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!!

I think Straight Acting and MT are quite different 'beasts' to apply for.

Both are highly competitive, but MT has seemingly more 'top' places available per year. Most of the acting courses take 24 students at most. Most students applying to MT will be 18-20 yr olds, whereas Acting has potential students from 18 to late 30's, plus a huge number of International students also apply for the top Acting schools here. Drama schools love a mature student with life experience and so the competition is different for 18 year olds, and only a small percentage of school leavers will be offered a place in one of the top Drama schools for straight Acting. I have heard of a couple of students in the past who have secured more than 1 top offer for Acting in any one year, but I do think its a lot rarer than in MT.
The audition processes are often 4+ rounds long and they gradually whittle the numbers down so they don't actually over offer in quite the same way other University courses do. They only hold small reserve lists to select from if someone were to decline an offer after the final round. Perhaps the smaller MT schools like ArtsEd/ RWCMD do something similar? I'm not quite sure what their processes are for offering..

They are both incredibly competitive courses and any young person who gets offers for either is doing very well. The bottom line is you can't control the competition- all they can do is their best and hope they will be one of the lucky ones! You can't worry about the odds 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hello everyone- newbie to this forum. My son is on the journey this year and has applied for RADA, LAMDA, Guildhall, Welsh, Scottish - (for acting BAs) and GSA and Mountview (for Actor Muso). Been waiting nearly three weeks for a response to self tapes at RADA and LAMDA - my nerves are shot already!

Best of luck to him. I remember that feeling. Anxious because not much seemed to be happening, but also praying they wouldn't all want self tapes at once!

hello everyone does anyone have any insight to if they think it is better to audition earlier or later in the year ? My YP is leaning to audition from Feb March onwards - thoughts?

I think it all depends on how ready they feel and if they feel there is room to grow in certain aspects of their triple in the next couple of months.
However some schools give rolling offers so not surw if it would get more competitive towarda the end?

DD sent self tapes to Scottish and Welsh for MT waited three months ( had been offered and accepted Conti in that time) then noticed one day on cUCAS she was rejected on both.
Mountview and rejected her very quickly.

For the MT mums. DD is doing a job that is very common for MT new grads - she has gone to Finnish Lapland to work for Santa as an elf. She is having the best time loving the immersive improv side - being an elf for 12 hours a day. She is having some incredible experiences up there. At the weekend after having been in the forest to an area where the wild birds will fed on your hand she told me she was living her best Snow White life. Most of her friends are travelling too either on cruises or international tours.

Thank you - that’s really helpful to know

Thanks for the reply yes that makes sense

Hi everyone, gap year here (hats off to those of you doing this in Year 13!😳 DS applying for Acting BA to loads of places, currently deciding on monologues. My question is about the 'response to stimulus' requirement for 1st round GSA - create a video using movement, text (either existing or self-written), song or a combination in response to an image. Where did you start??! Would an appropriate MT song cut it, do you think, or are they looking for something more original? He's not a writer or a dancer so this feels well out of his comfort zone. TIA.

My ds had to do similar for a central audition a couple of years ago. He initially did a dance but then changed his mind and ended up writing a monologue based on one of the pieces. I think it should be demonstrating your creativity so I’d think it needs to be original.

I think they expect something original or the use of something prewritten delivered in a unique and original manner, but doesn't have to include dance. He could perhaps combine some pre written with some of his own ideas if he finds that easier. But it's presumably all about seeing their creativity so the more original the piece/format whilst being high quality the better I suspect.

Hello, hope everyone doing well. My DD is almost ready to start applications- she said that on UCAS she can search for the GSA musical theatre course but is not able to select it as an application choice when searching using the UCAS code.. Sounds a little odd has anyone else experienced the same?

I'd do something original if possible. If you use a pre-existing song or poem then do something interesting with it. They are looking for creativity rather than the best singer or dancer, so I wouldn't let a lack of dance experience prevent him from doing a movement piece. I wouldn't do an MT song, unless you're going to do something very different with it!

Hi all. After lurking and learning last year, now joining in here.
DD is 1st year at a local PA college studying MT and so next year will be applying to drama school.
Wondering what advice you would give when looking outside of London, north of London specifically. I am not sure we will be able to cover accomodation/living costs of being in London itself unfortunately. (Minimum maintenance loan makes it very costly looking at the price if accomodation).
What options do you think have good training AND good connections? What should we be looking at when considering drama schools not central to London?
DD is a good triple threat and at a good quality PA college, straight acting probably her less experienced area but good with acting through song and in productions.
EDA is possibly affordable assuming accomodation is reasonable, am I ruling out London unnecesarily or is accomodation really that expensive.
Thankyou.

I would think about what your overall budget is in terms of top up fees and accommodation expenses. Those in London will be able to access the higher maintenance loans which help towards accommodation, so you may actually find somewhere like EDA is just as expensive or more so than Urdang, Central, Trinity, who whilst are in London don't have any top up fees but have higher accommodation costs - that the increase in maintenance loan will help with.
Outside of London, Royal Welsh, Scottish Conservatoire, Wilkes, Lipa, Leeds, Bird, the Hammond, Brighton Academy, Performers and GSA would all be standard fee for the course - although Guildford and Brighton accommodation is expensive with no London allowance.

I’m back with more questions please I have read her about Wilkes, The Hammond and Trinity but I’m not familiar with these colleges does anyone have any insight or can give me some more information?
we are looking at Urdang, Bird, Emildale, Laine & GSA. There are so many to choose from

GSA accommodation isn't actually all that expensive. my Ds paid £115 per week for a basic room in halls. Pays a bit more in a shared house now, plus bills of course, but it's not more than students pay in many uni towns and probably not as expensive as London.

You should definitely consider EDA. Its reputation is growing and growing, its grads are getting work and it is North of London. However, I think with drama school you can't afford to be too choosy about location, to be honest. You have to go where a place or places get offered! Fair enough discount the very expensive private ones, but otherwise be open to places like Urdang, Bird, GSA, Conti etc. If you really want cheaper rent, look at MT at Leeds Conservatoire - up and coming by all accounts?

Thats good to hear. I was thinking of Guilden Village where a lot of Conti and PPA students live, and that is super expensive!

Ah yes Guilden Village is crazy, but that is mainly Conti students. But GSA students can have places in Surrey Uni halls for first year and then houseshares in the city arent too bad. Not cheap, but not as bad as some.

Thankyou for the reply. That's a good point about Guildford as I was looking at GSA and accomodation seemed very high, I hadn't thought its worse as the maintenance won't have the London weighting. I do find the MT loan means tested on parents income very unfair, my son has stayed at home so we've not had to worry about it until daughters turn.

Interesting as I hadn't seen anything that price for accomodation. I will have to look at bit more closely.

Thanks. EDA is definitely on her list. I know we will have to be very open minded about it all as its so competitive but I'd hate to have to veto somewhere she loves on cost if it came to it, its so hard but important to manage expectations!
Leeds conservatoire had come on my radar recently, missed out on a place at their open day but will look out for them at Move it or try the next open day.

@NorthernMTmumCardiff also a lovely place to live and very affordable!