Anna Swan Acting
Drama School Audition Prep
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Preparation is key. Preparation is the one thing that you have complete control over. If you start preparing for your auditions in enough time, you have the ability to be 100% ready when you get in the room. Knowing the text inside out and being knowledgeable about the setting, back story and character are all part of your preparation. Alternative direction may be given to you by the audition panel, but if you know your audition material well, this should be an exciting opportunity to show what you can do. Being able to take direction is crucial to impress the panel and show that you will make a great acting student.
For some drama schools, first round auditions may be done via a self tape or a live online audition. Every school has its own procedure so it’s important to check the time lines and application deadlines for each school.
The Audition Process - Acting Courses​
What Material Do I Need For Drama School Auditions?​
You just never know what may be thrown at you, and if a panel is deciding between you and another auditionee who is similar to you, they will want to see as much range in your ability as possible before making their final decision.
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Some drama schools also ask for a song so they can see how you act through song. Don’t be scared by this if you are not a singer or you can’t read music, they are not looking for exceptional voices - unless of course you are auditioning for musical theatre courses.
To be really prepared in terms of audition monologues, I would recommend preparing the following:
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– Three contemporary speeches, after 1920’s – present (Some schools may say post 1960 so double check requirements for the schools you want to apply to)
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– Three classical speeches ( Jacobean / Shakespearean)
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Typically you will only be asked to perform two speeches and in recalls maybe three or four. I have known actors in recall auditions being asked “Do you have another classical speech we could see?” or “Can we see a contemporary speech that shows a different character to the speeches you prepared for us?”
How Long Will It Take To
Prepare Audition Speeches For
My Drama School Auditions?
Preparing six speeches and a song takes a lot of work. Most people only prepare four and that is completely fine, you may not ever need more than four.
Preparing your audition repertoire should take a minimum three to four months; If I was auditioning again I’d be preparing six months in advance. It’s not just learning the text, it’s researching and building the character and letting it sit in your body.
With additional self tape first round auditions, extra prep is needed to film these.
More time may be needed if you’re a busy person working a full time job, or a college/6th form student studying for exams. If you have a lot of free time you could do it in 2 months. I have known people preparing for auditions with only a few weeks notice. Yes it can be done, and sometimes you might not have a choice, but this may lead to forgetting words, rushing, and a lack of understanding of the character and text.
I will of course help anyone prepare, whether the audition is in 4 months time or 4 days time, or even on the day of the audition itself.
Do Your Homework
(It might help you stand out from the crowd)
Get yourself familiar with Shakespeare – it’s essential! Go and see Shakespeare in action, as it’s much better to watch a live show than just reading the text alone. Shakespeare is the most performed playwright in the world and there are probably at least 200 professional Shakespeare productions being performed at any one time in the UK. There are also recorded productions screened in cinemas throughout the country as part of National Theatre Live..
Get to know who playwrights are, who actors are, as you may well be asked questions at your auditions like “who are your favourite actors at the moment?” or, “what was the last play you went to see?” or “what directors would you like to work with?”. Be prepared for the panel to grill you on how much you really want to be an actor! Go to the cinema too and watch TV drama; some of the best actors in TV drama start out in theatre first. (I saw Tom Hardy at the National Theatre in 2007 before he became a world wide movie star – he was brilliant of course) If you don’t ever go to the theatre or watch films/TV, a panel will question if pursuing a career as an actor is something you really want?
Watch some contemporary theatre and research what plays are on at the moment all over the country. Go and see new writing from emerging playwrights, watch plays at the National Theatre and the Royal Court etc, but also go to your local theatre / theatre above a pub to see emerging theatre companies. If you live in the countryside, get to your nearest town or city and see what’s on. So many wonderful productions tour the country, sometimes after being on in London first (they are also usually cheaper to see in regional theatres).
What does the lesson involve?
I use various teaching methods, including actioning, simplicity and Meisner. I can help provide material and advise on monologue choices and guide you in what to avoid.
Before the first lesson it’s a good idea to do a bit of research to see what kind of speech you might like to do. If you have no idea at all then we can discover this through conversation and trying a range of options. On the first lesson you will not have to know anything off by heart, this comes later, once the speeches have been selected.
There are a few drama schools who have a list of classical speeches and you must choose from that list. Always research this when picking speeches.
If a self tape is required for the first round, I will film that for you in one of the lessons.
We will come up with a plan in terms of deadlines for picking speeches and having them learnt. It’s advisable to have started your coaching before you send off your drama school applications; you don’t want to get dates though for auditions when you haven’t even picked your speeches as that adds extra pressure. Audition prep requires lots of work from you in your own time too, practicing and learning lines are essential.
Lesson Plan
​I do a six hour Drama School Prep Package for £150, saving £30.
These lessons can be taken as 1 or 2 hour sessions and the package is valid for six months from the first lesson. *The package must be paid for up front.
Any further lessons are £30 per hour.
A few examples of preparation and audition requirements for drama schools in 2024:
East 15 Acting School: https://www.east15.ac.uk/preparing-for-auditions
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/how-to-apply/
GSMD: https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/drama/drama-auditions