Auditioning for the Acting Programme
Students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds are selected on merit by audition.
It is not necessary to have any previous acting experience.
You should normally be at least 18 years old when you begin your training. Most students are a few years older. There is no upper age limit.
We welcome applications from international applicants. You must be completely fluent in the English Language (the equivalent of a minimum IELTS score of 7.5). Current and recent international students have come from Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Eire, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
We consider diversity to be an enriching and vital part of theatre-making. We welcome applications from individuals with disabilities and encourage them to disclose relevant information regarding any disability when completing their application form, to enable us to provide additional support during the audition process. Read more about the disability support we offer to applicants.
From 2021 entry, our UK Acting application fee will be reduced from £66 to £35 and we’ll be holding first and second round auditions in more cities nationwide – Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds and Nottingham as well as London. Read our full announcement.
Application process
The application process for the BA (Hons) and MA Acting programmes involves a three-stage audition: the first round audition, the second round audition and the final recall audition. You must pass each stage in order to proceed to the next.
All auditions are performed in person; we DO NOT accept recordings or arrange Skype auditions.
Auditions take place on weekdays only; we do not audition at weekends. Applicants attend a morning or an afternoon session.
Due to the volume of applications received, please allow up to 8 to 12 weeks to be allocated and e-mailed an audition date.
Notification of audition dates are sent by email. Please be aware that occasionally email notifications can be diverted to junk mail folders.
First round auditions
The majority of first round auditions are held in London between November and May.
First round auditions also take place in Bristol and Newcastle in March; details below.
Bristol audition dates:
- Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 March 2020.
Newcastle audition dates:
- Monday 2, Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 March 2020.
Auditions are also held in New York in January details below:
New York audition dates:
- Wednesday 22 to Thursday 30 January 2020 (except Saturday 25 January 2020).
Second round auditions in New York take place on the same day as first round auditions, at the end of the morning or afternoon session.
Read more about auditions in New York.
Second round auditions
Applicants who progress to the second round audition stage will be advised of their audition date after their first round audition session.
All second round auditions take place in London and you should be prepared to spend a half day at the School (a morning or afternoon session).
Final recall auditions
If you are successful at the second round audition you will be invited to return for a further 1.5 consecutive days; the final recall auditions are held between 10 and 14 May 2020 only.
Please note: the final recall audition dates are fixed and unchangeable; therefore, if you are unable to attend during the dates noted above, you cannot be considered for a place on the Acting Programme.
Final recall auditions include more detailed work on audition monologues, movement and improvisation work (some of this in small groups), voice and a short interview. You meet and work with many of the staff members who teach on the programme.
Advice to applicants auditioning for the Acting programme.
International applicants
For international applicants from outside Europe, auditions may be arranged to take place during the week prior to the final recall auditions (dates noted above).
What you should prepare
You should prepare three contrasting dramatic monologues of your own choice:
- One must be in verse (blank or rhymed) from a play by Shakespeare or another Elizabethan/Jacobean playwright (for example, Jonson, Marlowe, Webster);
- One from a modern play written after 1956;
- One should be a contrasting monologue from a 20th or 21st century play.
No monologue should last longer than two minutes. Please note: the time limit is adhered to and the Audition Panel may stop you if you overrun.
In addition, you should also be prepared to sing, in English, a short unaccompanied song of your own choice. This is to assess your ability to perform and interpret a song rather than your singing ability. Please avoid contemporary pop songs.
Read more about auditioning for the Acting programme.
Auditions - advice to applicants.
Application deadlines
New York: Wednesday 11 December 2019
London, Bristol, Newcastle: Wednesday 22 January 2020
Application Fees
| London, Bristol, Newcastle | £66 |
| New York | £89 |
The above fee, which is non-refundable, is a complete fee; there are no additional fees should you progress through the audition stages.
Re-application
The School does not accept applications for a repeat audition for the same year of entry.
Applicants will be permitted to audition for the three year BA (Hons) and/or MA Acting programmes on no more than three occasions in total. If an applicant is unsuccessful in gaining a place after three auditions, a fourth audition will not be offered under any circumstances.
