Auditioning

Steps to Audition

If you are interested in auditioning, please read the Characters Page, Audition Pack for the Play/Musical to have some understanding of the play and follow the steps below. You will need to take three separate auditions; acting, dancing and singing.

Singing Auditions will be conducted by Vocal Director and will be arranged immediately after your acting audition. You must prepare one of the offered songs in the audition pack (There are 5 to choose from.) They are not character specific, just pick the one which showcases your voice the best. Inside the Audition Pack there is a PDF of the music, an example of the Broadway recording, and the instrumental track that you will sing with during the audition.

Dancing Auditions will be conducted by Choreographer in the Dance Studio. The dance audition is a large group audition and not individual. Please:

-Wear all black to the dance audition

-Dance shoes, socks, sneakers are all fine (whatever you're comfortable in)

-Anyone auditioning for a character who wears character heels or a special kind of shoe should also do the dance audition in that shoe

-A group warm-up will begin promptly at 3pm on the dance audition day

Please prepare for the dance audition by following guidelines in the Dance Audition Video

NOTE: Procedure for all Auditions

(Please follow these steps exactly in order - you must complete the online application form before booking an audition time)

Step 1: Please read the Audition Pack on Google Drive

Step 2: Then register your interest on the online Audition Application Form.

Step 3: Next make an appointment for your audition on the Audition Appointment Schedule. This will include your singing audition too. Acting/Singing Auditions are individual and need to booked in advance - Dance Auditions will be a whole group and there is no need for making an appointment.

Step 4: Finally, follow the procedures in the How to prepare for an Audition section below.

How to prepare for an Acting/Vocal Audition?

Please do some background reading and understanding of the play's plot line and characters.

A 10 minute Acting Audition usually follows this pattern:

1. Welcome and questions to you about the play, chosen character

2. Presentation of your 1-2 minute monologue (this can be either memorised i.e. learnt or improvised i.e. created on the spot and based on one character from The Play or Musical. Don't be nervous about this as we are just checking how you show the character's personality through voice and physicality).

3. Reworking/improvising your monologue (following suggestions from the audition panel)

4. Questions you may wish to ask the audition panel/director

After this:

5. You will then be sent to the Choir Room to complete your singing audition with Ms Meininger. This may take a further 5-10 minutes

6. Lastly, on the Wednesday afternoon, you will join all auditionees for a Dance Audition in the Dance Studio (see above for details)

If you are auditioning for a walk on-walk off speaking role, you should group together with other actors seeking a minor role and read a scripted scene from the play available in the Little Shop of Horrors extracts in the Audition Pack.

Please note: the audition panel will comprise the Director, Vocal Director & Choreographer. Some Advanced Drama Students will be helping with logistics only. Auditions are closed, but if you wish - you are allowed one friend only to accompany you for support.

Some useful sites about auditioning:

How to Audition

Audition Tips

How to have a successful callback Audition

A good series of videos on auditioning about approach and process:

How to prepare for an Audition (new)

How to give your best Audition

The Art of Audition

Please do NOT read your audition monologue - this is a bad audition.

You may be asked to do a 'cold reading' from other scenes of the play. This means the audition panel will hand you a section of the script and you will read the lines 'in character' only after scanning them for a short time, perhaps 1-2 minutes in preparation. Be prepared for this to happen - have a sense of your character voice, posture, mannerisms and attitude.

For more tips on audition monologue preparation see this document.