\n<\/p>\n
It\u2019s that time of year again\u2026 All over the world, actors are beginning their prep for a drama school audition that may well change the course of their careers\u2014hell, their entire lives. And while we may have only flipped our calendars to June of 2025, the deadlines for 2026 will be looming and past before you know it. So, while time is still\u00a0technically\u00a0<\/em>on your side, let\u2019s go over some essential drama school audition advice. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.<\/p>\n This article contains essential, practical advice on how to approach your drama school audition. It covers logistics, preparation and the best ways to be ready for the audition\/self-tape itself. Whether you are interested in studying next year, or are simply looking ahead to the time when you may be ready to take this important step in your acting journey, you can never do enough research and preparation for what to expect and how to triumph over it.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you were to do a quick search on StageMilk for the phrase \u201cdrama school\u201d, you\u2019d see that we cover this topic a lot, and from a myriad of different angles. Today, our focus is less of a how-to guide on auditioning, or even where you might go to study. It\u2019s about the solid, practical advice you pick up from being in the trenches yourself: exactly the sort of thing that gives you an edge over your less-prepared peers.<\/p>\n Enough pre-amble: we\u2019ve got a lot to cover!<\/p>\n This is the part of the process where most actors, especially those who are younger and less experienced, tend to fall down. More often than most would care to admit, it actually comes from a place of arrogance than actual carelessness. \u201cI can act, I <\/em>know I can act, I don\u2019t need to spend months getting ready for this!\u201d\u00a0<\/em>The problem with this thinking is that ignores what most audition panels at drama schools are looking for: students, not actors. They want people who will show up, do the work and not question their methods. How can they trust you for three years if you didn\u2019t do the reading before you even began?<\/p>\n Months ahead. Not weeks, and certainly not the weekend before. Drama school audition material needs to be learned and explored with time to spare.<\/strong> This will give you the space you need to explore and interpret the text, meaning that your interpretation can stand out from the countless others doing the same, good-enough-I-guess rendition of a very famous scene.<\/p>\n Every moment you spend on your audition material ahead of somebody else is an advantage over them. Get in now, thank us later.<\/p>\n Got your sights set on the perfect drama school<\/a>? Had their banner on your wall since birth like Rory and Harvard? That\u2019s all very well, but audition for a wide array of drama schools, not just your main pick<\/strong>. A plan for your acting career that hinges upon a single binary choice of study\/not-study is not a plan. It\u2019s a coin-toss.<\/p>\n So look at additional options for where else you might seek tutelage, just in case that first option doesn\u2019t pan out. If you\u2019re set on becoming an actor, this will be a stumbling block rather than an all-out stoppage. If it is \u2026 perhaps you need to reexamine what your priorities are.<\/p>\n Sure, it\u2019s more work. But you\u2019ve started prepping early\u2014weeks, even months ahead!\u2014so you\u2019ll be fine. And don\u2019t forget that prepping for one school will help you with the others; it\u2019s all good practice,<\/p>\n Do you know anybody currently studying at the drama school\/s you\u2019re auditioning for? Are there any recent grads you can call up and bribe with coffee in exchange for their knowledge? Research into a school is one thing when you\u2019re drooling over brochures and being razzle-dazzled at the open day. You\u2019ll learn a lot more by speaking to people who\u2019ve been through this experience first-hand; most will be happy to sit down and chat.<\/strong><\/p>\n From a drama school audition standpoint, you might like to ask what to expect when you\u2019re in the room. What kind of questions did the panel ask? What did they respond to? Who stood out to them in the room, and were they offered a place in the year group as a result?<\/p>\n Did you know you can find a lot of drama school audition material from previous years online? A quick google search will reveal audition handbooks, full of monologues used in the room<\/a>, are freely available for you to download.<\/strong> Get on it! Start browsing through to get a sense of the kind of pieces you should be preparing. And while we\u2019d never suggest this as something to rely on while you prep: there\u2019s a fair chance that a monologue from a previous year might even make a comeback\u2026<\/p>\n Old audition material is something you should be finding and using to practice. Even if you don\u2019t end up performing the monologue you discover in the official booklet, you\u2019ll be on your way to developing a process\u2014a way of using your acting skills to tackle text. This process will make all the difference when you settle on your actual monologues, as you\u2019ll know which techniques work best for you.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve picked the pieces you\u2019re going to do for the audition\/s, read the whole damn script the monologue comes from<\/strong>. There\u2019s no excuse not to do this, and it makes all the difference to the audition panel when they discover you have no understanding of the larger context of your character\u2019s arc<\/a>, the narrative or the story world.<\/p>\n Know the text, practice some script analysis<\/a> and use this to make interesting\u2014if informed\u2014choices to set your rendition apart. A drama school audition panel can tell when somebody has made intriguing and unique choices in their acting. Just as they can tell when somebody\u2019s done something different to desperately stick out from the crowd.<\/p>\n As the actual audition draws nearer, set yourself a clear deadline when you move from your research\/prep phase and into rehearsing material out loud. A lot of actors start this part of the process too late\u2014often because they equate rehearsal with the milestone of memorising lines, rather than the ability to explore and modify a piece based on their discoveries. Your best work will happen when the piece is known to you and well and truly in your head. So get there fast and early.<\/p>\n An increasing number of drama schools are using self-tapes<\/a> to whittle down their auditions process. You may find you need to submit a tape, in order to progress to the in-person auditions on-site. Self-tapes are seen by many actors as a hassle: there\u2019s extra work to be done by you in your own time\/home, and it requires an investment into equipment<\/a> and space that is less than convenient.<\/p>\n However, it puts you at an advantage. Self-taping means you can give your monologue as many goes as you need and send off the perfect take.<\/strong> It\u2019s not a one-and-done situation like some auditions. And it means you can start working on your performance early, and even receive feedback from others about what you send off before you do.<\/p>\n Here at StageMilk, we have advised many of our Scene Club members<\/a> on exactly this \u2026 and watched many of them go on to receive placements at their drama school of choice.<\/p>\n If you nail the self-tape round, you\u2019re likely to be called in to the drama school to audition in person. Practice live in front of people, and get comfortable performing your monologue\/s out loud.\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s one thing to memorise<\/a> it, understand your character\u2019s objective<\/a> and what motivates them. It\u2019s another thing entirely to command a space with your voice<\/a>, find your character\u2019s physicality and be comfortable displaying vulnerability<\/a> in a room full of strangers.<\/p>\n Are there opportunities for you to perform live before the audition date? Can you bring some people together at your school, your house, or even find a showcase you can participate in? Hell, you could sign up for a talent show if there\u2019s one available. Just be sure that your moment in front of the audition panel isn\u2019t the first time you\u2019ve performed the monologue\u2014an entirely different thing from simply speaking the words out loud.<\/p>\n Be prepared to answer questions about the material you perform. Have an opinion about the play, the character, the scene and the larger context<\/a> that surrounds it.<\/strong> Don\u2019t think of this as a quiz: they\u2019re not looking for a particular opinion or idea for you to bring up. It\u2019s about seeing how you\u2019ve engaged with the piece beyond the page\u2014evaluating you as the potential student, rather than an actor they can take from \u2018pretty good\u2019 to \u2018very good\u2019.<\/p>\n And if your interpretation differs wildly from what others thing, that\u2019s okay too! Just be sure that this interpretation is anchored to the original text, so that if prompted you can point definitively to something on the page that supports your finding.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a pointer for nerves in the audition room: and it\u2019s an absolute classic. Treat your dram school audition like your first day of class.<\/strong> Show up prepared, with your own opinions and full of enthusiasm, and act like you\u2019ve already gotten in. Give the panel a taste of what you can do, and then be open to their notes, to their questions and suggestions.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget that whenever you step into an audition room, the panel\u00a0wants<\/em> you to be the one. They\u2019re not looking for excuses to reject you, they\u2019re looking for reasons that you\u2019re the best: even if the person before you in line was literally the finest actor they\u2019ve ever seen. They\u2019re looking for reasons to have you succeed, to be the one. So help them to that conclusion with your own belief and attitude.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was great. Try it again \u2026 and can you show us something different?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Does anything lock an actor up more than this? What was wrong with your performance? Why didn\u2019t they like it? Different how? Faster? Angrier? Doing star jumps?!<\/p>\n Be prepared for this question. And by that, we mean understand what they\u2019re asking for: \u2018different\u2019 means to experiment, not \u2018do it again, but better\u2019.<\/strong> It\u2019s about exploration, about knowing the material well enough that you can reinterpret it in a meanignful, exciting way.<\/p>\n Where might you look to experiment? The actions<\/a> of your characters (their tactics) are a great place to start. If your first performance was about guilting, see what happens if you try flirting instead? You can also modify the given circumstances<\/a> to change the context, and the moment before<\/a> to affect the emotion and state of your character just before the scene begins.<\/p>\n The only way to fail at this is to not prepare for it. If you wing it, your \u2018different\u2019 will be the exact same thing, only faster and louder.<\/p>\n Our bonus point in this section, keeping up the tradition of statin\u2019 the bleedin\u2019 obvious, is to plan your route to the audition<\/strong>. Know where you\u2019re going, know how to get there. Plan for traffic to be awful and the trains to be on strike. If you\u2019re headed to a particular building in a large university or college campus, know how to find that particular building. Ideally, scout ahead the week or day before so there is no doubt whatsoever in your mind.<\/p>\n I was running late for my drama school audition; my ride eventually dumped me in the middle of a gridlocked main road and told me to \u201cRun.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>And while I got there, got into the school and have never looked back, it\u2019s not an experience I\u2019d wish upon my greatest enemy. Make the time before your audition a peaceful, zen-like experience\u2014not the mad dash at the end of a romantic comedy.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve actually managed to get through the process of your drama school audition, build some rest into your schedule. This is particularly important if you are auditioning for more than one place, as your down-time between auditions or tapes may be very short. Be sure to remain sustainable, treat yourself kindly and know the difference between relaxing and actually recharging<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a fun one: promise yourself rewards for completing a drama school audition<\/strong>. Acknowledge the hard work you put in, the simple achievement of showing up and putting yourself out there\u2014regardless of the outcome.<\/p>\n This pointer is not just a matter of self-care or shameless treatery. It\u2019s an opportunity to train yourself to recognise the smaller milestones in your career\u2014the ones related to effort and process\u2014rather than the big \u2018wins\u2019 of successful auditions and securing work. Whether you hear back from the school or not, the fact that you went for a place distinguishes you from 99% of the other people out there calling themselves \u2018actors\u2019.<\/p>\n You did the work. Acknowledge that.<\/p>\n Eventually, after a period of what will seem like an eternity, you\u2019ll start to hear back from schools. Hopefully you\u2019ll hear some yesses; most likely the no category will outweigh the former. Can you think of why? And can you determine a reason that doesn\u2019t relate to you being the suckiest actor of all time?<\/p>\n Analyse your performance after a drama school audition with honesty and impartiality.<\/strong> Evaluate your performance, never judge it. Were there things you nailed? Things you could have done better, or been better prepared for? The most important question is: what can you learn for the next go around? Even if you get in to the drama school of your dreams, there\u2019ll be auditions in the future that can benefit from a little post-game analysis.<\/p>\n Finally, we have to contend with the worst-case scenario. Let\u2019s say you do everything right\u2014everything on this list you could possibly do. And the answer is still \u2018no\u2019. Make plans for your acting career that don\u2019t include drama school.<\/strong> Just in case.<\/p>\n Is there a short course<\/a> in your city you can do? Could you try auditioning for independent theatre productions<\/a>? Perhaps you could write your own cabaret<\/a>, direct a short film<\/a>, or even start a scene study class<\/a> with your actor friends? Don\u2019t be deterred when you\u2019re knocked back from drama school. Such things are so far beyond your control, in terms of what the panel is looking for. So use the time to improve your craft anyway: and show them the next year what a year in the wilderness looks like for somebody as determined as you.<\/p>\n Besides, in a few months, the process for auditioning will begin all over again. And think about how much more ready you\u2019ll be\u00a0this\u00a0<\/em>time\u2026<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be honest with you: I did not think this article would be quite so expansive when I sat down to write it. But the truth of the matter is, there\u2019s\u00a0so much\u00a0<\/em>you can do to be ready for a drama school audition, so much you can prepare for and meet not with trepidation, but genuine enthusiasm.<\/p>\n In fact, let this be the parting piece of advice at the bottom of everything. Show enthusiasm. Prove to the selection panel that you\u2019re not just committed to bettering your craft, but to elevating the experience of the others who might hope to share this journey with you. Allow yourself to get excited for what comes ahead, because the person who shows up every day just positively absolutely\u00a0thrilled\u00a0<\/em>to be there is the one who gets the place. Then the agent, the roles, and the career full of friends and collaborators who would do the same for you.<\/p>\n Get excited. Because this is only the beginning.<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe Preparation<\/h2>\n
Prep Early<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Many Eggs, Many Baskets<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Speak to Current Students and Recent Grads<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Look at Old Audition Material<\/strong><\/h4>\n
BONUS: Read the Whole Script<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The Audition<\/h2>\n
Practice Self-Taping<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Practice Live Performance<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Be Ready To Talk<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\u2018The First Day of Class\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Be Prepared for \u201cThe Awful Question\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n
BONUS: Plan Your Route<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The Aftermath<\/h2>\n
Reward Yourself<\/h4>\n
Post-Game Analysis<\/h4>\n
Have an Alternate Plan in Place<\/h4>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n