AIBU to think that if I pay around £50 for each audition, my DD should get feedback?

[kweggie]

DD2 is about to finish her 'A' levels and has applied to well-known drama schools. HUGE numbers apply so she was thrilled to be invited to audition- the first one cost £55, the next one £45.

Some days later, she gets the 'thanks but no thanks' email. She is obviously gutted. I'm annoyed. They fill in assessment sheets on each task. Why can't they pass this information on? Why no feedback?

Good luck to your DD

If she dosen't get in then maybe she could study it at university? That may open more doors for her anyway as she could then go into teaching, producing, etc.

I agree with PaddingtonBlair - they do audition anyone - a friend of DDs has applied for a post 18, post A level course at 15 not even having taken her GCSEs. They have taken her money & invited her to audition, despite knowing they would never offer her a place

I was offered auditions for places that charged but didn't go to any.

Some university courses (mine included) are incredibly similar to the drama school experience and environment, without being so dodgy in their selection process (a lot of getting into drama school is based on how you look and who you know) and without charging you to audition.

As Moomim said - would she consider doing a university based drama degree instead, or is she not so keen on the academic side?

A good friend of mine is an agent and she regularly attends university performances on the look out for new talent.

I'm amazed the unis charge as well for auditions .

Its hit and miss with feedback from drama schools. They sometimes see hundreds of candidates. I've worked in the industry and feedback for actors who are unsuccessful does sometimes happen via the agent.

It's no different than charging to do entrance exams. Although I have always thought that if you pass then you should be refunded.

Buxtonstill, I have never ever known Producers or casting directors or anyone else who might give an actor a job to go to local drama shows unless they have a family member in them! It's almost impossible to even get them to Central London showcases unless they have seen an actor's work and are already very keen in working with them, they simply don't have time. You're right that it's good for young performers to gain experience this way but the chances of being spotted are tiny.

Never seen a "top producer" at any local show I've ever been to! Maybe they were in disguise?

I second the University drama course idea. Then you have a credible degree to use for something else, and you are three quarters of the way to being a drama teacher. Or go and study something else at a university that is well thought of for it's student drama, get loads of experince and apply to drama school later.

Paying to audition for a school? Good god. You don't pay to have a Uni interview or a job interview.

It may not be a scam per se but it's certainly unscrupulous. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that such an institution wouldn't bother giving feedback.

Irelevant but interesting-a very highly regarded private school near us charges to go to Open Days. Even if you are already in the school, you pay to go to Upper School and 6th Form Open Days.........

Buxtonstill said "Many of the top producers go local shows just to see if they can talent spot."

I'm sorry, but that just isn't true, and I say that as someone who works in the theatre and has done for the last 20 years. Top producers don't have time on their hands - or the inclination - to go and watch amateur shows. It may happen once in every 30 years that someone from an amateur company is "discovered" and then it tends to be a total fluke, not because some producer or director is out talent spotting. Agents MAY occasionally go and see some fringe stuff and they do go and see drama school or university showcases to look for new talented clients, but not amateur shows.

Yes, it's a tough profession. And a lot of it is down to luck. Most actors are out of work more than they are in work. This is why it is usually best - and many of the schools actually prefer - to take students in their mid-20s, where they have some life experience behind them (to bring to the party, to inform their choices, to use in performance and to have basically toughened them up a little). They also usually have some skills they can turn to while "resting".

Unfortunately, due to certain TV programmes and magazines, far more people now audition for drama school than ever before. Sadly, it isn't because they desperately yearn to act. They want to be famous.

YABU

She's applying to join an unbelievably competitive profession. She won't get feedback when she goes to auditions for professional work - she may as well get used to it now. The fees are by the by. An acting career invariably costs an individual a lot more than they ever earn so it's got to start somewhere.

As a PP said, the sum total of the feedback she might get at her age is 'too young'. It might be because they've already seen plenty that look like your daughter and have filled their quota on blondes (or whatever hair colour your daughter has). It's unlikely to be anything she can change or work on.

It might also be better for her mental health if she doesn't know. Even at drama school level some of the critiques and quick notes they take can be harsh. I got through to the second and third rounds for a few major drama schools. In hindsight, I think I know why and I'm just as glad I didn't have it confirmed to my face via feedback. It would have hurt.

It's a total bitch of a profession and any feedback is going to be totally subjective anyway. She just needs to keep plugging away, taking classes, going to shows and, most importantly, learning how to dust herself off after a beating.

I went to one of the big London drama schools. Their policy is to audition everyone who applies, so they charge an application fee. They get thousands of applications as it is, the fee is partly a deterrant (although an extremely crude one) and partly to cover the costs of staff etc in holding the auditions. However, I do agree that candidates should receive some sort of feedback.

Dd is about to start this ive already paid the audition fee they said they didn't give feed back at the open days what she is also going to do is apply to college to do drama courses if she doesn't get in she had applied to Scottish royal conservotoire and getting in there is virtually impossible she knows that but applying anyway. I think you just need to accept that this will cost you money and they can't feed back every applicant.

Does your dd have experience ?