Drama school auditions 2024- Acting/MT

[Mcmumager]

Is anyone starting the journey of drama school auditions and starting to feel the stress? Maybe sending them to drama group was a big mistake lol.

Guildhall won't let you try more than 3 times for some reason.

My dd has someone in her year who had been auditioning for 8 years. I really admire the dedication.

It’s opened my eyes for sure! I suppose you can work, go to uni, train elsewhere and keep applying. I’m sure most 18-20 year olds choose a different path if they don’t get in though

You can't really go to uni unless you are rich enough to pay your own way, because you'll only get student finance once! Mind you the Arts Eds, Mountviews and Laines of the world aren't eligible for student finance anyway, and hence off our list from the start!

Yes - over seven years (she didn't apply during Covid) and yes she worked the whole time. I'm so proud of her determination

My DD is auditioning for the second time this year after leaving school in the summer. First time around she treated it almost like a trial run with just a few schools, had a recall from LAMDA and was on the waiting list for RADA's Foundation so did pretty well. But she got the taste of brutality! Her first ever audition was at Central where they cull most people at lunchtime and you have to do the Walk Of Shame back through the school with the current students looking at you. This year she's applied for a few more but now that she has done her A Levels and these auditions define her future (or so she thinks) she is very anxious and nervous and thinks she might have been a more instinctive actor when it was a hobby and she was still at school! Lordy. RADA first up next week so here we go again...

I feel for everyone with children auditioning! It was a difficult and sometimes incomprehensible experience. And I understand the trepidation and worry.

My daughter is in her 2nd year of study after 3 years of auditioning and getting reserve places at Trinity Laban and RCS the previous year neither of which turned into offers. Bafflingly, after being on the reserve list the year before she didn't even get an in person audition at RCS the year after and her best threat - singing - was ranked fourth in the feedback! She didn't go down hill THAT badly so I can only assume there is a lot of luck and subjectivity by different staff in the selection process - or they just didn't watch her videos. Which was hard for her to cope with.

But she is having a ball now and as others have said definitely getting her monies worth in terms of full time contact hours and industry knowledge and networking with some excellent tutors. She is also getting opportunities to help with musical direction/leading class vocal warm ups (she has taught singing and lead a children's choir) and costuming their productions so is gaining a broad set of skills.

Definitely in the right place for her to flourish!

Yes I agree - especially for Acting - and I can see why given the intensity of the degree. It’s like psychotherapy.

Trinity Laban is such a nice building. Don’t think dd would get in there tho as not right skills - shame!

Anything - that’s such a great story about your dd - what persistence and work ethic

good point about the funding!

@anythinginapinch how did you manage as a parent. I see my bright intelligent DD pursuing her dream and having to manage the rejection but I can't help look at my friends DCs who are second year uni on their chosen 'standard' course and not think what if. What if she doesn't get anything this time. When does she stop applying. If she stops after 3/4/5 goes and decides on another uni course then she's going to be significantly older than other students. I keep challenging her to check in with herself that she wants to keep going but I'm not telling her what to do it what I think. TBH I'm not sure what I think!

@anythinginapinch and hats off to the guts and self belief your DD showed turning down GSA. I can't imagine what was going through your mind and the conversations had in your house when she decided that!! You must be so proud of her now.

I just can’t imagine the resilience and how tough it must’ve been to preserve so long. But there will be no holding her back now.

My ds has just finished first drama audition today and not sure my dry January is going to continue past 5 o’clock lol. Not sure what state I’d be in after 6 years!

@Mcmumager I hope he feels it went well. Where was it? Shall I have a drink for you?!

@Biscuitsneeded my husband has said he’ll make me a margarita so feel free to join in! It was at central - he really enjoyed the day. Tx

Cheers! And when you say 'the day', I'm assuming that means he was recalled to pm? Great news if so - well done to him!

Well done to @Mcmumager DS. I think I'm quite relieved my DD is away from home. I may be able to stay a bit more sane than previous years!

I see RADA have postponed their deadline until the end of January. Oh joy. An extra two weeks to perfect my moving (if wordless) performance of Troilus against my DD's Cressida.

Picked a helluva month to stop drinking!

@chocolatenutcase it was tough for her - and for us! She wouldn't get a "normal" starter job either but moved to London at 18 and worked in a bar. And she has great A levels results ... argh .... By the time she left that pub she was a trained sommelier and earning good money. We just say she's got her "resting" job lined up ahead of time - it worked out great for her.

Thank god she's tough, very bright and has sound reasons for wanting to act - about exploring being human, rather than being "a star". (I have a Ds who struggles with life in case I sound smug I'm not.)

DD also has her resting jobs sort she has made sure she's a trained barista, she has waitresses in high end restaurants and is now a team leader for Stonegate leisure currently working n Walkabout. She also does the digital media for her venue. Being able to earn money in other ways is essential.
If anyone's DC is the 10 am recall slot at Conti tomorrow she is one of the student ambassadors.

Wow this brought it all back. I left drama school 15 years ago and the only advice I could give would be as someone else said: be a real, likeable, rounded person. Take the work seriously but not take themselves too seriously!

It’s so lovely to see how many super supportive parents there are here helping their children pursue acting / musical theatre training and careers! Bravo to all of you. I am a little jealous (when I auditioned one parent had recently died and the other tried very hard to support but was deep in grief and rather lost).

Best of luck to all your DC. There are so many routes into acting, if they don’t get in it’s not the end of the world!

I’m in just the same position as yourself, my daughter has just been given a place on the reserve list for Artsed today, i was wondering how likely it is she will get in! Made a recall at her first one Royal Central on Friday so a 2 good days so far but she is a little upset today even though she knows how hard it is . it’s a hard game!

@dramamum1 sounds like she is off to an amazing start and should be really proud. A few of my dis’s friends have done arts ed with a mix of results from no recall, to reserve and just one we know to interview.

Which courses did your dd get recalled for at central? My son was mt and. cdt but hasn’t heard anything. A friend who was recalled for acting has been invited to the next stage a few days ago. . He’s on constant refresh on his phone.

If DS' experience (and that of his friends) last year at Central is anything to go by, the following happened. For those recalled to pm on the first day, there were some fairly swift UCAS rejections within a few days for some. For those who were offered another recall, the Acting and CDT staff got their recall emails out quite quickly but the MT department took a few weeks. So if you're waiting for news on MT I would say keep an eye on your UCAS, but as long as it doesn't update to a rejection you can hope no news is good news.

Snap. DS not interested in being famous but endlessly happy exploring the human condition. Theatre is what he lives and breathes, and I can't actually imagine him doing any other job. And yes that sounds a bit precious but I also have another child for whom life is a struggle. It's a source of happiness to me that my older DS, at least, has found his thing, and we are prepared for the scarcity of acting work and the likely financial precariousness of his future life. It seems a small price to pay for loving what you do. I like @Bigoldmachine 's advice to be serious about the work but not about oneself!

@dramamum1 your DD has done brilliantly- we are in the same position on the reserve list. I think its just a waiting game to see who accepts their offers etc. Its a bit all consuming i have to say......