Performing Without Fear: How To Overcome Stage Fright Step By Step

Stage fright is something every performer experiences — whether you’re stepping onto a professional stage or singing in your living room. Nerves aren’t a sign of weakness& they’re a sign that you care. The goal isn’t to get rid of fear entirely, but to learn how to work with it.

Personally, I’ve always found it far more nerve-wracking to perform in front of an audition panel or a tiny, familiar audience than in a full theatre. When I toured venues seating over a thousand people, my nerves were almost non-existent - but the moment I sang in an intimate London concert for forty, with a couple of friends in the audience, my hands shook. It’s a strange truth many performers share: the smaller and more personal the setting, the more exposed we feel. Big stages can feel safer because we disappear into the lights - but confidence is really about being comfortable seen up close.

When we think of great performers, we often imagine people who look fearless. But most of the time, confidence doesn’t mean the absence of nerves - it means learning how to stay centred in spite of them. I’ve seen this in workshops, auditions, and live shows: the performers who connect most deeply with their audience are rarely the ones who look the calmest. They’re the ones who breathe through the fear and keep going anyway.

1. Acknowledge it — don’t fight it.

Pretending you’re not nervous usually makes nerves stronger. Instead, name it. Take a deep breath and remind yourself: this feeling is energy. Adrenaline is what gives you focus and power on stage - your body just needs to learn how to channel it.

2. Breathe, ground, release.

Before performing, take a moment to plant your feet, relax your shoulders, and breathe slowly. Try inhaling for four counts, exhaling for six. This simple rhythm tells your body you’re safe and helps your voice settle.

3. Shift your focus outward.

Stage fright often comes from overthinking ourselves: What if I mess up? What if they notice? The moment you focus on your audience — the story you’re sharing, the connection you’re creating — anxiety begins to fade. The goal isn’t to impress& it’s to communicate.

4. Practise performing, not just practising.

Confidence grows through experience. Whether it’s performing for a friend, recording yourself, or singing in a smaller setting, the more often you expose yourself to performance moments, the more comfortable they become. Familiarity breeds freedom.

5. Reframe mistakes.

A wobble, a crack, a forgotten lyric — it happens to everyone. What matters isn’t the mistake but your recovery. If you carry on with presence and belief, most audiences won’t even notice — and those moments often make performances feel more real.

Overcoming stage fright is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Every performer, from beginners to West End professionals, experiences nerves. But when you learn to meet those feelings with curiosity instead of fear, something changes. You start performing with your body instead of against it.

Confidence isn’t about never being nervous. It’s about trusting yourself enough to perform anyway.

✨& &Ready to Own Your Spotlight?✨lt;/p>If you’d like to build confidence and learn practical tools for calm, grounded performance, I’d love to help. My online performing-arts sessions are supportive, creative, and fully tailored to you — wherever you are in your journey.

🌟& Own your story. Own your voice. Own your spotlight.