SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?...

A little part of me dies when I'm asked this question.

Most of the time it happens at networking or business-driven events, so I should hardly be surprised. There is an easy way out, but I refuse to provide an answer that starts with these 3 words - "I help people...[insert something overly dramatic]". That's for Doctors, Surf Lifesavers and volunteers handing out cups of water at the "Round The Bays" fun run. It would be far more honest to say "People pay me to...[insert something overly dramatic]". I also have no desire to sound like ChatGPT in Human Form.

Yep, I bloody hate labels but that’s only because I don't have one. Like Lamborghini's.

Below is the first Cover Letter I ever wrote. I was 48. It was written before I went and got my Masters In Technological Futures (to prove I was still capable of learning). Before I loaded up on Agile and other Micro-Credentials, (you know, to make me sound more "business-y"). Just me, Matthew Cutts, Ex-Actor, applying for a new job in a new field in a new country, trying my best to demonstrate that a stage career gave me a sh*tload of transferrable skills

One and a Half pages of text simply because I couldn't find the right "Label".

I dug up the Cover Letter 2 weeks ago while preparing a workshop I'd been asked to deliver. The Workshop was for students studying Organisational Resilience - a term I'd never heard previously, so, of course I looked it up...

I shall now insert (another) picture of a man with his head exploding...

F*ck!!! Organisational Resilience described in 2 words, nearly everything I have EVER wanted to say about a career in theatre. You see, Theatre doesn't do jargon. We simply say "The Show Must Go On". That's not some pithy, little catchphrase - it is Personal, Organisational, and Operational Resilience rolled into a hard, non-negotiable fact. "The Show Must Go On". Resilience is the very first requirement on the Theatre Job Description. It comes well before Talent, that's for bloody sure!

I'm actually pretty proud of this Cover Letter, despite the fact that no-one probably read it!

I have however made one small edit. Right at the end.

A Job Title.

And the great news is, it's a label that works for what I do now and what I did then.

The stage may've changed but the Job Title stays the same. Sweet.

Dear Hiring Manager...

Three fun facts about myself:

1. I have never worn a suit to work
2. I have no tertiary education
3. Neither of the previous facts have stopped me from reaching the top of my notoriously cutthroat profession

In 1990, at the age of 18 and with no formal training, I left New Zealand for London to embark on a career in theatre. In just 18 months I was playing the lead role in a West End musical - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Starlight Express”.

Now, 25 years later, having performed leading roles in many of the biggest West End shows and achieving everything I ever set out to, I have returned to New Zealand in search of new challenges. At first glance, my CV probably makes for little more than (hopefully) interesting reading while you go about filling this position. However, on closer inspection and with some creative thinking, my suitability for this role will become apparent.

Few professions can have such an exhausting and high pressure interview process as that of professional theatre. Round after round of auditions, you are expected to prove your talent, ability to take direction and to adapt under intense pressure. This process, more often than not takes place in front of a camera and creative team, while your talented and experienced competitors sit in the hall outside, listening, awaiting their turn. It teaches you the importance of focus, first impressions and perhaps most importantly, preparation. Auditioning taught me skills I am grateful to have learned early in my career and strive to maintain.

95% of the time you won't get the job, so it also gives you a very thick skin.

Rehearsing for a piece of theatre is almost as exciting and demanding as the performance itself. While the audition is an extremely self-centred journey, the rehearsal is all about communication, cooperation, and a common goal - the creation of the best possible product. Without teamwork, the show, whether an amateur pantomime or a multi-million dollar West End Spectacular, is destined to fail - the same as any business.

Every department, from Stage Management to Lighting and Sound has their own requirements, (and often their own union), so rehearsals can be emotionally charged. This makes a level head, ability to listen, and a calm voice a necessity. I consider my personal skills and ability to inspire others just as important as the skills that got me the job in the first place. The rehearsal period is probably the most intense form of team-building you can experience. Some find it relatively easy, while others need a little gentle encouragement. In this respect, I have always tried to lead from the front; the sooner we each step from our comfort zone and identify our shared vision, the closer we are to creating and delivering an excellent product.

An actor or singer performing in front of hundreds of paying customers will only ever be as good as the colleague controlling the volume of the microphone or pointing the spotlight - regardless of talent or preparation. Live theatre is, quite simply, the sum of its parts. Performing in a successful, long-running play or musical can be very rewarding, (in what other job is one applauded at the end of each day?) but it can also be extremely demanding, both professionally and personally. Every day brings a new audience with high expectations, so exacting standards must be maintained and delivered. While every audience deserves the same level of commitment and effort, each one will require a different nuanced performance to keep it engaged. The ability to quickly assess an audience and adapt the performance in an instant, is something that can only come with experience. Add to this, sudden on-stage personnel changes and the many technical issues that can arise, and it’s easy to understand why the capacity to not only perform, but to excel under extreme pressure in front of a live audience, is a highly valued and transferable skill.

The skills and experience I have acquired as an actor, singer, writer and director in a career spanning over 25 years, make me a suitable candidate suitable for this role.

Kind regards,

Matthew Cutts

Resilience & High-Impact Communication Specialist