The impact of stage fright on student actors

Abstract

Stage fright has not previously been systematically assessed in actors. A survey was therefore carried out of 178 senior full‐time drama students at six London colleges: 9.6 per cent reported stage fright to be a severe problem, while 36.7 per cent considered it to be a moderate problem. Levels of stage fright were higher in women than men, but were not associated with age or years of acting experience. Stage fright was positively correlated with neuroticism and negatively associated with extraversion. The features of performance adversely affected included physical components such as posture and breath control, and emotional aspects such as characterization. Factor analysis of cognitive coping responses identified two independent dimensions—thoughts centred on panic or loss of control and thoughts concerning physical collapse—that were associated with stage fright independently of confounding factors such as neuroticism. Relaxation and meditation were frequently used prior to public performance, but were not associated with stage fright levels. In contrast, self‐distracting behaviours and memory checking were more common in those with higher performance anxiety. A variety of health‐related symptoms were reported to increase prior to public performance, and difficulty eating properly, increased irritability and more frequent skin rashes were associated with stage fright independently of negative affectivity. The implications of these findings for aspiring actors are discussed.

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