National Youth Theatre

FANTINE - I think we've "spoken" before. Your DD sounds very clever! We haven't found anywhere that offers the acting/A level mix that DD can access easily, so its just A levels here.
Though in good news, I researched and contacted a couple of youth theatres that are more acting focussed, one has added DDs name to their waiting list, but the other has offered to let her attend a couple of taster sessions after the GCSEs.

Good idea re Qualifications. My D did Btec alongside A2's.

jo164 that course looks fantastic - thank you. DD is determined to take A levels so she has the academic qualifications to fall back on. However, as everyone knows the step up from GCSE to A level is pretty steep, so I am quietly collecting details on BTEC courses too.
FANTINE2 I totally agree re Foundation courses. So good to hear that your DD found it helpful. Views on other forums are a bit mixed!

Error, saw you are West country. Has your daughter seen this new extended diploma in association with Bristol Old Vic? Looks great for early professional training rather than A levels if she is set on acting. www.boomsatsuma.com/professionalacting/

Error,
When the time comes, don't discount the idea of a Foundation course, especially for Acting. There are some available which come under the loan system and UCAS. My D did one last year. Ironically, she didn't get accepted subsequently on that particular 3 yr BA course, but she feels she has ended up at a better place.

error - no, mixed school, just more talented and ambitious boys than girls! None of them have auditioned for Tring though.

Evil - just wondering, do you teach all boys? If so we may have come across one of your students auditioning at Tring.

FANTINE2 - thanks for the words of comfort.
EVIL - also echoing good luck wishes to your students still interviewing.

Hi again Evil Twins.
Good luck to your student next week at Central.
Error, I am afraid it is a long, hard slog , often with lots of disappointments along the way. My daughter is at Central and I now understand what they mean when they say they want more 'life experience'. Acting courses are emotionally demanding, they sometimes require more than your average 18 year old is able to give, simply because they do not yet have the experience. They need an enormous amount of resilience.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to have at least a year doing something else, or working towards getting in.

This takes me back... I was (just!) 13 when I first got into NYT. 3000 young people auditioned and 80 got a place. I remember getting the letter and locking myself in the toilet shaking to find out if I'd got in. My some miracle I did! I had to do 2 audition pieces - one Shakespeare and one normal. I did midsummer night's dream (I think it was Helena's monologue) and I did Charlie and the chocolate factory with Veruca Salts monologue. This was about 15 years ago! I then had to go on a residential course in London (aged 13!!) Where I stayed during Easter and had to do 2 weeks of intense lessons followed by a showcase. I did a few bits with them after that but you have to audition every season to be part of any productions once you're in the NYT anyway so I soon lost interest. I still love drama and I am in a local amateur group.

Hi Evil, just sent you a PM

I mean specifically. PM if you'd rather.

Where are you based?

Hi Evil, DD currently Y11, does Stagecoach each week, plus working on G8 LAMDA, G6 musical theatre (singing), and vocational grades in ballet and modern. Plus has a jazz scholarship with BBO.
Loves Drama, particularly drama as opposed to MT. She has scaled back (given up) 3 other dance classes to focus on GCSEs and is hoping to replace these with some local theatre stuff in September (though it's hard to find any that are accepting applications!)
Like in dance, the number of girls applying means you have to really stand out to get a place, DD is determined to do her A levels and then is quite positive about a year out. Suggestions on specific schemes, or well reputed AmDram around the West Country, or any other suggestions, would be welcome!

And btw the boy in NYT is one of the ones still waiting to get a drama school place. He's auditioning at Central next week and has a second audition at Rose Bruford, but being a member of NYT didn't help at Guildford or RADA!

error what's she doing now? I think it's a long hard slog. I teach 6th form kids and I have some seriously talented students this year. One is in NYT, one is waiting to hear. Four have applied for drama school this year. Two have got places, two are still waiting. All of them are fully aware though that for acting, they may not get anywhere aged 18 as there is an assumption that "life experience" makes for a better drama student. The thing is, though, if they want it, they have to keep pushing. Take a year out, do some classes/workshops/extra work then try again.

Felling a bit despondent about DDs chances in the PA world. It sounds as though she's unlikely to get an offer from NYT - being a white female.
She was offered a place at Tring for 6th form and attended the scholarship audition, didn't get a scholarship/bursary - the big bursary has gone to an already established actress who has appeared in 2 major movies. And has an established media profile. DD was one of only 2 candidates not already at a full time PA school.So as the cost is mega bucks we've had to turn down the offer.
All seems as though the odds are heavily stacked against her. 😟

I had a student audition last Saturday - he was told that they would get back to him near the beginning of April. Means I have two waiting - one year 9 who's tried for the first time and one year 13 who's gone for it 4 times now.

I went back and checked the website, they are saying they hope to have all results out by end of April

My dd auditioned and is waiting a result. she told me it would be in May sometime!

I thought it was a while yet?

Tell me[or rather my daughter] about it! She has got several t shirts! She can laugh at it now, but at the time it would irritate the life out of her.
I do think that it is so unfortunate that NYT/NYMT leave themselves open to accusations of favouritism etc. As a previous poster has already said, those who have been on the radar for a while continue to be given opportunities.
It is disingenuous to welcome all and sundry stating that they could cast each show several times over etc etc, when the reality is somewhat different.A little honesty would not go amiss!

It's always been like that at amateur level though - to the point that it's a joke. I remember when I was first teaching, the music teacher was involved in the local am dram society and used to get cross with the old timers because they wouldn't allow newbies to play lead roles. So they had the young romantic leads played by 40 or 50 somethings who had "done their time in the chorus". He ended up putting on a special performance of Trial By Jury and casting some of our yr 11s to prove his point. They then did HMS Pinafore and put a 40+ woman as Josephine because the girl who played The Plaintiff in Trial By Jury (who went on to be a pro opera singer) and would have been amazing, hadn't earned the right... Ridiculous. I kind of hoped the cliques would be less prevalent in the more professional world of NYT/NYMT.