A more successful 'Part Deux' of the Audition Experience blog series. This one has a slightly different ending because I got an offer for the Waiting List of BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre - which although means I'm unsure about what my future holds for me, is a huge confidence boost and an achievement to be proud of as a first time applicant to drama school!
If you would like read about my GSA audition for BA Actor Musician, follow the link below, which opens in a new window...
Part One (GSA)
Otherwise, let me tell you how I got offered what I did.
 |
| Content Credit: www.east15.ac.uk All edits are my own |
The Day
10:30 - Arrival Time
I arrived a little early... and by a little, I mean I got there at 9:15. Note to self on future journeys to Loughton, the traffic's not too bad, especially if you leave at 8:30 on a Saturday morning!
I waited around for registration to open and when it did, I joined the queue, told them my name and what course I was applying for - BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre (3 years) - and made my way to a quaint, conservatory-looking cafe, which doubles up as the Student Union.
I got talking to some second and third-time applicants, who spoke about their experiences of the auditions before. It calmed me to know more about what to expect.
We were called in groups and taken to separate rooms, based on our course choices. My audition day was for both campuses, as on the individual application there was the option to select up to five courses at East 15 and some of my choices were for courses held at the Southend-On-Sea campus. So there were a lot of people there!
10:40 - The Auditioning Begins
One thing I loved about my East 15 audition was that I really felt I got my money's worth. The day cost £55 on top of my UCAS fee, so if had it been a quick in-and-out audition, I might have come away a little disappointed. But due to prior research, I knew it would be a few hours of workshops and getting to know the place.
So, the actual audition process: First, I was a donkey.
I know right, mental... but also really fun! We spent about 10 minutes leaping around the space, kicking our legs in different directions, jumping up and greeting the corner of the room in French. I'm all for icebreaker games and this one smashed straight through any glaciers of insecurity I had. Then we did some more running, crawled across the floor and improvised movement on diagonals. I have never felt more intrigued, free and silly. Like I said, I got my money's worth!
11:30 - Contemporary Monologue
We took chairs and sat in a line across the room and the tutor, Uri Roodner (Head of the CT course at East 15), asked for a volunteer to go first. Not being one to shy away from the moment, I stood up and walked to the centre. I introduced myself and then performed my monologue: Janice Vickery's speech from Paul Zindel's 'The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds' - a ridiculously hilarious read, I assure you. I got a lot of laughs from the auditionees and from the course director too, which I was very pleased with! Then when I was done, I was redirected. This didn't happen to everyone, but it was my favourite part of the day and possibly some of the most fun I've ever had in drama. I performed the monologue as a conversation where I was bragging about myself and then again as a punk-rock song.
Advice: Don't hold back. Being first is a good thing, more time on the floor. Jump straight into whatever is asked of you without question... It's way more fun if you really get into it!
13:00 - Classical Monologue
No rest for the wicked, we went straight into another room for our second piece. They had asked for a Shakespeare monologue and I went for 'Viola's Ring' from 'Twelfth Night', which, lucky (or unlucky) for me, the tutor had watched the night before. I was prepared and had read and watched the play, so I was ready when he asked me questions about my character and her interactions with others. Be ready to justify why you chose the piece and the facts surrounding it. I would really recommend seeing a production of your play, for better understanding and to steal ideas! There was no standing up to volunteer with this one, we were called one-by-one from the order of our records and I was quite close to the end. Watching others' pieces was quite enlightening, more so than at GSA, mainly because it felt more relaxed and I could appreciate all the different monologues selected and how they were delivered.
Advice: Do the research! Know your play well and know your piece well. And don't be afraid to enjoy and show appreciation for others' performances. It's not all a huge test!
13:30 - Lunch and the Recalls
So, the cafe sell really nice food - get in there early! After spending lots of money on delicious toasties and other snacks, it was time to go into the main hall to find out who would be recalled. This was the scary bit. I was all too ready to cry and it was seeming more and more likely that I wouldn't get in as they went through the list of names. Then, Uri Roodner stepped forward and recalled 7 names, of the 23 CT applicants total and what do you know? I was first on the list! I breathed a silent sigh of relief and braced myself for the oncoming recall.
Advice: Eat. Oh, about the recall room? I have no advice for that, it's terrifying*.
*You could try breathing. That's something crucial I may have forgotten to do.
14:15 - The Recall
For the BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course, you have to prepare a third piece, something you have created. What they're looking for here is your best talent outside of acting from a script. Some people had written monologues, one person did magic and one person performed one of the most incredible pieces of theatre I have ever seen. She'd written something so indescribably beautiful, it actually made my eyes prick and blur with tears.
I had written a song. It's a song about yearning for your future, so I thought it was quite symbolic. It's up on my YouTube channel if you would like to have a listen (opens in a new window).
There was then a Q&A session with some current students, so I asked questions about the program and the course content, which proved really helpful. Again, I definitely got my money's worth for the day.
Advice: Enjoy it! This section is about you and your favourite talent, so make it something you love to do and show it off.
16:00 - Interviews
The 7 of us sat in another room and were called individually for a short interview with Uri Roodner and three of the current course students. They told me I did a great audition and then they asked my age... 17. All they said was "wow" and then began to talk about the Waiting List for the course, which I interpreted to mean they were concerned about my level of experience at my age. But, I brought it back, talking about my previous performance and directorial experience and how learning is really important to me. I think they were impressed! 😀
I got talking to some second and third-time applicants, who spoke about their experiences of the auditions before. It calmed me to know more about what to expect.
We were called in groups and taken to separate rooms, based on our course choices. My audition day was for both campuses, as on the individual application there was the option to select up to five courses at East 15 and some of my choices were for courses held at the Southend-On-Sea campus. So there were a lot of people there!
10:40 - The Auditioning Begins
One thing I loved about my East 15 audition was that I really felt I got my money's worth. The day cost £55 on top of my UCAS fee, so if had it been a quick in-and-out audition, I might have come away a little disappointed. But due to prior research, I knew it would be a few hours of workshops and getting to know the place.
So, the actual audition process: First, I was a donkey.
I know right, mental... but also really fun! We spent about 10 minutes leaping around the space, kicking our legs in different directions, jumping up and greeting the corner of the room in French. I'm all for icebreaker games and this one smashed straight through any glaciers of insecurity I had. Then we did some more running, crawled across the floor and improvised movement on diagonals. I have never felt more intrigued, free and silly. Like I said, I got my money's worth!
11:30 - Contemporary Monologue
We took chairs and sat in a line across the room and the tutor, Uri Roodner (Head of the CT course at East 15), asked for a volunteer to go first. Not being one to shy away from the moment, I stood up and walked to the centre. I introduced myself and then performed my monologue: Janice Vickery's speech from Paul Zindel's 'The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds' - a ridiculously hilarious read, I assure you. I got a lot of laughs from the auditionees and from the course director too, which I was very pleased with! Then when I was done, I was redirected. This didn't happen to everyone, but it was my favourite part of the day and possibly some of the most fun I've ever had in drama. I performed the monologue as a conversation where I was bragging about myself and then again as a punk-rock song.
Advice: Don't hold back. Being first is a good thing, more time on the floor. Jump straight into whatever is asked of you without question... It's way more fun if you really get into it!
13:00 - Classical Monologue
No rest for the wicked, we went straight into another room for our second piece. They had asked for a Shakespeare monologue and I went for 'Viola's Ring' from 'Twelfth Night', which, lucky (or unlucky) for me, the tutor had watched the night before. I was prepared and had read and watched the play, so I was ready when he asked me questions about my character and her interactions with others. Be ready to justify why you chose the piece and the facts surrounding it. I would really recommend seeing a production of your play, for better understanding and to steal ideas! There was no standing up to volunteer with this one, we were called one-by-one from the order of our records and I was quite close to the end. Watching others' pieces was quite enlightening, more so than at GSA, mainly because it felt more relaxed and I could appreciate all the different monologues selected and how they were delivered.
Advice: Do the research! Know your play well and know your piece well. And don't be afraid to enjoy and show appreciation for others' performances. It's not all a huge test!
13:30 - Lunch and the Recalls
So, the cafe sell really nice food - get in there early! After spending lots of money on delicious toasties and other snacks, it was time to go into the main hall to find out who would be recalled. This was the scary bit. I was all too ready to cry and it was seeming more and more likely that I wouldn't get in as they went through the list of names. Then, Uri Roodner stepped forward and recalled 7 names, of the 23 CT applicants total and what do you know? I was first on the list! I breathed a silent sigh of relief and braced myself for the oncoming recall.
Advice: Eat. Oh, about the recall room? I have no advice for that, it's terrifying*.
*You could try breathing. That's something crucial I may have forgotten to do.
14:15 - The Recall
For the BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course, you have to prepare a third piece, something you have created. What they're looking for here is your best talent outside of acting from a script. Some people had written monologues, one person did magic and one person performed one of the most incredible pieces of theatre I have ever seen. She'd written something so indescribably beautiful, it actually made my eyes prick and blur with tears.
I had written a song. It's a song about yearning for your future, so I thought it was quite symbolic. It's up on my YouTube channel if you would like to have a listen (opens in a new window).
There was then a Q&A session with some current students, so I asked questions about the program and the course content, which proved really helpful. Again, I definitely got my money's worth for the day.
Advice: Enjoy it! This section is about you and your favourite talent, so make it something you love to do and show it off.
16:00 - Interviews
The 7 of us sat in another room and were called individually for a short interview with Uri Roodner and three of the current course students. They told me I did a great audition and then they asked my age... 17. All they said was "wow" and then began to talk about the Waiting List for the course, which I interpreted to mean they were concerned about my level of experience at my age. But, I brought it back, talking about my previous performance and directorial experience and how learning is really important to me. I think they were impressed! 😀
Overall...
I had an amazing day. The campus is beautiful and I could envision myself learning in the spaces I was performing in. It's a waiting game now as to whether I will be offered a place from the Waiting List but whatever happens, I feel excited for whatever my future will bring.
Good luck for your audition and remember,
There's lots more to come...
Hannah x
