RADA audition 2.0

Hi all,
So today I had my first audition of this Drama School system (or whatever you want to call it). And it just so happened to be RADA, one of my first choices.
Currently I'm coming down from the adrenaline rush I had doing it so it may take longer to string sentences together atm.
So I woke up far too early and ate breakfast before settling off to Manchester (where the audition was). I got there really early so I had time to limber up and talk to a few people who happened to have done NYT over the summer like me so that was nice talking to them.
They then called me in and told me their names (the man was called John) and shook my hand before sitting me down and asking the regular questions like what are you doing at the moment and asked me about NYT and a show I did with CYC that toured recently.
They then asked me to do my first two speeches which went quite well - if a little too fast perhaps with nerves.
The lady there then asked me to do my third speech as well and told me that she would probably stop me half way through. So I did it but she didn't stop me. Now with my third speech I hadn't practiced as much as the other two but I just did it with the truth that I was feeling. That speech went quite well too.
They then asked me to sit down again and asked me what actors am I a fan of, what theatre have I seen recently (both in London and locally) and where else am I applying to this year.
And then they told me I could leave.
Overall I feel happy about what I did today, whatever the circumstances of the results. Because I know that I did my best and I left the audition knowing that I had been given a fair opportunity to achieve my goals.
And now I'm eating cheesy garlic bread as a treat.
Adios,
Terri ;D

Summer Time Maddness (It begins...)

Hey All!

So it has been a while since I wrote, I think the main reason for that is that after two months of A level exams I got kinda sick of writing the contents of my brain down. But after a three week break I'm back with avengance on working towards getting into drama school! 

Not that I haven't done any research since my A levels, I have, honest.

Since thoses horrific exams I have been to three open days, to name them:

1. Mancheter Metropolitain

2. Birmingham school of Acting

3. Royal Central school of speech and drama.

Now I know that I applied to Manchester last year (check out the January post on the audition) but, in going to the open day, I just wanted to clarify my infomation about the place. 

And, to be honest with you, compared to the other two drama schools, it dosen't really hold up to standards.

The next open day I attended was Birmingham School of Acting. Now until recently I didnt even know that this school exsisted until I found it on the Drama UK website, and by the sounds of it, not many people have either.

But don't let this fool you into thinking that this is a bad school. The School itself is set inside the Millenium point building, which is a five min walk from the Bull Ring. The building is surounded by surrealist gradens and a playground for children (its very cool, and the play ground made me want to be a kid again). 

As the course is accredited by Drama UK, it has all the features of the usual drama school course at BA hons. And while the place is small compared to other places, it has everything you need for a rounded acting education. While I missed the tour of the accomadation (yes they do have accomadation), I was deeply impressed with the talk that the head tutor gave and the discussion that the pupils gave (willingly) afterwards in a side room at the end. And in that 20 min chat with them, I gained more knowledge than any previous audition had given me.

Note: One way I judge the sutiability of a course is by what the current students say about it openly, and not what they are told to say by a tutor.

Another great thing about the drama school is that because few people have heard of it. Because - lets be honest - who expects Birmingham to have a state of the art Drama School in it's city center. Then less people apply to it, meaning that you have more of a chance getting in.

^ Oh and did I mention that they have a huge cinema in the floor above! Now that's impressive.

The other open day which I attended was at Royal Central school of speech and drama. Now while I knew about this course last year (as the application is done through UCAS) I didn't apply, mainly because the audition process (compared to others) is terrifying. Not only do they say that you have to learn two set shakespeare peices and a comtempary but also two unacompanied songs from musicals. And I felt - last year - that the process would of been too much for me to handle with such little audition experiance.

But this year, I want to have a crack at it.

The school itself is beautiful, as well as the suroundings. The place feels like it should be in a surburban area in Cornwall or Devon and not at all in the middle of the Capital. 

I realise that I keep going on about the buildings of the places, but personally I prefer working in a beautiful enviroment than a urban junk yard.

The place itself is huge, they have a massive red seat theatre near the front door and a dainty little café that serves sandwiches and cakes at a decent price.

They have plenty of studios and a good libary.

I loved it. When I walked in there, it felt like home.

The only down side of Central is that they have a limited camera and radio department which is kinda essential to an actors traing these days.

In terms of the audition process there, the reason they said that they make it so tough, is to stop people just coming in and wasting their time with what they think will get them in.

Which makes sense, I guess.

The head of the Acting, who I have to say was dressed very drammatically in all black (i.e black skinnies, a black deep v neck top and a black tuxedo jacket) seemed to have an issue with "privalleged" people, i.e to him if you have done LAMDA examinations (which I have done) then you are privalleged and don't deserve as much of a place. 

That, I found a little, odd. But oh well I'm not put off.

And thats all I've got done so far, I am planning of booking a few more open days over the next few weeks, namely for  Drama Centre and GSA. But now I am going to start the dreaded search for modern monologues.

I've had no luck so far.

Will also be posting a database of Drama Schools and the essential infomation on them within the next few days.

Until then,

Adios,

Terri ;D x

RADA: D-day (i.e. the Audition)

So today I had my initial RADA audition in Manchester. First Impressions: The nicest pannel I've had plus the most comfortable that I have felt in any audition so far.
The day panned out as follows:
After arriving at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester - though not before getting hassled by three charity people on the way and getting lost in the Arndale then having a slight panic attack with all the nerves, - with half an hour before the audition. I was a bag of nerves. I was directed to go sit on a couch where a few other's were waiting. They were all very nice. And as we divulged in the social norm of awkward small talk we were called to come into another, smaller room away from the main theatre. I have to admit, even though by this point I was almost vomiting with the nerves now, it was a gorgeous room. You could see the shops outside and the room itself was surrounded by 1930's oak. In here we were given a jug of water and told to fill out two forms. One asking what pieces we were doing and the second asking general details ( I.e. do you have any difficulties (mental/physical) and where else have you applied.)
I was then called up upstairs where I was to wait until I was called in to my audition. I was a couple of minutes later. The panel was made up of a man and a women (who happened to have been in Doctor Who!) and both shook my hand (I never shake peoples hands so I found that part weird). I then sat down and they asked that, as I was 17 what I was doing at A level? They seemed interested that I don't do drama at college and they wanted to know where then, I did I do my acting at. I think they also found it interesting that I was doing Hamlet as well. Well they made an "ohhhh" sound when they read that I was doing it.
So I stood up and did my Hamlet first. It went soundly, it wasn't immaculate but I got across what I wanted to tell.
They I did Port. For this audition I decided to change my planned movement and did it all sitting down (I just thought that getting up and moving about wasn't the natural thing to do.) and not just for the first bit (like the times before). This also went well, much better then I have done in the previous auditions.
Then I sat down in front of them again. By now I was enjoying myself loads. They asked who was my acting idol, when and where I went to see the theatre, where else I had applied and what would I do if I didn't get in drama school this year. They then asked me to confirm that I was again 17 (I found this one interesting as I had said I was beforehand...)
Another shake of the hand and I was allowed to leave.
FREEDOM!
Have celebrated a good audition by buying myself a Starbucks ice latte from Sainsbury's.
Apparently I should receive the result in the post in the next two weeks.
If I am honest with you, if I don't get recalled I won't be too upset as I know I did all that I could.
But now, time to concentrate for the NYT and Italia Conti because they are so close and I don't want to get too laid back 'cause I did one good.
But it means that I am more than half way through my auditioning process!!!!!
BOOM


Cheerio,
Terri ;D

RCS: The Advice

Hey there again,
I just wanted to write this as a kinda P.S to my original post on my RCS audition and give you some advice if you are applying there this time round.
1. Don't be ill - You may laugh but the illness seemed to be my downfall yesterday. My advice would be for all prior auditions at least a week before the audition take extra care of yourself i.e. drink plenty of water and have eat fresh fruit and veg if and when you can.
2. Make sure all paper work is completed - As yesterday I didn't have a form filled in which everyone else had done online. Apparently it had come on the email we had been sent but on double checking mine I found it hidden between a lot of useless text in the email so I guess I had that going against me as well.
3. When it comes to the interview, be honest. But practice it. - You may be thinking "well how can an honest answer be practiced" believe me it can. Give yourself 20 mins writing down all the questions that you would ask if you were interviewing someone for a top drama school place. Ask for other people's advice and if you can't think of anything I would recommend using the Drama UK website as a basis of what they might ask.
4. Above all, know you're pieces and keep them fresh - Yeah it's brilliant if you can say both of you're monologues backwards in you're sleep but what is the point if they are as flat as paper. Keep the pace going with them by practicing in different places and colouring different words every so often just so it does not get boring.
5. Practice sight reading - If you end up being a lucky bugger and getting recalled then you will have to do some sight reading. My tips with sight reading would be to always have you're thumb in line with the line you are reading, therefore if you get lost then at least you have some idea of where you are in the piece. also make sure that you look up a minimum of three times when doing the sight reading so that you are telling a story to the audience (i.e. the panel.)

All I can say now is good luck and 6. ENJOY IT!
Bye,
Terri ;D

Manchester Met: The Audition!

Hey guys.
So today I've just done my initial audition for Manchester Met (or actually Manchester School of Theatre). It was rather fun and I deffinatley would not mind getting a recall there.
So now I'm just going to have to tell you how the day went.
After being woken up at ridiclous times by family members this morning wishing me good luck I ended up waking fully at 10:45, giving me only 20 mins before I had to get the bus (Dun dun duuuuuuun). After shaking my cats off I peged it off out and just managed to run like Forest Gump to catch the bus and get on the train. Hair and Make up done on the train I stepped out of the station to find tyrancial rain and wind. Brilliant the second bad omen of the day.
Still I plodded on to the University (I'm so glad that I live in Manchester and know my way round quite well or I probbably would of got so confused and lost.) And had plenty of time to nip and get some water and chocolate from the local Tesco and answer another call from my mum, wishing me again good luck - making me feel like I needed it -  as I headed to the school.
Now my only negative comment about the school is that it reminds me of my old high school with the low celings and weird spaces. I registred and went into the room where I was directed into and saw about twenty other young shaking individuals. Thankfully unlike my Guildhall audition there were more guys then girls and there were not many my age.
Finnaly after many minitues of small talk we were ushered into a large white drama room where we were introduced to the people conducting the audition.
We started with a warm up which I found pretty intense after such a lazy holiday season, but thankfully so did many others by the looks of it so I didnt feel too bad. After about 30 mins of that we were seperated into four different groups of around 6 and we all headed into different rooms for our speeches. Thankfully I got the nice looking lady instead of the staring man (I call him that because he kept staring at all of us when we were doing our warm up.)
Anyway so we went into this other big white room where the chairs had been set up into a square shape with a side clear at the back. We were told by the woman (Karen she was called) this was where we were to perform. First we were to do our Shakespeare (YES!) then either one of our others (ooooohhh big decision to make on which monologue to choose.) Thankfully I was neither first or last but second to last, always a good place to be in my opinion, not last so the pressure does not mount up too much but not forgotten at the beginning.
So four came before me, three boys and a girl. One of the lads was excellent at the Shakespeare, he seemed dead quiet when we were doing the small talk but boy he can act. The others were okay ish, not amazing but average.
Now my turn. I do it well. Not too over dramatic but enough to show that I am very moany and emotional.
Done. Not one cock up. I am very pleased with myself. Now have to decide which of the two monologues I want to do next. The Serpent from Back to Methuselah or Rachel from Port.
Next girl, also doing a monologue of Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream but a different part to mine. Has her whole convocation with a chair, I think Hermia is meant to be sitting in the chair but to me she is talking to a chair, in Shakespearean.
Then we do a shake out and let ourselves relax a little. Have decided that I going to do the Serpent one. I'm kinda bored with the Port play so I need to give that one a rest, plus the Serpent one is a vast contrast to the Helena one.
Again we go in the same order. Another boy is brilliant with his contemporary with a monologue from the play Chatroom (defiantly googling at a later date.)
Now me, Knock it out of the bag. Good. Sit down. Done.
Other girls does her's, done. We are allowed to leave the room.
After entering the original white room the Head of Acting give a talk on what the course entails. I did kinda switch off at this point as I have heard this talk twice on both the open days I have attended.
He's done. We are allowed to leave.
Freedom!
I'll find out if I've got recalled within the next seven days apparently.

Now at home I need to get ready for my Audition tomorrow at the RCS which I am very nervous about because they do the recall stage tomorrow as well in the afternoon and I will be greatly disappointed if I don't get recalled tomorrow as I really do like RCS, it's up there with the best in my opinion.
But you know, what will happen will happen.
Anyhow, see ya,
Terri ;D

Personal Statement For People... (Acting)

HI!... again.
Now as I promised (6 months ago) that I would re-post this. SOooo here is some information for people who need help writing their personal statement for Acting. This is from the CUKAS website so you can access this and more there. I'm putting this here though as I know how little examples there are for Acting Personal Statements (TIP do not get confused between a Drama personal statement and an Acting personal statement as a Drama course will be more academic based so the Uni's will not be looking at practical skills unlike acting.)
^In regards to myself I did around 10 drafts of my personal statement before I sent it off on my UCAS and CUKAS applications but don't worry if you haven't started you're one yet as I know for a fact that the CUKAS deadline is the 15th January for UK applicants (and later for overseas).

So here it goes...

What to include in your personal statement:

Most courses have an Entry Profile that you can view in Course Search - these explain what the conservatoire is looking for in their students and what qualifications or experience you'll need for the course. Check these because they'll give you some ideas about what to include in your statement

You do not have to use all the space provided. Consider carefully the information you give to support your application and the best way to present it effectively. Remember, you must be truthful and accurate in what you write. Make this a true match of you, your aspirations, personality, feelings about your chosen study area and experience. Showing understanding of today's competitive music or performing arts profession where versatility is required is helpful and indicates a suitable temperament. It is up to you how you write your statement, but we suggest you include some or all of the following points.

• Your reasons for choosing the courses you have listed. Remember that each conservatoire will be able to see the other conservatoires and courses to which you have applied.
• What interests you about your chosen study area (whether playing an instrument, acting, singing, conducting, stage design or another specialist area).
• Your experience within your chosen specialist area and in any other activity related to the course(s) for which you have applied.
• Membership of national and/or international orchestras, choirs or chamber groups, eg NYO, EUYO or National Youth Theatre.
• Your career plans for when you complete your course.
• Any job, work experience, placement or voluntary work you have done, particularly if it is relevant to the course for which you have applied. You may want to list the skills and experience you have gained from these activities. Try to link any experience to skills or qualities mentioned in the Entry Profiles.
• Any involvement in widening participation schemes such as summer schools or mentoring activities.
• Involvement in master classes or other Gifted and Talented programmes.
• Details of non-accredited skills and achievement that you have gained through activities such as:
  • ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network awards), for example, Universities Award
  • Diploma of Achievement
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • OCNW Level 3 Certificate in Personal Development for Progression (previously known as the Liverpool Enrichment Programme)
  • vfifty award
  • Millennium Volunteering Certificate of Volunteering Achievement
  • Young Enterprise.
• Details of accreditation achieved for any activities in preparation for higher education, for example through the ASDAN Aimhigher Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE qualification).
• Your future plans: if you know what you'd like to achieve after completing your course, explain how you want to use the knowledge and experience that you'll gain at the conservatoire.
• Any subjects you are studying that do not have a formal assessment.
• Any sponsorship or placements you have or for which you have applied.
• If you are planning to take a year out, your reasons why.
• Your social, sports or leisure interests and any other achievements that you are proud of. Think about how your interests and social activities demonstrate your skills and abilities. If there's anything that relates to your course or to the skills needed to complete the course, include it - the more evidence the better.
• Any positions of responsibility that you hold/have held both in and out of school, eg form prefect or representative for a local charity.
• Attributes that make you interesting, special or unique.

While you should not include details of your performance in individual units of qualifications (such as GCE AS and A level) in the education section, you may put this information in the personal statement.

If you are a mature student, you should give details of any relevant work and performance experience, paid or unpaid, and information about any current or previous employment.

If you want to send more information, perhaps a CV, send it direct to your chosen conservatoire(s) after we have sent you your Welcome letter and Personal ID. Do not send it to us.

If you are an international student, also try to answer these questions.

• Why do you want to study in the UK?
• How can you show that you can complete a higher education course that is taught in English? Please say if some of your studies have been taught or examined in English.
• Have you taken part in any activities where you have used English outside of your studies?

Make sure that your personal statement is your own work

We will carry out checks to verify that your personal statement is your own work. If your personal statement appears to have been copied from another source, we will inform the conservatoires to which you have applied. They will then take the action they consider appropriate. We will also contact you by email to tell you that this has happened. Find out more...

Now kids go live your lives!!!

(^I don't know where that came from but OK)

Terri :D.

RCS - Day one

Hello there

So today was the first day at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the summer course Acting with Text.

And it was amazing! the facilities and staff are brilliant and if I had the oppotunity I would love to study here for my BA. 

Started the day getting from the student halls to the School (the hall that are available are very well suited to the requirements needed for working students with the rooms being both spacious and clean). It wasn't a very long walk, about 15mins max and when we got there there was a talk on what would be happening during our stay here at the school.

When we met the people we were studying with we had a few ice breaker games so we could learn the guys names (all of which I have forgotten) and afterwards we were given some tasks and homework to do so it was a verrrry busy day!

^I'm sorry for sumarising so badly, I will go into more description tommorow but I am quite tired and I have to be up at half 8  so I kinda wanna get a good nights sleep :D.

Righto, cheerio now.

Terri ;D

^ BTW this is the info/ homework that I was given today! (not the hairbrush though :( thats there to stop the paper going wild and springing back...)