Showing posts with label Doctor Who. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doctor Who. Show all posts

Friday, 21 February 2014

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

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

RCS: The Audition

Hey dudes, Sup?
... Yeah never let me say that at the beginning of a post again.
So yesterday I had my RCS audition and I'm going to break the tension in telling you that I did not get recalled. I blame this mainly down to throwing up 20 mins prior to the initial audition and just feeling awfully ill for the majority of yesterday. It cannot be helped but I'm going to fill you in on all the details so you can have some knowledge on what to expect.
So I started my wonderful day at 5 o'clock in the morning (a time quite unknown to me) and was out by 6:30 (am - I'm not that slow.) To get my train to Glasgow.
Although feeling pretty ill at this point I did have a fabulous conversation with this 45 yr old man for an hour on Doctor Who, a conversation which was started btw with his ringtone of the Doctor Who theme tune (the David Tenant one of course, as all Whovians should know that the tune is changed slightly with every new doctor.)
Off train with an hour to kill, I head towards my second home. Costa. Ordered my favourite "a small soya cinnamon latte" and sat there and drank. 10 mins later queue vomitorium (and panic on whether capable of actually doing the audition.) I trudged on to the school.
Now the building itself is amazing, there's a definite magic about the place. Speaking of magic, I saw CHO CHANG (i.e. Harry Potter first lurve interest.) in a RCS classroom, training to be even better than she was in the franchise when we were on a tour of the building.
But back to the Audition. After going to two wrong reception desks I managed to get to the correct one and sign in. Already there were two girls there waiting. One of them was from Stockport and had auditioned at Manchester Met the day before like me... creepy. She was 19 and had bee recalled last year so she had high expectations of also being recalled again. The other was posh and from Windsor.
After ten mins of waiting two current first years showed us down to where we were going to be auditioned. As one girl hadn't turned up, I was to go first (gee thanks "not showing up girl", not.).
I was called in and saw one lady with a limp and an old man, who told me the running of the audition. They both were very nice. I had a glass of water before I started as my throat did not want to admit much sound.
I did both pieces in an average way. It was, to my standard not good enough, I already knew that. But I was not going to give up hope without a bloody good fight so I went head first into the interview.
I was asked the following questions:
1. You live in England, why do you want to train at the RCS?
2. How do you deal with you're dyslexia as an actor?
3. Why did you choose your Shakespeare piece?
4. What is the play Port about?
5. What are you doing at the moment?
All questions I answered well, maybe I could of modulated my answers better but overall it went ok. I was thanked and told that the list would be put up a 1:30 of all those they wanted to see at the recall. I then thanked them and left, then waited for the others to do theirs.
An hour wait, the tour (queue the sight seeing of Harry Potter cast members.) Then the list. I was not on it of course and it was slightly gutting but hey ho I would be back next year if I don't get offered anywhere else this time round.
A 4 hour wait then waited for me before I could get a train home back to Manchester. I filled it with yet another Costa (not a coffee, my stomach was not yet up for that.) a fashion magazine and looking at my options on where I was next applying and what different speeches I could do for the next one. (I did find a brilliant one in the character of Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream that I am very keen to try out.) and thinking in general about the year awaiting me.
I don't mean for this post to sound depressing. I really enjoyed the audition and the school, I would love to study there. I just wished that I could of showed them my true potential and not to ill version of me, that's all.

And what have I learnt from my expedition up north. Not to loose hope. Shown to me by one pupil there who applied 5 times before being offered a place. If you want it you'll fight for it.

As for the next audition, that in late February (RADA eek) so I get a decent break from a madness of it all.
Until next time folks,
Terri ;D x