Drama school auditions 2026 entry- Acting/MT

[Mcmumager]

Annual thread for those with dc about to embark on the rollercoaster of audition season. This is my second time round as my ds did it a couple of years ago. These threads are always really supportive and full of great advice as it’s often hard to explain to others how tough and competitive this process is. Good luck everyone!!

Hello!

Thank you for setting up this thread @Mcmumager

Thanks, it was really useful to be on last year’s thread, so I’ll hop on here too!

Has anyone done the GSA pre audition weekend course ? i put DD on the waitlist for September and just got a notification now that she got a place, however i obviously didn't read the details initially as it says there are two tracks, MT and acting, but i don't think it gave me the option to choose which track when I put her on the waitlist. Tried to call but no answer.

other question, is it worthwhile ?

👋 we’re not auditioning this year - it will be DC’s first year in RB, but I’m sure we’ll be needing advice from those that have gone before us!

I’m sure I’ll be joining in at some point. Although DD is doing a foundation MT year, and think they won’t be able to apply until quite late in the season, and hopefully won’t be too involved, but you never know 😂😂. Good luck to all applying this year, don’t forget to keep the wine and biscuits topped up 😂

@doesanybodyhaveamapis RB rose burfod? Is that case why would she need to re audition?

As I said, we’re not auditioning this year 🙂

Marking place DD embarking on this journey this year

Hi, here to join in.

My DD is also applying this year - eek!

@doesanybodyhaveamapI was wondering what being first year at RB meant? I think I may have misunderstood

@Truetoself it’s a 3 year BA course - just hanging out here as some regulars have kids further along in the journey, and I’m expecting we may have newbie performing arts student questions. Also, having been through the auditions last year there may be some questions I can help with.

@doesanybodyhaveamapgotcha!!!! I will ask a question- have you had any experience of Emil Dale MT auditions? on their website they say they start giving offers out in Sept when their auditions start. I wonder how they do it as they must have a cap on places?

We didn’t do Emil Dale, but it seems pretty usual that all the colleges start offering as they go along- I expect they have some kind of idea of how many places to keep for later auditions.

In our experience, after final auditions you should hear pretty quickly with an outright yes or a no, but if it’s taking a while then probably officially or unofficially being kept in reserve until they see how things are shaping up.

My DC only applied to 3 and we got no news from one for months, then after chasing were told they were waitlisted; another told them waitlist after 2 days, the third offered after 2 days.

There was a flurry of movement on waitlists towards the deadline for accepting offers but DC had accepted RB by then so we’ll never know if those waitlist places would have converted. Anecdotal evidence suggests at least one of them would have, but we’re happy they’ve made the right decision in accepting RB.

My daughter is going to do it I think. Just trying to see how she can make dates work.

Hi everyone,

This will be Hattie’s first year auditioning and I am so nervous for her. She’s just booked some open days for October so it’s beginning to feel real. I think she would really love to stay where she is for 6th form (she is at Arts1), so keeping everything crossed for that, but if not, an offer anywhere!

The hard thing to get my head around at the moment is when to audition. College have advised her to try for Jan-Feb to make the most of the next few months’ training and make sure she has all her pieces ready. She has some ideas re monologues and songs, but I am hoping her 1:1 teachers will help her firm things up when she goes back in September.

@doesanybodyhaveamapthank you!
@ThespymumI think it’s best to spread them out so there is time to grow and improve in between auditions?
Act1 is quite new right? So she would have a good chance there?

Yes, brand new as in they only have degree first years at the moment. She has been so impressed with the teaching there and feels she would get a really personal experience at degree. She is autistic so small and feeling ‘known’ is her number one criteria and she isn’t a natural dancer so many of the usual options are out for her. But there were several of their 6th formers who didn’t get in last year, so whilst I am quietly hopeful, it is by no means certain.

Where are everyone’s DC applying? Mine said something about a school in Cardiff and another in Scotland- I discouraged the one in Scotland as it’s so far away from home which I felt was a mistake with my eldest DC
We are in SE and there are plenty of schools nearby but far enough to live away from home. I don’t think it will be the same as living in student halls sadly

We have come to the conclusion that this year she will apply to 4 in the UK, she can really focus on doing a lot more during a gap year, if she doesn't get a place in any of those this year. She also wants to apply to a few US colleges..

Mountview
Guildford School of Acting
ArtsED
1 other, yet to be decided.

I don't know if Urdang is even worth applying to, she did an Intensive at Easter and at the end of the week they offer 6 students in the class a fast track to auditions, they exceptionally added a 7th for the one guy on the course, (she said he was no where near as good as most of the other participants who didn't get a fast track). So 7 participants out of 30, she wasn't one of them, so I do wonder if it is worthwhile adding it. She said everyone on the Intensive were spectacular dancers, all been training for years, she is not in that category at all.

@lamadafor any school if you don’t apply, there is zero chance. I have just checked out Urdang website and there are details on how to submit a self tape. I think this is one of the very few schools to ask for a self tape for MT. There is also advise on how to do it.
If your DD is determined to to a BA MT then I suggest the net is cast wider, even for audition experience.

Both Urdang and GSA are first round self tape ( unless anything changes for 26 entry). For this year Urdang accepted a number of people based on those self tapes - I know of some who are very strong singers but minimal dance who were accepted from those tapes.

They are very different schools eg GSA will take around 22 in a year for MT whereas Urdang will take 170.

With regards to the schools in Scotland and Wales @Truetoself is it Royal Welsh and the Royal Conservatoire? Both great schools. My ds is at RW and really loving his time there.

My dd plans to apply for Italia Conti, GSA and Emil Dale. Possibly Performers and Arts Ed. Slightly veering towards Emil Dale as she goes there for Associates once a month. We have a lot of students from her dance school that have gone on to Bird but she doesn’t think that it’s the right place for her, although would like a look round as she’ll have people there she knows. I’m worried that she’s very blasé about the whole thing! I don’t want to knock any confidence out of her but I also don’t want her to be totally blindsided if she gets a rejection.

My daughter is not a dancer (or at least not at the level of some), and is a strong singer/actor. She has just completed a Cert-HE at Emil Dale, and is going to Urdang in September. So they definitely take those not so strong in dance. In Year 2 the students choose a strand: Dancer, Triple Threat or Singer/Actor.

Quite a lot of schools do tape as first round (well they did last year):
GSA
Urdang
Conti
Royal Welsh
LIPA
Leeds Conservatoire
RCS