of next week.

Entries must be received by June 22 and a shortlist of the final 25 will be announced on June 25. Those chosen will be asked to attend an official audition at the Hollyoaks set during the week commencing June 29.

From the shortlist, 10 applicants will be seen by the show's new series producer Lucy Allan, before the final three appear on T4 when the winner will be announced on July 4.

The winning candidate is then expected to begin filming for the part straight away and will appear on screen from September.

Series producer Lucy Allan said of the project: "We are very excited about opening the audition process to a wider audience and hope to find that special raw talent that we found in Roxanne and Marcus in the 'On The Pull' series."

Former Hollyoaks star Roxanne McKee landed her role as Louise Summers after winning the 'On The Pull' competition in 2004.

[Perdita]

The final three open auditionees desperately seeking Hollyoaks fame have been unveiled, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

From the 1,700 applicants uploaded to the show's official website, 25 were invited to attend the soap's production house Lime Pictures in Liverpool.

The 24 who turned up were put through their paces in an intense day of script read-throughs and auditions for the role of new student India.

Current cast members Ricky Whittle (Calvin Valentine), Georgie Porter (Theresa McQueen) and Gemma Merna (Carmel Valentine) were all on-hand to help throughout the day.

Hollyoaks' casting and production departments had the tough task of whittling the original group down to nine, before knocking the smaller group to six and eventually announcing the finalists.

The final three facing an agonising wait until the weekend are Sophie Louise Craig, Brooke India Burfitt-Dons and Beth Kingston.

At the weekend, the trio will appear on T4, where the winning auditionee will be announced. Hollyoaks' new student will then be whisked back to Liverpool on the Monday, before starting to film her first scenes on the Wednesday.

Speaking of the Desperately Seeking search, series producer Lucy Allan said: "The Desperately Seeking competition has been a great success, giving us the opportunity to see a real mix of talent. The audition day itself was a long and tiring one for the girls but they all did brilliantly and any of our final three could be our India."

Producer Henry Swindell, added: "It's been a long couple of weeks. I've had a few sleepless nights as I watched every single video - all 1,700 of them - which meant that I had one night where I think I fell asleep at 4am! The videos showcased a massive breadth of the nation, in terms of quality and ability and likewise with the auditions… It's been really tough. We've had a really interesting bunch."

[Perdita]

Source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a163457/hollyoaks-unveils-new-student-india.html

Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks have unveiled the winner of their Desperately Seeking competition.

Beth Kingston from Bournemouth was announced the victor of the open audition process live on T4 this morning and has won the role of the show's new lead female student, India.

Despite having only received the news this morning, Kingston was almost immediately handed her scripts in preparation to commence filming on Monday. She will make her screen debut in September.

Speaking to DS today, she said: "I was really excited and elated to get down to the last 25, never mind the last six, then three then go on to win. I've been bonding with the girls all week coordinating what we were going to wear on T4!

"I wasn't nervous up until the point we walked into the T4 studio and when they shouted my name out, I couldn't believe it. I was in pure shock. I can't wait to tell my family."

She added: "When I was told that I was starting filming with Hollyoaks tomorrow, I realised how quick a turnaround it is working on a soap! I'm just elated."

The 22-year-old faced competition from two other wannabe Hollyoaks stars - Sophie Louise Craig and Brooke India Burfitt-Dons.

EXCLUSIVE: Desperately Seeking finalist No.3 - Beth

Tuesday, June 30 2009, 16:44 BST

By Kris Green, Soaps Editor
Here's the third wannabe India. Don't forget, the winner will be announced this weekend on T4. Check on DS shortly after the announcement for the winner's article.

Name: Beth Kingston
Age: 22
Hometown: Bournemouth

What prompted you to audition?
"I love Hollyoaks and I want to be an actress, so it just made sense! It's the perfect job!"

Any previous acting experience?
"When I was younger, I did pantomimes and amateur things. I did a few bits of extra work, too. Then I did a history degree at Warwick, before going on to do a post-grad in TV and film acting, so I got a bit of experience out of that. I've done some student films and very low-budget things, so nothing as big as this!"

What have you learned about the character today?
"I've learned that she's more like me that I thought! She's really, really nice and she doesn't mean to be horrible to anyone, but she seems to say the wrong things. She comes across as being spoilt, too."

Out of the three of you, why should you win?
"That's a horrible question! I really, really want this. It's my dream. It sounds cliché, but it's true."

What's the competition been like?
"When I first walked in, everyone looked amazing! Everyone's been really, really nice. I thought there was going to be a competitive atmosphere, but there wasn't at all. Everyone just helped each other."

Most gruelling part of the day?
"The very end, I think. We did quite a few scenes with some of the cast. I left my script in the room they were filming in, so I couldn't learn my lines properly for the next! I was leaning over everyone's shoulders trying to read my lines! And I'm always the last one to be announced! I was the last to be announced for the top nine, then the last for the top three!"

What's been the highlight for you?
"Meeting all the lovely people at Lime Pictures. Before I arrived, I was talking to all of my friends, saying, 'I wonder if I'll catch a glimpse of the set or someone from the show?!'"

What was the funniest part of the day?
"I actually saw the set before I signed in because I got lost and walked on to the set by mistake. It was surreal. I bumped into Mr Roy [Anthony Bunsee] who was sat relaxing. I didn't know who it was at first because he had his sunglasses on. I was chatting to him for ages because I was lost!"

[Perdita]

Desperately Seeking Hollyoaks winner Beth Kingston has revealed that she has still not come to terms with landing a part on the Channel 4 soap.

The 22-year-old was announced at the winner of the open audition initiative live on T4 at the weekend.

Speaking of her whirlwind few days, she told DS at the launch of the Inside Soap Awards: "It's not sunk in yet at all - my feet haven't touched the ground. We just rushed off after T4 on Saturday for a few interviews, did Radio 1 yesterday and [was up north] today. It's just been mad."

She continued: "I start filming on Friday, but I go to the set on Wednesday and I think I spend some time with some of the other student characters so I can get to know them because I don't really know any other cast and get to see what it's like to be on set and what filming's like, so I feel a bit more at ease."

She added: "At the moment, I'm excited about everything. I just can't stop smiling."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a164138/new-hollyoaks-actress-in-shock-over-win.html