Applying For Drama School

1. IS THIS FOR ME?

Before you even begin to consider what is coming next, you HAVE to consider ‘Is this really for me?’

If you are wavering, half convinced or just think you fancy being on TV or famous, then forget it! A career in the Theatre will be arduous, intermittent and full with rejection and near misses. Neither are you guaranteed wealth or fame, just the opportunity to meet interesting people, hopefully doing quality work that matters.

Theatre school training is precisely that, training for the theatre. They will stretch you mentally, physically and emotionally and you have to be ready for this. Drama School days are long and hard. They start at nine and finish around six thirty, often working on a Saturday. There is no tolerance of lateness or illness.

There are about three hundred places per year on offer from the top few schools. There are up to five thousand people applying for audition. The odds are not good. Are you prepared to try for drama school over a number of years? Most people don’t make it the first or even second time. You are probably too young anyway if you are under 20. They like to see seen people with some life and work experience. Having said that, Godalming College has an excellent track record with applicants in the 18\19 year old age range for drama, dance and performing arts vocational courses.

The point is that you have to be determined and tough to get through the audition process. Which can go on until July with recalls. Competition is fierce - just as fierce as it will be for you as a jobbing actor. That’s IF you actually make it to drama school, last the course, manage to get a half-decent agent and then do well enough or be lucky enough at auditions and castings to actually get some work.

But don’t be put off, somebody has to get in, with the right attitude, hard work and some degree of luck, that person could well be you. If you have done your preparation well, then the odds improve dramatically for you.