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!!

It’s a really nice place! It has that campus feel some might want (if considering university) and a good size (800 students) so you can meet friends.

places like rada are so prestigious of course but very small so you have to fit in and be ok with finding your own accom etc - ideal for an older student perhaps already from London but not easy for everyone

It’s really benefitted my DC having all the first years in the same halls. Great living with a bunch of people who are all passionate about theatre in one way or another.

Ah - I was talking about acting. Didn’t realise it was different for MT

Thanks, that’s helpful to know. I’ll tell DD to ask if there are any London slots.

Hi all,

I haven't been on this thread before, I wonder if someone can advise me please?

DD has two callbacks in the US and she is doing in-person auditions. She is not a dancer and will need to do dance auditions (or at least prove she can move/take direction I assume).

Does anyone know what she wears on her feet? Bare feet or trainers or ballet type shoes etc? She hasn't danced in heels before so not sure that would be a good way to go?

Any advice welcome thank you so much!

My DD auditioned in the US, they were specifically told no heels, she wore jazz shoes. In her case, (NYU) she said the dance audition was very uncomplicated and easy, but I know there are some colleges that are more dance heavy, so I guess it depends on the school. Best of luck to her.

@lamada thank you so much! She has a few weeks so I will get her a pair to wear in 😂

What are people’s thoughts on a place at prestigious school with very few students to do Cert HE MT foundation course versus BA MT degree at less prestigious school with lots of students. I’m worried the foundation course is just extra expense with no guarantee of a degree place following year, but also think it’s an incredible opportunity to have amazing training with very few students

@MyLovingBeewhat’s your DC’s background? How how much MT training have they had already? If they have been to a performing arts sixth form I would not do the foundation and accept the BA at the less prestigious option. If they have not been to sixth form in a performing arts school then they may well benefit from further training offered bg foundation to reapply next year. Also remember nothing is guaranteed

You are using ally told what style and what equipment you need. DD was expected to present for ballet black leotard, flesh coloured tights, ballet shoes, bun, but also to take jazz shoes to all her MT auditions.

@Truetoself thank you! No she hasn’t been to performing arts 6th form, although has done a lot of training and experience outside of school. She got the foundation place somewhere she never thought she would get in, but is still auditioning for BAs. I’m just thinking ahead in case she gets another offer (will be easier if she didn’t!), as she is now dead set on the foundation course

we decided not to apply for foundation courses anywhere that DC would want to later apply for a full degree. Only a very small number of foundation students (if any at all) will go on to be accepted for a degree at the same institution. That’s not to say a foundation course at a prestigious college is not valuable training, it absolutely is, and may indeed improve your chances at other places. But it’s definitely not a foot in the door to a full degree at the same place - and in some cases I think it even works against you.

@doesanybodyhaveamap ah
Thankyou For the advice. She didn’t apply for the foundation - she applied for the degree and was offered the foundation. This wasn’t a scenario I was expecting to happen and my feeling is she should do the degree if offered somewhere else

I think it all depends on your finances, your child's previpus training and which school it is. As a PP said, if your child hasn't been at a vocational sixth form but has the innate talent, a good foundation course can make a big difference in really bringing on their skills quickly to be able to target the top schools for degree. If it's GSA it is eligible for student finance, and my feeling is they only take students for foundation who really have the potential ultimately to do very well. If it is one of the ones that have multiple Foundation courses all over the country and they just keep adding them year on year, you've got to wonder if they are mostly a money- spinner for the school. Ask about destinations of last year's participants? If I had a really talented child who, for example, lacked a bit of dance training compared to some who had been at vocational sixth form, I would definitely consider them taking a Foundation at a top school ovwr a significantly lesser degree with hundredsnin the year. A Foundation doesn't guarantee progression to the same school's degree - far from it - but a good one should help to open more doors in a year's time.

Sorry about my typos!

@Needanadultgapyear thank you. The instructions say 'something you can move in' so she wants to wear trainers...

I'm going to suggest she speaks to the school dance teacher and see what she thinks. I don't want her to get there and not have options!

It's not a dance focused degree, but she did have to submit a movement video with the application. I think that's one of the reasons she applied there as she is not a dancer and it doesn't focus on dance.

🤞🏻 For all of the others in the thread above who are waiting for callbacks/planning upcoming auditions!

@Biscuitsneeded thank you so much that is really helpful advice. 😊

I do see what you're saying here, as people are disappointed every year when they have done a Foundation course and then they audition for a degree at the same school and don't get a place. But that is unavoidable, as they are competing with the very best students from all over the country, some of whom will have done vocational sixth forms or even Foundations elsewhere. Each school will choose the students it thinks have the greatest potential to be successful on their degree course and beyond, and who best make up a versatile and diverse cohort - and I think they have to just be blind to who is or isn't one of their own foundation students. My DS is at GSA on the Acting degree and he says each year one or two students from the GSA foundations (acting and MT) make it onto the respective GSA degrees. That may seem like not many, but he also says a very sizeable number get degree offers from other good schools such as Mountview, that arguably they might not have got without the Foundation training. I think the word 'foundation' is a bit misleading, as an academic foundation eg in engineering DOES lead to the degree at the same university, subject to satisfactory progress. The Cert HE in MT maybe needs to be viewed as a stand-alone qualification that delivers a high level of intensive training that is likely to mean you fare better at degree auditions, with the caveat that nothing is guaranteed and it needs to be a good foundation that only accepts students with strong potential in the first place!

@MyLovingBee Can you say what the respective foundation and degree offers are? I would definitely consider taking foundation at Arts Ed or GSA over degree at one of the pile 'em high schools, in the hopes of a better degree option a year later, if finances permitted. But it all depends on your circumstances, how you feel about the school when you visit, how impatient you are to get your degree etc. Somewhere like Contis took about 50 on the foundation last year, and of those I think about 20 ended up making it onto Conti degree - some of them after a waiting list situation. Nothing is certain, so in the end I think you have to go with your gut on where your DC thinks they will get the best next stage training within the bounds of what is financially possible.

@Biscuitsneeded the foundation offer is for arts ed. She doesn’t actually have any degree offers yet (so might not even be an issue) but I’m just thinking ahead. She’s also applying for italia conti, bird, Urdang , gsa and Laine for the degree course. I just assumed she wouldn’t get into the expensive ones and this wouldn’t be an issue 🤣

Congratulations to your DD! A Foundation offer from Arts Ed is a significant achievement. Clearly they see potential. That also bodes well for auditions elsewhere! If they will let you hold the offer without paying a deposit just yet, maybe you can see what else your DD gets offered and then decide. Ultimately, Arts ed Foundation followed by a degree at eg Urdang or GSA is still going to be cheaper than a whole degree at Laine, so it is worth considering.

With all the posts about foundation courses which ones do you feel are worth seriously considering above the colleges with larger student intake degree offers - All the private schools?

interested in hearing the same for acting foundation courses

Obviously there is no one right answer, and I'm far from an experienced expert, but we have known people who have done the Arts Ed and GSA MT Foundations and have then been offered the degree at places like Mountview, Conti, Urdang etc. Another friend chose Conti Foundation over degree offers at Bird and Performers, really enjoyed it and subsequently got offered Conti degree. I don't know, but I suspect the EDA Foundation would also be very thorough training. The Mountview one made me a bit suspicious last year because people were going to auditions and being told 'unfortunately our London Foundation is full, but we can offer a place in (insert city)'. It may well be just as good training but you'd want to be sure those courses in far-flung locations were yielding the same number of degree offers at the end, and they are not just cashing in on the MV name to get people to pay. As I say, I have no experience and it may well be as fantastic in Manchester/Exeter etc as it is in London. Perhaps someone with experience can post and let us know!

GSA, MV, Arts Ed, Bruford? There is also a RADA one but it's eye-wateringly expensive. Meant to be very good, though. LAMDA too I suspect.