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.

Thanks its for MT Diploma course audition age 16,(this part she doesn't have much experience in as not available to take as GCSE) - they need to prepare a contemporary monologue from a British play published after 1996.

Not allowed to be from a film, musical or Shakespearean play.

Contemporary play monologue post 1996.

Very specific! Thanks for your help.

dont worry there’s plenty of books with just contemporary monos in them - try Nick Hern books for a full range

Thank you for your help,
will have a search.

I'm going through all this for the third year running! They are very keen on contrast, so if you do a serious Shakespeare it might be worth doing a more playful contemporary to show range. They also seem to like a monologue where the character is trying to "get"something from the scene rather than something passive. And of course there are some monologues that
are done to death but then you hear of someone having a fresh angle and getting in! So it's a bit of a minefield and I think, in the end, comes down to them finding a monologue that they love and feel confident not just in performing but in being able to take direction. We've found this site useful: www.stagemilk.com/monologues-for-women/ I guess we should start a new thread for 2025!

Thank you for your advice. It's a mind field! x

Trinity L6 diploma or Btec L3? My daughter did the Trinity. Places are usually a bit more lenient if its for MT and they are primarily a dancer/singer but they still do need to have read the play.

Definitely look at NT Connections and also the Jean Marlow audition speeches books (though they are a bit over done)

Hi, thanks - Trinity L6 Diploma. Will take a look. 😀

Which schools are they auditioning for? DC likely to embark on this unless she changes her mind

Hi, performers, Laine & Wilks x

Does anyone know if there is a new thread for this year's auditions?

Yes, there’s this one www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5201969-performing-arts-2025

There is also quite an active chat on student room.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I wondered if you had any advice on Bird. My daughter has 2 degree offers so far for Bird & PPA. She is adamant she wont go to any of them. She has been waitlisted for GSA MT BA but got foundation at Trinity Laban. We still have outcomes to wait on for EDA, Italia Conti & Urdang but I am thinking if she doesnt get in there then Bird would be the best option. Did your YP enjoy their time there?

I'm just popping on to say that a friend's daughter goes to Bird and she loves it. They have big year groups but they set them for singing, dance etc. In the lower sets possibly they aren't all the most brilliant singers and may not actually be targeting an MT performing career so much as teaching etc, but at the same time the truly passionate ones who have the talent do get very good training. If you go to West End shows and buy a programme you do see Bird mentioned. If your DD has a GSA waiting list place she's clearly talented so may well still get offers, but if she doesn't I think Bird is good training. Can understand though if she feels she should hold out for something she wants more.

Thank you, thats really kind of you to reply. I think i just panicked when she only got a foundation offer for Trinity Laban & she doesn’t want to take any of the BA offers she currently has, but she is looking for triple threat training and does want to perform. We will just need to wait and see what happens with these other auditions. More research on bird is definitely needed I think before she dismisses it entirely.

Hey! Yes, she loved it. The main defining characteristic of Bird, from my perception, is that its big. My daughter liked that, she enjoyed the competition, but I know others found it overwhelming. I would also add that it is very MT focused- my daughter has moved towards 'serious' acting and has sought extra training for this. Feel free to drop me a PM. The pastoral care, I would add, is excellent.

Mountview have just notified of recalls. DD didn’t get one, but was offered Foundation. However having just done a Foundation at GSA, it’s not an option.

Interestingly all those who applied from her current course were also offered Foundation, including one strong TT who already had an offer for GSA MT BA.

Have they not looked at the fact that all 8 of them have already completed the course? You have to wonder what their criteria is - they auditioned at different times and some different locations too.

Do you mean they had all done a foundation at GSA before? And now Mountview have offered a foundation?

mountview also do certificates of further education too - or is that the same as foundation?

Yes. The Cert HE is a Foundation and exactly what they’re doing now.

It just seemed a bit strange they were all offered that. I wonder if it was just computer generated when they’re auditioned and it defaults to Reject, Recall, Foundation, without checking their history. A bit lazy if so.

Same for my DD. They even asked her at the end of her singing audition where she was training and what course she was doing!
She’s at EDA on foundation.

Really? Thats even stranger thst they actually asked her.

Would anyone need to do two foundations?

We thought that meant she wouldn’t get a foundation offer but we were wrong obviously!
Do they think everyone has unlimited amounts of money? I think it’s quite poor tbh.

Maybe it’s a money thing for them. I know their courses are only part funded through Student Finance, but you can only get four years funding anyway.

You're right, it is poor.

Hi, does anyone have any experience of Bird Reserve List and the chances of getting an offer