Rick has been working as a casting director for many years. He's under no illusions about the supposed glamour of film and television work, but still manages to enjoy his job; even when he's trying to find actors for the dullest corporate video or the most awful advert, he injects some enthusiasm into the proceedings. He has a tendency to get jumpy when things don't go to plan.

Sue is Rick's assistant. In contrast to Rick's permanently disorganised and disheveled appearance, Sue is always dressed to kill - and she probably will one day, for underneath her attractive exterior lies a cold, dark heart, and anyone at the receiving end of one of her sardonic comments should feel lucky they've caught her on a good day!

However, Sue is an erstwhile companion to Rick, and has a genuine affection for him... though there's never been any hint of romance. She's great at her job, bringing loads of business to the agency; trouble is, she has no morals. And she hates actors. She has a particular dislike for the ultra-cheery Trevor, but nobody knows why.

Adam has issues. He once punched an Anger Management counsellor. He squeezes auditions into lunchbreaks from the office job he hates. His combative attitude probably stems from a fear of getting things wrong, so he's always defensive about what he does in the casting room, and frequently storms out. It might not be so bad if he'd listen to what Rick and the clients were saying. When he sees an ad on telly he didn't get, he'll always be affronted and say of the performance, "If they'd asked me to do that, I'd have done that!"

Jay is a serious actor. Intense training at the drama school version of Al Qaeda has left him slightly warped. Jay really becomes his characters as if under hypnosis, and nothing can snap him out of it. He loves his vocal warm-up exercises, and will happily go through them while walking down the street or shopping.

Poor old Trevor hardly ever makes it to the camera. The clients always spot something wrong - or rather something they don't like. He's very stoical about it all, though, and has a serene, sunny disposition. Despite being turned away, will generally say "Ok, thanks for seeing me". Aside from the world of acting, Trevor runs his own business - a joke shop.

Pete is gorgeous. Chiselled jaw, beautiful body, he always looks fantastic. He's done a lot of catalogue modelling. Mind you, he's as two-dimensional as they come: he has four poses and one style of performance. But what a great smile!

A talented actress, Clare has done loads of theatre - all the great roles, and with glowing reviews every time... but you can't make a living from theatre, so she's here every week. Unfortunately, her supreme talents count for nothing in the world of adverts; she's had a few jobs here and there, but deserves so much more. It's tragic, really, that she's not more successful.

It's amazing just how dim someone can be and still survive, but Sarah defies all the odds. With her penchant for bright and colourful clothes, Sarah should be a children's TV presenter; if only the four-year-olds weren't more intelligent than her. She's quite lovely, though, and everyone likes her.

Jim is a natural for this business - not because he's the world's best actor, but because nothing phases him, and he'll do whatever is asked of him, however ridiculous. A likeable, down-to-earth bloke who would be in anybody's top five drinking partners.

Stephen is full of energy, probably through adrenalin and nerves, but it's not usually to his advantage. Full of what he thinks are helpful suggestions about each casting, but they're usually inappropriate or pointless, and just listening to him is exhausting. "Shall I do it like this...? What if I walk into shot first..? Would the character have a limp...?" Oh Christ, just get on with it!

Dave is actually quite shy - why on earth he tries to do a job which involves thousands of people looking at him is anybody's guess. In the auditions, his shyness has a habit of coming as across as severe disinterest.

Phil always puts a bit of effort in, trying to show the clients what he'd look like as a cowboy/ builder/man in dressing gown. He hopes this will help him get the job, but it's generally embarrassing, and often it's the wrong costume, as he's misunderstood what his agent has said.

Sophie always turns up to auditions looking very well turned out indeed. This is because she's nipped out from the bank where she works. She has to beg her boss for the time off, though; one day she'll probably get the sack.

Siân really enjoyed the Second Summer of Love; that's why she's still there. Lovely girl, bit vague, memory of a goldfish with amnesia.

Desperation to get work leads Jane to embellish her CV somewhat. When asked what she's been doing recently, she might blurt out that she had a small part in a recent Hollywood smash. She might even try to garner sympathy from the clients with the odd sob story. Outside of the casting suite, she's masquerading as her own mother to fraudulently elicit benefits.

Rachel would be a nihilist if she could be bothered. She acts when she's not touring or recording with her vampire-metal band. She likes rock music, vodka, and blood.

Larry is a RADA trained actor. A smashing chap, very polite and well brought up. He'd be famous if he'd have been born in the 1930s. His strength is Noel Coward, and he plays to his strengths, whatever the job.

Tony is an entrepreneur in the niche film market. That's right - he's a porno distributor. A good businessman, he's rather wealthy, and is not afraid to show it. There's something about him which makes your flesh creep.

Nick is the maker of small-time corporate promos, but has a Hollywood big-time attitude. Hitchcock once referred to actors as mere cattle; Nick doesn't even think that highly of most of them.

Meek and timid, Rosie is clearly in the wrong business. The social interaction which comes with the territory doesn't come naturally to her, so she's probably looking forward to her maternity leave.

A real creative type, full of concepts, visualisations and envisionifications. Loves to talk about the ideas behind his adverts - not so much to help the actors along, more because he likes his own voice. In danger of disappearing up his own arse any second.

Jeremy's ad agency colleague. Strident, scary woman. If she says 'jump', you ask 'how high?' and then you run away crying because you've had the impertinence to ask her a question when she's just told you to jump.

The client, and writer of the script for 'Geezers', which is based on his, ahem, 'experiences'. Ken spent time inside - fifteen years - for various serious London gangland crimes. Ostensibly a reformed character, he still has a nasty streak, and should not be crossed. His script is terrible, but nobody's going to tell him that, are they.