Getting into Drama School can be a difficult and, sometimes, traumatic process.

I have been on both sides of the fence. Many years ago now, I went through the London Drama Schools‘ auditions to gain entry to start my actor training. Now, I audition students for entry onto my Acting Programmes.
Here are 5 points that will help you get through the Drama School audition and get accepted.

1. Pick Appropriate Audition Speeches

   You will be required by most acting schools to learn two audition speeches. One modern and one Shakespeare. Modern means any play written in the last 100 years (roughly). An audition speech is a monologue given by a character in a play directed to another character or given by a character speaking out their own internal thoughts to themselves. The latter, Shakespeare referred to as soliloquies.
   I would recommend finding speeches said by characters of a similar age and type to you. If you are 18, it‘s easier for you to relate to, play, and be convincing to a panel, as an 18 year old character from a play. Obviously, you can widen the age range but I would veer away from characters that are much older than you.
   Also, find characters that you can relate to and who are of a similar type. It‘s best to make the process as simple and enjoyable as possible. Find characters you resonate with and enjoy playing. If they are of a similar type to you, it will be easier to produce high quality acting for the part.

2. Get Professional Coaching

   Most Drama Students take professional acting lessons and acting classes run by professional coaches to practice and perfect their audition speeches. If you decide not to do this, remember you may be up against students who have been perfecting speeches for years with professional coaches.

3. Know the Character and Play Inside Out

   You MUST know the character and play intimately. During your Drama School auditions, you may be asked questions by the audition panel on the character and the play. The panel will know many of the plays very well. They will ask you questions to make sure you are committed and to ensure you‘ve done your homework.

4. Take Re-Direction

   If they ask you to do your speech in a different way, this is called re-direction. They are doing this to see if you can do it differently when requested or if you keep repeating it the same way. You MUST take the re-direction fully. However they ask for it to be redone, don’t question it, and fulfill it as fully as possible.
   If you fail to take the direction, it will be a mark against you.

5. Don‘t Block In Improvisations

   If they ask you to improvise, just throw yourself in and don‘t block the other actors. Here is an example of ’blocking‘.

   Actor A: Hello, would you like to go for a walk?

   Actor B: No, I don‘t want to.

   Actor A: Oh, go on.

   Actor B: No, I want to be left alone.

   Actor B is blocking and that won‘t be liked by a panel.

   They are looking for people to join in, communicate, and create.

   Also, don‘t take yourself out of any group situation they put you in. If you don‘t join in or are reticent, they will think you‘re not a team player.

It would be a wise move, in advance of your acting training, to take acting courses in improvisation so you are at home with this acting technique.

Following these five points will help you gain entry into Drama School.

Best wishes

Brian Timoney