Drama School Auditions

Part of my inquiry is to explore whether or not training is relevant to the current industry. Although I only graduated a few years ago and my training still feels quite fresh, It has been six years since I auditioned for my first school and therefore I felt it would be beneficial to take a look at the application forms (or the ones readily available online) for the top schools, to see if audition requirements to gain a place at the top schools have changed in any way. All information has been taken from the schools websites, and my definition of the 'top schools' in regards to professional musical theatre courses was sourced from 'The stage' website.

MOUNTVIEW

UNDERGRADATE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate musical theatre auditions at Mountview take place over a full day with acting, singing and dance sessions. There are opportunities to meet current students to find out about life at Mountview and learn about student funding.

Candidates are required to prepare:

Two contrasting songs from the musical theatre repertoire

• One Shakespeare monologue
• One monologue from a modern play (written after 1979)

Please note that the monologues must:

• Last no longer than two minutes each
• Be from published plays and should not be extracts from poems, novels, films or television scripts
• Involve a character chosen from your own gender and close to your own age
• Be performed in your native accent

Please note that songs must:

• Last no longer than two minutes each
• Be performed in the key in which the music is written (the accompanist will not transpose into a different key)
• Give you the opportunity to act through them
• Not be from the classical repertoire (this includes opera)

Candidates will also take part in a dance class which will include a warm up, stretches and corner exercises. Following this they will be taught a short routine to be performed to the audition panel.

ARTS ED

undergraduate audition requirements 

Stage 1: consists of a group jazz dance audition and a short individual singing audition. Dance audition Candidates are required to participate in a jazz class led by a senior member of dance staff and overseen by the Head of Dance or Director of Musical Theatre. All applicants are required to dress appropriately in fitted dance/ sports attire with either soft jazz shoes, foot thong or bare feet. All jewellery must be removed for safety reasons. Candidates should prepare two musical theatre songs in full. One should be a 'legit' ballad written no later than 1965 (e.g. ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel), and the other should provide a contrast and be something you enjoy singing. 

Stage 2: Candidates will be selected to stay for this stage. Some may be required to dance again. All candidates will: • take part in a group acting workshop • sing again using their songs as previously prepared for the first stage of the audition Page 5 of 6 • perform their monologue and duologue to the panel. The panel will give the candidate various scenarios to see they respond to direction and how well they work with others. • take part in an interview with a senior tutor • in some cases candidates may be required to have an orthopædic examination by a qualified physiotherapist for which top and shorts should be worn. 

LAINE THEATRE ARTS

under graduate audition requirements

Candidates will prepare for the first of their three classes which may be Ballet, Jazz or Acting Workshop. 

Following the three classes above, candidates will be seen individually to perform their Modern/Jazz solo and to sing their chosen song. 

REQUIREMENTS FOR SOLOS 

Song: This should not exceed 2 minutes. Sheet music for piano must be provided, clearly marked with any chosen excerpt and cellotaped in order that pages sit side by side. Backing tracks are NOT accepted. 

Modern/Jazz Solo This should not exceed 1 ½ minutes. Music needs to be recorded on CDR or an iPhone or iPod, not CDRW. Candidates should make sure any CDR produced has been finalised and plays in commercial CD players.

ITALIA CONTI

At 9.30am auditionees begin a half-hour warm-up, which will lead into an improvisation workshop led by one of our tutors. Then auditonees will have their individual auditions with a panel made up of the Course Director, Course Co-ordinator and other tutors and they will be asked to present one or both of their prepared audition pieces (neither must be longer than one and a half minutes).  At the end of the morning, when all auditionees have been seen, the Panel decides which individuals they wish to recall for the afternoon session. Those not asked to remain are then free to go.

The afternoon session begins with a movement workshop, followed by a singing workshop and then there is a voice workshop. The final selection is made and those chosen will have an interview with Course Director, Course Co-ordinator and other members of the teaching staff, at which auditionees may be asked to sight-read, and to present either one or both pieces, these may be redirected. 

GSA

Applicants will be expected to prepare and take part in:

• Dance workshop: You will need dance wear (jazz and ballet), please do not bring loose, poor fitting dance wear to these calls.
• Singing audition: please prepare two contrasting songs, of not more than two minutes each. One song should be from the musical theatre repertoire written prior to 1965.
• Some candidates may then be invited to stay for the acting audition and interview. In anticipation of this please prepare one contemporary speech from a play written since 1950 of not more than two minutes.

BIRD

The audition is a carefully conceived assessment and is conducted by senior teachers at the College. It will assess your current and potential skills in dance, singing and drama, as well as your suitability for a career in the theatre profession.

Through an individual interview, personal qualities such as motivation, communication and flexibility are assessed and career aspirations are discussed. Our aim is to ensure that we advise you on the most appropriate programme for your development. 

BODYWORK

applicants should be prepared to take part in the following:

• jazz class
• singing audition: Please prepare 16 bars from two contrasting songs
• monologue

In short, all of the colleges I have researched so far require some form of singing, dance and acting in their audition procedure. This alters here and there with one school focusing purely on dance and singing (no proof of acting ability required) and others differ between whether ballet or jazz is the chosen style of dance to be seen on the day. 
Nothing is notably different to when I auditioned six years ago, and I will be using this research while interviewing fellow auditionee's to see if this differs from their experience. 





References

https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2013/musical-theatre-training-listings/

http://www.bodyworkcompany.co.uk/
http://www.italiaconti-acting.com/how-to-apply/
http://www.mountview.org.uk/applying.html
https://artsed.co.uk/musical-theatre/musical-theatre-3-year-diploma-applications
http://www.laine-theatre-arts.co.uk/how-to-apply
http://gsauk.org/applications-auditions
http://bird-college.com/he-fe/applications/applications/