National Youth Theatre Casting audition

Hi all,
Whilst this is not a drama school audition, I know a lot you applying will also be looking at applying to the National Youth Theatre too so this is a little insight as to what you do when you become a member.
So my casting audition was at the Holloway Road studios; NYT's main London base for auditions and their offices. It is also the place where I did my intake audition so going back brought up a lot of memories.
The audition started at 10 am, and we all waited in a large studio in a group of about 80 members.
The casting panel then came in to welcome us all. They talked for a little of the various opportunities that we would be auditioning for during today (opportunities including the Rep Company). They then announced that the group would be split in half, if your name was called then you would be doing your monologue to them in the morning, the other half would be doing their movement workshop and then the music workshop; you would then swap in the afternoon. I was called in the list so I went upstairs to wait to be called in to do my monologue part of the audition. When it was my turn, I had a conversation with the guy doing the audition, he asked me general questions about what I was up to and how old was I. He then asked me what my monologue was (Sara from A Shop Selling Speech by Sabrina Mahfouz). I did it. It went well, but could have been a bit tighter. He sat me back down and asked me a few more questions. I then asked further about a few of the projects available and then finished the audition by confirming my availability for the summer.

Since I had a while to kill before the afternoon part of the audition, I got talking to a few people who had been members for a while, some of them had gone to Drama school so it was brilliant just talking to people who were interested in the same thing as you. That is the best thing about NYT; whatever your background or age, you can talk to anyone there and feel welcome.

Then came the swap in the afternoon. Firstly the Movement workshop. It was ran by Kaine who is the movement director on the Rep course and happened to be the guy who auditioned me for my intake course last year - so I knew I was in for a treat.
We first started with a few basic exercises - a name game, a clapping game and then filling the space and reacting to a few phrases to create moments in the space.
We then had to get into lines and follow some choreography which was utterly fantastic to do as everyone just went for it. We then had to find ways of making shapes using just more than one body and then we had to devise a scene in groups with a given scenario - using all the skills we had just learnt. It was exceptionally fun but very hard work.

Finally we had the Music workshop - firstly the Guy leading it sat us all down in a circle and got to tell him a little of our musical experience. I have to confess it was quite daunting when loads of people were saying that they were grade 8 in like 10 instruments but it seemed fine if you didn't play instruments. He then stood us up and we warmed up our voices with a few simple exercises. He then got us to match the key he was playing the piano and went round to listen to everyone's voices.
We then gathered round the piano and had to come up with a couple of lyrics to firstly a happy theme and then a sad theme. We then had to harmonise it and sing it all together. Finally we then split into smaller groups and had to come up with a scene that used singing and music as the main theatrical force of the piece. I have to say it. But I loved doing that part of the workshop. Now I'm not a singer but it was great to play and pretend to fall in love by singing is just so much fun.
We watched everyone's pieces back and it was brilliant to see such variety in the room.
We then got to leave the audition and I headed back home.

Whatever the outcome of that audition. I had a great time and it was just brilliant to do something with NYT again.

BTW hope everyone is enjoying their Drama School auditions!
Adios,
Terri ;D