Our top 10 tips to ace your drama school audition!

Research further than the website: Try and speak to others who have auditioned at the same school and get some tips from them; if you’re not attending an open day, look at online blog posts and social media. This will help you to prepare for the day and could put you one step ahead of other candidates. 

Budget: Auditions are not cheap and often have a fee of anything from £20-£100 – and that’s just to enter. On top of this, you must think about travel, accommodation and other expenses. Try booking it all in advance; not only is it cheaper, but it saves you worrying nearer the time, leaving you more time to focus on your audition. 

Be yourself: The judges' panel want to get to know you as a person, so after your audition, you may have an interview too. Be sure to share your goals and ambitions and reassure them that you’re good at working in a team.  

Practise: Make sure you understand the monologue you’ll be performing. You may be asked questions about the character, why you chose that piece, or what your thoughts are on certain topics in the play. Read the whole play, not just the piece you will be performing. 

Be prepared: You could be asked to perform your piece in a different way e.g. with a different emotion, or from the perspective of someone else. Even if you’re unprepared, be sure to have a go and show your willingness to try everything. This can be more important than giving a perfect performance. There may also be different stages of your audition, including a group workshop. Don’t be afraid to get involved and show your teamwork/workshop skills. 

Don’t worry about looking silly: Drama school will be full of times when you must let go and do something that may feel silly, but don’t let this feeling hold you back. The panel have probably been auditioning for years, so chances are, they’ve seen it all! 

Avoid putting on a fake accent: Your performance is likely to be more effective if you use your own accent rather than leaving the panel guessing where your character is from. Unless your fake accent is impeccable, it’s better to stick to your own! They will want to hear your real voice. 

Don’t panic if you make a mistake: Mistakes happen, especially with the nerves of an audition. If you do mess up, don’t panic or dwell on it; continue performing and show that you can come back from it and remain professional.  

Know where to look: Eye contact while introducing yourself shows confidence, but eye contact during your performance may be uncomfortable. Instead, find a focal point behind the panel and use that as your main focal point (although don’t stare at this one spot the whole time). Some schools will allow you to ask for a body stand-in if you are performing to another character in the piece, but this isn’t guaranteed.    

Think about your outfit: Wear something comfortable and not too distracting; avoid clothing with harsh patterns or logos and try and stick to dark block colours, like black or grey. Let the panel focus on you as an applicant rather than being distracted by your outfit.