by Bel | Jan 31, 2013 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
The Times reported that “in a report published by the Conference of Drama Schools, it was revealed that more than 25,000 applications were made to the 22 accredited drama schools in England and Wales…Which means that they are now twice as difficult to get into as Oxbridge.” The number of applicants is ever increasing, seemingly immune to the hike in tuition fees. The main reason cited for this was the proliferation of audition-based shows on television.
Geoffery Colman (Head of Acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama) stated: “This year, we received more than 4,000 applications for a place on our degree course and that figure is going up every year. But we’re finding that fewer and fewer of those applicants will have ever set foot in a theatre, understood what it means to train for three years to be an artist, or have any idea of the professional world they’re signing up to. Audition-based shows have made it look quick and easy to attain a kind of celebrity-based stardom…You have only to work on your voice for about three weeks and, bam, you’ll be good enough for the West End or No1 in the US charts. Whereas what we’re saying is that it takes three years to train a voice. Young people are increasingly coming in with this idea that talent is an instant right that should be ‘spotted’. They aren’t coming in with a real commitment to the work required to become an actor.”
Edward Kemp, artistic director of RADA insisted that despite the fact that such shows encouraged record numbers to apply, the panelists are not of the Simon Cowell persuasion: “What we want to see is not the commercially lucrative finished product of the TV audition show but unformed raw material that we can mould. That is a totally different auditioning experience, for a quality that is much more difficult to spot.”
The idea that a drama school audition is a talent show is a misguided one; drama school auditions do not solely comprise of performing audition speeches, the interview is also regarded as an integral part of the process. This is where the panelists gauge your commitment to the Theatre, how receptive you are to direction and your dedication to the training process.
What Audition Doctor can help with is not a rigidly polished performance but the capability to respond authentically to the circumstances of the play. As you have more lessons at Audition Doctor, Tilly also opens your eyes to the fact that the interpretation that you might have both agreed on is merely one out of a thousand possibilities; Audition Doctor gives you the freedom to adapt and play around with the character. This is why Audition Doctor sessions are such golden opportunities – the chance to be vulnerable in the presence of a professional eye is rare and it is one of the assets that drama schools most prize. As Colman says: “What we are looking for is authenticity, pliability, a core radiance. It’s up to us to find that. But my best advice is – be vulnerable. And, for God’s sake, go to the theatre.”
by Bel | Jan 24, 2013 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Choosing audition speeches for drama school can be a minefield, with different drama schools stipulating varying requirements. They do, however, all maintain that the choice of speeches is the most important aspect of the process. They are the vehicles through which you must flaunt talent – both physical and vocal, potential and understanding. They should be speeches that you feel speak to you; as RADA states: “Choose a speech about which you are excited as a performer and can imagine playing one day.”
However, the wrong selection can also be fatal; the stringent process is difficult enough without performing speeches that you struggle connecting with. As Anne Henderson (Casting Director of the National Theatre of Scotland) advises on the Drama Centre website: “Remember that what you are trying to do is impress us with your talent, so do not use the audition as a place to experiment. Choose pieces with which you are comfortable and which will show you at your best.”
Although drama schools may have different demands (e.g. Some encourage applicants to look for audition speeches in film and TV scripts while others strongly advise the contrary), the general advice offered to candidates by all of them is largely similar. All drama schools dissuade applicants from picking a piece that involves an accent that is different from your own; they constantly remind students that Shakespeare does not have to be done in RP. Henderson goes onto note : “For your contemporary piece, if you have a regional accent, then choose a piece in that accent – you will feel more comfortable in your own accent rather than worrying about another accent.” Drama schools also strongly counsel applicants to stick to characters of their own age and gender: “It is a very difficult task that you have taken on, trying to persuade a panel in a bare room that you have transformed yourself into someone else; don’t make your life more difficult.”
Audition Doctor is unique in that Tilly will work together with her students to create the perfect cocktail of audition speeches that highlight the individual’s talents while simultaneously showcasing their flexibility and versatility. Audition Doctor ensures that the selection of audition speeches not only contrast with each other (as RADA recommends: dramatic/comic, serious/light, active/reflective), but also makes sure that there are varying tones within the speeches themselves . Going to Audition Doctor mercifully guarantees you won’t deliver a monotonous speech on one note, but a colourful and truthful performance that encapsulates all the contradictory and varying aspects of human existence.
by Bel | Jan 17, 2013 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
There will be many aspiring actors fresh out of school who will consider reading Drama at university – “reading” being the optimum word. It looks like the safest option – a bona fide university degree which you can “fall back on” should times get tough and a chance to learn the craft of acting. Drama school looks risky and as Daniel Mays noted: “You can count on one hand the people consistently working still from my year [at drama school] which always scares the shit out of me.” However, there are many in the Industry who believe such courses provide none of the security that a university degree supposedly offers; the largely academic nature of them renders them largely useless in a profession that prizes vocational training above all else.
A couple of years ago, Nicholas Hytner expressed his worry that because university courses were forced to increase the academic aspect of their courses to qualify for government funding, the “actors” that were flooding the Industry upon graduating were merely “theorists”. Consequently, he opined that “young actors [were] not as well equipped as they were 20 years ago to rise to the challenges of the stage, particularly of the classical stage”. He was adamant that “the most important elements of an actor’s training is vocational craft training: voice, movement and acting technique…This process is slow and repetitious and has therefore occupied the greater part of the traditional syllabus in drama schools.”
Drama schools are still proven to be the bastions of unparalleled vocational training and are far better equipped than universities to offer practical guidance about the realities of the profession. Tom Goodman-Hill commented: “I naively thought that I could become an actor without training…For me the Bristol Old Vic was a great school as it was really geared towards having a career in the Industry and was realistic about what you required as an actor in order to become a “working actor” – someone who was actually going to make a living out of it”. Although the academic nature of university courses can be argued to furnish a student with the ability to analyse texts, being a working actor is ultimately not about intellectual theorising.
The experience of drama school varies from actor to actor; Ed Stoppard likened it to “electric shock therapy”. That’s probably precisely what aspiring actors need to go through, as opposed to sitting in a library reading up on “theatre theory”. Tom Goodman-Hill went onto say: “Fear and excitement is a large part of why I do this. It’s about letting go, it’s about losing your inhibitions, it’s about having absolutely no dignity whatsoever and not being afraid to fail.” It’s at drama school that you are encouraged and given the time to do that. Audition Doctor can be seen as a microcosm of drama school as it is a unique place where you can have access to peerless training as well as seek advice and insights into the profession. The practical nature of Audition Doctor sessions is undoubtedly the reason why Tilly’s students frequently prove themselves successfully rising to the challenges of auditions by getting recalls, and in many instances, a place at drama school.
by Bel | Jan 8, 2013 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Every so often, Ideastap will interview eminent actors on their careers and their perspectives on the acting profession. This is in the hope that the advice disclosed will provide some solace and useful guidance to those occupying the already overpopulated waiting-room that leads into “the Industry.”
Anthony Head’s interview raised some interesting points on the topic of drama school and training. Although he was of the view that drama school “isn’t a prerequisite, some people suit drama school more than others”, he deplored the fact that British “actors are the only artists that don’t practice their craft when they’re not working. Americans do classes once or twice a week.” For actors, drama school is the most obvious method of achieving professional instruction.
However, there are other avenues to explore such as classes offered at the Actor’s Centre or private Audition Doctor workshops – both of which Tilly teaches. Training in any sphere – be it artistic, scientific or business – is an undeniable necessity if you want to become a professional and acting is no different. British Theatre is known for being an exemplar of unsurpassable quality, largely due to the consummate pairing of talent and rigorous training that British drama schools offer. However, British actors who fail to hone the skills that they learned at drama school may find themselves lagging behind their American counterparts. Attending regular workshops is a way of topping up and building on skills that could easily become rusty.
As Daniel Mays stated in his interview in this week’s Independent: “the daily rigours of theatre work are the best work-out he could hope for. “It’s a muscle you’ve got to come back to, and it’s a discipline. It’s like playing sport…You’ve got to turn up and deliver every single night, and sustain that character for two hours.”
It seems that drama school can give you a solid grounding but if stamina and longevity is desired, attending regular acting classes throughout your career is a necessity. Private lessons at Audition Doctor or Tilly’s group workshops at the Actor’s Centre are a fantastic way (to quote Anthony Head) to “keep that energy and feeling of success going when you’re not working and to practice not falling into your default mechanism…it’s when you feel a bit unsure, you go back to your old schtick – all the stuff you know you is not brilliant but it’ll get you through. It’s a chance to get to recognise and avoid that.” Sessions at Audition Doctor are a way of experimenting and stretching your acting muscles. It’s a chance “not to be lazy and not to stick to what you play time and time again.”
by Bel | Jan 3, 2013 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
Last year, when Michael Billington was asked what the best way to get into the business was, his immediate response was: “I would say if you want to act, design or take on a technical role, it’s vital to get proper training at an accredited school. Only directors seem to magically emerge without any proper training!”
He recognised the difficult financial situation students currently face, however, he maintained that receiving professional training was paramount and even urged the national press to take more notice of student showcases at drama school. He declared: “These academies offer the best theatrical value in London: you see unusual plays done by tomorrow’s stars at low prices.” If the country’s leading theatre critic is enthusiastically attending drama school showcases, as well as vociferously shedding light on the high calibre performances, you know that drama school is a safer bet than trying to get your foot in the door on your own. British drama schools are unique places where you receive world-class training and the possibility of getting noticed by respected Industry professionals, who might well be reviewing you later on in your career.
The third year showcases that Billington saw were so “exceptional” that it led him to bemoan the fact that drama schools only let the public watch student productions in their final year. He argued that the earlier students were exposed to criticism, the better they’d be suited to the profession. Furthermore, it would give an insight into how drama school training is imperative if British Theatre wants to conserve its reputation for being the best in the world.
With an average of 3,000 applicants for 30 places, it would be unwise to attend a drama school audition in the hope that you’ll be able to “wing it on the day.” Coming to Audition Doctor means that you enter prepared to not only perform your audition speeches confidently, but also to be redirected. During Audition Doctor sessions, you will have been used to Tilly suggesting you try things differently and experimenting with the text. Everyone knows that auditions are stressful but going to Audition Doctor ensures that you have done all you can to prepare and the candidate that you present to the panel is you at your absolute best. With so few places available, you have to be ready to prove that you will be an invaluable asset to not only the drama schools to which you are applying, but also the wider profession. This is what Audition Doctor can help you achieve.
by Bel | Dec 29, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, tilly blackwood
Drama schools have been often been accused by industry professionals of being overly-traditionalist institutions, entrenched in a by-gone era when actors could just about conceivably dare to sketch out a career trajectory – drama school to regional repertory theatre to the West End. Certainty is a concept that no longer exists in any sector nowadays, so is going worth it at all?
As Di Trevis argued in the Guardian: “Would-be actors [at drama schools] have as students a life that is a cross between novice nun and trainee commando.” Is it worth it? Her verdict – No. This is because “the profession they are training for hardly exists.” She argues that drama schools fail to equip young thespians with the entrepreneurial skills and nous required to produce their own work. This, she asserts, is the key to survive as a working actor in today’s Industry.
She believes that drama schools should revolutionise and put “more emphasis through their training on making their own work, seeking out collaborators, developing skills in adaptation, and writing, re-inventing and developing a new kind of Poor Theatre for the 21st Century.” While this is unarguably good advice in a fast-paced industry that is ever-evolving, she goes onto recommend acting workshops “where actors do much more than scene study: they form a community; they share experiences; they sustain each other.”
Paradoxically, this is precisely what drama school offers. It is often at drama school where the seed for future artistic collaborations are born. Drama school students are not yet actors, it is within the supportive confines of the school’s walls that they become the nation’s future professional thespians. Over the three years, it is inevitable that the rigorous training schedule forms tight bonds. Furthermore, the graduate show-case is also still one of the best ways to get noticed by agents and even critics. Michael Billington even went so far as to say that “newspapers should abandon their belief that the West End represents the beating heart of British theatre.”
Drama schools have modernised since Trevis’ article; most drama schools offer a variety of different courses focusing on purely, for example, Screen-Acting and Film. Therefore it would be unwise to dismiss drama schools as antiquated establishments as they have evolved to ensure that they are adapting to suit the contemporary needs of the profession.
The capricious nature of the profession has been documented ad nauseum. Unusually, this has not acted as a deterrent for young hopefuls. The need to show the audition panel that you are worth the time and investment has never been greater. Audition Doctor ensures that you are not only endowed with the most effective speeches specifically for you, but also the emotional and intellectual understanding of the character as well as the play. Although Audition Doctor is not a certified drama school, it offers training that ensures you are portrayed in your most favourable light. You have a limited amount of time in an audition to prove that you are a worthy candidate for drama school. Going to Audition Doctor guarantees that you don’t waste sixty pounds on a ten minute audition with no hope of a recall.
by Bel | Dec 20, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Lyn Gardner’s piece in the Guardian this week on how the Arts Council’s £11.6m budget cut would undoubtedly lead to “cancelled productions, job losses and boarded-up theatres” was a depressing read – one of many recent articles focusing on the Arts’ bleak prospects and its slow annihilation (despite endless reports that prove that West End productions generate millions for the British economy). However, in another part of the paper, it was refreshing to read Oliver Ford Davies’ theory that 50 years ago, parents used to say, “You must get a safe, secure job: why don’t you go into a bank?” Now there aren’t any safe, secure jobs so that argument has gone; parents say, “Why don’t you give acting a go?”
There is something cheering about the fact that the disastrous state of the economy has effectively levelled out the professional playing field. Every job has a high risk of redundancies, and uncertainty is the prevailing climate in the Square Mile as well as in the rehearsal room. Although the acting profession is infamously known for being fickle and unstable, entering into institutions that used to guarantee stable jobs is now just as precarious.
However, it would be foolhardy to suggest that aspiring actors can just throw themselves into the profession without proper vocational training. Although Rafe Spall recently commented that his failure to get into drama school was a boon – “I had three years’ advantage over everyone else at drama school – I was out there meeting casting directors and acting professionally.” – most aspiring actors don’t have the benefit of a well-respected actor as a father. The majority will rely on drama school show-cases to forge connections with agents and casting directors.
When asked how the Industry had changed over 20 years, Davies commented on how many more people have entered the profession. This is why coming to Audition Doctor is a must, as it has proven itself to be the essential stepping-stone to drama school. Proper training that comprises of voice, audition and movement technique will distinguish the serious professional from the person who is “giving acting a go.” Audition Doctor sessions alert drama school hopefuls on what they need to work on and audition speeches that highlight their natural abilities which inevitably lead to successful drama school auditions. Entering the acting profession is a gamble but going to Audition Doctor gives you the best possible chance of success and ensures that it is a risk worth taking.
by Bel | Dec 10, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
In conjunction with last week’s programme ‘Nation’s Best Am Dram’ on Sky Arts 1, the Guardian asked several actors to give advice on how to act. Suggestions ranged from the importance of breath: “If you stop breathing properly, you get a sore throat. And if you stop breathing, you die” (Miriam Margolyes), “Never go dead for a second on stage. Even if you are doing nothing, do it actively. Listen” (Roger Allam) to “Don’t be a twat. There’s always one: make sure it’s not you.” (Julie Graham).
Paterson Joseph mentioned the vital point of “choosing a play you feel confident you understand: liking a play isn’t the same as understanding it.” This is where Audition Doctor is instrumental. Although Tilly always insists that her students must love the speeches that they pick, she always emphasises that the text (and by extension – the character) is fully understood and insists that her students re-read the texts multiple times. Re-readings often unearth subtleties of the character; these are subsequently discussed with Tilly and the resulting interpretation undoubtedly adds depth to your performance. It is these insights into your character which will distinguish you from other drama school applicants.
Another tip that Joseph gave was casting to the performer’s strengths. The initial stages of working with Tilly for drama school auditions involves auditioning speeches themselves. While a speech can be well-written, seemingly the right length for drama school auditions (no longer than two minutes) and the right gender, it simply might not showcase your abilities in the best possible light. Audition Doctor ensures that the combination of your speeches exhibits your natural strengths.
While the flippant dictum “Know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture” has been taken as a general rule for acting, clearly, drama school hopefuls know it isn’t as simple as that. Ralph Richardson said, before you leave the dressing room, ask yourself: “Is it human?” Audition Doctor does just that. Tilly guarentees that each student embodies the character which is what every drama school candidate must prove they can do not just if they wish to gain a place at drama school, but also if they ultimately want to become a professional actor.
by Bel | Dec 3, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
When Hattie Morahan won the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards last Sunday, the papers were quick to draw attention to the fact that she had received no formal acting training. Despite her recent success, however, Morahan did intimate that drama school might have been a wise route to take: “Because I didn’t go to drama school, I didn’t start in the business with any toolbox apart from enthusiasm and instinct. I’d throw everything at a part and sometimes realise that I had hit my limits.”
With auditions for drama school looming, many potential students will be debating whether to enter into a profession which Nicholas Hytner this week said was “on a knife’s edge”.
Morahan notes that “fewer films are made, so it’s harder to get on television, because all the film actors are doing TV. And TV budgets are cut…In theatre, it seems that artistic directors spend 90 per cent of their day on bended knee begging either the Arts Council or wealthy people to give them money.” However, it isn’t all negative as she argues that “even in these times London is the most exciting I have seen in years…people are unafraid to push the boundaries, and I keep seeing the most extraordinary work.”
Much like drama school, Audition Doctor provides a relaxed space in which students can have what Morahan perhaps wished she had had before stepping onto a professional stage – the opportunity to test limits and the chance to experiment.
When this weekend’s Observer asked Simon Russell Beale: “Will people continue to go to drama school, given how much debt they’ll now incur?” He replied: “I’m sure they will. But that isn’t a very good answer, is it? I get letters from students wanting money all the time. We all do: ask any actor. It’s heartbreaking.”
While drama school might now seem like a financially dubious choice, like with any vocation, training is paramount. Competition is stiff and Audition Doctor gives you a relaxed space in which to fail, explore and discover. The confidence that comes with being willing to fail and test boundaries is something that Tilly actively fosters. It is this quality that will be sought after not only at drama schools, but also in an industry whose members are currently desperate to prove to the Government that their livelihoods are worthwhile and that their work is not an exorbitant extravagance only to be enjoyed in times of affluence. It has enormous influence on the spiritual well-being of the country’s citizens. Unfortunately, however, as Sarah Sands opined in The Evening Standard: “spiritual health does not come under the Treasury brief.”
by Bel | Nov 27, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
Most actors will cite that one of the main reasons for going to drama school (apart from the training itself) is to get an agent. Contacts states that “A good agent will have contacts and authority in the entertainment industry that you, as an individual actor would find more difficult to acquire. Agents, if you want them to, can also deal with matters such as Equity and Spotlight membership renewal. They can offer you advice on which headshot would be best to send out to casting directors, what to include, or exclude in you CV as you build on your skills and experience, what a particular casting director might expect when you are invited to an audition, and so on.”
As Rebecca Blond from Rebecca Blond Associates contends, the partnership between actor and agent is an important one. Her job is “to introduce the actor to the world” while both actor and agent map out a possible career, as balanced as possible.”
At Masterclasses at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, one of the most common questions put to the actor onstage (frequently in a voice that has a touch of desperate hysteria about it) is “How did you get your agent?” I had the opportunity to ask respected agent – Rebecca Blond – questions which often come up in Q and As and here she gives a unique insight into the Industry from her perspective as an agent.
Does training at an accredited drama school put an actor in a more favourable position when you are considering whether to take them on as a client?
I don’t think that a drama school can teach you how to act, I think you have to have “something” that will then be honed during the course. And indeed they won’t give you a place unless they believe you have potential. But yes, given that it does pull together all the strings and gives an actor the best foundation preparing them for the world of professional acting, I would strongly advise going to drama school. And yes, I think that on the whole having trained is important when I consider representing someone.
In your experience, do you find it easier to get auditions for actors who have trained as opposed to those who haven’t?
I think it probably is, mainly because casting directors will have been to the drama school showcases, so when you’re suggesting a new graduate, chances are the casting director will have a view on them already from the showcase. I have taken on clients who haven’t been to drama school, they might have done drama at university for instance, and in pushing them for auditions, at that point it comes down to my relationship with the casting director as to whether or not they’ll see them. Given that most have us have been “doing business” for years, I like to think that they trust that I won’t be selling them a dud.
How often do you respond to requests from actors hoping for representation to come and see them in a production?
If you’re referring to drama school shows, to be honest I probably won’t respond to each letter because I know I’ll be going to the shows, and they’ll be given the list of who’s in. With actors who are already out there, if I’m interested in the actor who’s writing, I’ll respond telling them I’ll come to the show. If I’m not interested, if we get an S.A.E, we’ll reply. If not, we don’t.
How important is a drama school student’s third year show case for getting an agent?
Crucial, because it’s the shop window for them and is sometimes the only way we get to see what an actor can do before considering whether to take them on or not. If, as an agent, you follow a student through his or her final shows leading up to the showcase, then the showcase will lead to the final confirmation of what you think, as it were. Sometimes however I can’t get to see as many shows as I would like, so there are some colleges where I will only see the showcase and for me that is the only opportunity I get to see the students. With most drama schools, students are not encouraged to sign with an agent before their showcase. This is because the school believe the students should have the chance to be seen by all the agents before making a decision as to who to go with, and they know that the showcase is the moment for the broadest exposure.
What is your opinion of one year courses?
I’ve always enjoyed watching the one year students because alot of the time they’ve been to uni and then on to drama school. They’ve had some life experience which can bring something interesting to their acting. Obviously some one year courses are better than others, but I will cover both the three year courses as well as the one year.
