Lights, camera, inaction... actors vent fury at 'self-tape' auditions

Actors seeking their next role are now routinely asked to "self-tape" their auditions, a practice that amounts to unpaid labour and reinforces elitism in the creative industries, the union Equity has warned.

- Dalya Alberge

Before the Covid lockdowns, self-tapes were a fallback for anyone unable to make an in-person casting - for example if they were working abroad. But during the pandemic they became the norm and have remained so ever since.

Actors are spending hours, even days, creating them, often paying for equipment or studios to film in and generally never hearing back.

A spokesperson for Equity, which described self-tapes as "unpaid labour", said: "This is reinforcing the class issue and elitism within the industry."