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!!

As McMumager says, it’s hard to predict due to cohort size and numbers put on reserve list. I do know that 3 girls were offered GSA MT degree this year off reserve list, which compared to cohort size is maybe more than you would expect. So it is possible, even at the schools that take fewer.

That’s interesting @DalekFan maybe there are almost two types of reserve lists. The one where they haven’t seen everyone yet and haven’t offered all of the places and you are on a reserve ‘maybe’ list till auditions finish. Then the reserve lists after they have offered all the places and places from those come when people pull out.

Does anyone know why the notapushymum forum has been so quiet over the last year and half compared to previous years? I used to get a lot of info from there but there’s been nothing for ages

Arts Ed, GSA and maybe Mountview will be wanting a lot of the same people, so possibly some girls holding a GSA offer ultimately went elsewhere if they absolutely wanted to be in London, and had the money! We know someone who got offers everywhere she applied. Ultimately she took up her GSA offer but that meant somebody else got off the waiting list at Arts Ed. There is a reasonable amount of movement - a friend of my DS got an offer right before term started for BA Acting at GSA. Was all set to go to E15 but took the eleventh hour offer.A reserve list place is a huge achievement and although it doesn't guarantee a place by any means (we also know people who have sat on the same waiting list twice, for it to come to nothing), places do come up for some people.

Yes, I’m sure those who didn’t take up their GSA offers had amazing offers elsewhere. 🤩

DD also getting on the rollercoaster this year! I read last years' with interest and am braced for a nervous ride! Going for MT with actor musicianship where she can. Honing down the courses, choosing monologues, songs and instrument pieces and already found the RCS audition dance routine!

Mine is booked on. They are worthwhile - well, the summer MT course was a few years ago.

@Sop2👋 from a fellow actor muso!! My DC is off to Rose Bruford next weekend!

My ds is too, only for tech not preforming.
I think it's small enough they should meet!

@MargaretThursdayI’m sure they will!!

This was a good thread to find. DD is 2nd year college, doing UAL Extended Diploma in Acting. Top of her list is Falmouth, Plymouth, Welsh College of M&D. 2 are BA Hons Acting and 1 is BA Hons Acting for Stage Screen and Future Media.

She has Grade 8 LCME in Musical Theatre Singing, but couldn't get onto the MT course at college because it was over subscribed and she can't dance... so she switched to Acting instead.

I just came cross another MT programme I hadn’t heard of, university of East London, anyone know anything about it?

Is that LMA in Stratford?

It’s this Uni, but I can’t see MT on the undergrad programme, it was a
youtube post that popped up about, which I now can’t find.

https://www.uel.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/ba-hons-acting-stage-screen

“The University of East London has three different campuses: Docklands, Stratford and University Square Stratford (USS).”

Possibly the same one?

No, that’s a different place. LMA in Stratford (there’s also an LMA in Liverpool) is not part of UEL and its degrees are accredited by Regent University (who I must confess to never having heard of, they are a private university apparently).

I hope all the new starters are enjoying freshers events and their new courses! Exciting times 😀

How is everyone’s DC getting on? Mine is having difficulty choosing her monologue.

Mine thinks she may have found one and I have been listening to her try various ones out. She thinks she has narrowed down her song options too, but it has been a lot of stress!

Well we think monologues, songs and instrument pieces are narrowed down but it depends what GSA say on their audition prep course. They might suggest DD change everything 😱! And LIPA have a set list for songs which I haven't managed to get hold of yet!

Found last year’s self tapes list. Wonder if it is the same?

https://lipa.ac.uk/media/i4lnnpb2/2025-baact-mt-stage-1-self-tape.pdf

Yes, working on the basis only 1 or 2 will change as per previous years. It's nice to see they don't expect the crazy Elphaba belt style songs and actually want to hear something that is acted 😊

I posted below on the wrong thread. Would definitely recommend a pre audition course if possible, she said she recognised a few faces from the Urdang intensive in April.

DD did the GSA pre-audition course, said it was really helpful, they suggested she change her second monologue, and also suggested she changed one of her songs to showcase an aspect of her voice she wasn’t really aware of. She loved the dance part of it.

They don’t get a lot of one on one time, I think she said they get 7 minutes for their monologue. She liked the campus and Guildford is such a gorgeous town, I really enjoyed the weekend there, lovely shopping with cute cafes and restaurants.

They told the group they get over 2,000 applicants, call 500 in for auditions and accept something like 25. It’s a bit deflating when it’s laid out in black and white how the statistics are stacked against them from the outset.

Hi All, DD attended the pre-audition course at GSA over the weekend so I'm sharing back some intel. It was completely worth it - lots of good feedback on her monologue and song (which thankfully they didn't suggest she change!). Interesting that some kids there simply weren't dancers. GSA gave them a dance workshop to show what kind of thing would be expected. Basically if you have no ballet experience go get some before auditions was their advice. They did say the expected no of applications will be nearer to 3000 and still only 25 places! We also attended virtual open day for italia conti. They will require a 60 second solo dance (own choice) and jazz warm up exercises as per a taught video as well as songs and monologues. UCAS gone off today and Mountview and Artsed are in. Very scary! How's everyone else doing?

Oh that course does sound helpful Sop2. GSA seems fab but seems such a long shot with those stats! Daughter’s UCAS form is almost ready to go. Just one more open day to firm up some choices.

She has applied for 3 direct application choices and booked 3 auditions. First one is 30th Nov. Eek!

she has learned her monologues, now just has to work on performance. Songs almost ready - just trying to work on technique for a couple of the trickier parts. She is freaking about about having to sort a solo dance though for one of her auditions!

Has anyone heard from Mountview re an audition date? Application in and paid for here but no sign of a date to book yet.