by Bel | Nov 20, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
It used to be that if you were a student at drama school, the presumption was that you were on the three year Acting BA. This is no longer the case, with drama schools offering a miscellany of courses; from six month foundation courses to one year MAs specialising in screen acting. With the acting industry’s seeming obsession with youth and the hike in drama school fees, it’s understandable that hopeful thespians will be eager to “get out there” as soon as possible.
However, at Audition Doctor, Tilly always alerts students to the importance of being aware that such short courses mean that future career opportunities have the potential to be affected. An actor trained only in the art of screen acting might find that chances to tread the boards at the National are slim. The percentage of actors who manage to earn a living in purely one medium is small. A three year course at drama school gives you varied and all-encompassing experience from camera work, stagecraft to voice-over technique.
As the Central School of Speech and Drama states: “In today’s multimedia and multifaceted landscape, it is no longer useful to categorise acting in a single generic or restrictive way – it is not how the industry works and it is not how we want to train you. You will be required to become reslient and resourceful and draw on a wide range of acting processes. We will help you to learn how to frame these with self-determined creative and intellectual strategies, alongside professional career targets.”
Actors who have been to drama school will be trained not only in the art of acting but also how to structure their career; the skills taught at drama school will give them more of a chance of sustained longevity. That being said, the industry continuously proves itself to be unpredictable, with untrained unknowns becoming global “stars” overnight.
However, Ian McKellen this week lamented that the combination of the dissolution of regional repertory theatre and actors being eager to move directly into film and television has meant that Britain will no longer be able to produce high-calibre heavyweight actors such as Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi or Michael Gambon. Like drama school, he credited repertory theatre with the ability to develop his acting abilities.
“The danger is going to be that the current generation of actors won’t develop into good middle-aged performers because they won’t have been able to live from their work…The strength of British theatre should be that these actors in their middle years know what they’re doing and are good at it. Not rich, not famous, but making a living.”
In an industry that no longer gives its young members a chance to train “on the job”, so to speak, it seems clear that for the majority, in-depth drama school training is still the best bet to ensure that they can earn a living out of being an actor. Audition Doctor is the best place to go to seek advice, practical direction and professional opinion, which means your chances of defying Ian McKellen’s assessment of the current acting crop’s woeful future are much greater.
by Bel | Nov 13, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
This year has seen the success of the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harry Haddon-Paton and Harry Lloyd -all unquestionably talented and all from the same demographic – privately educated and middle-class. One could argue that the theatrical profession was ever thus, with many actors requiring financial support from drama school training to well after the “break-in years”. Even though many drama schools now offer foundation courses, two-year courses and one year MAs, the tuition fees are still punishingly high. Wealthy parents almost seem like a prerequisite to becoming a professional actor. However, there has been a movement within the industry to encourage its practitioners to come from all sectors of society.
David Morrissey and Julie Walters recently raised concerns that sky-high drama school fees and the disappearance of grants were consequently increasing the impossibility of working-class actors to train at drama school. Even the head of the Central School of Speech and Drama acknowledged that there was a risk of drama schools becoming a “repository for the privileged.” As a result, the eminent actress Clare Higgins, has announced plans to open her own drama school that will train actors for free.
“We cannot go on like this any longer where only rich people can afford to train in the arts, so we have to get out here and make it change now. I’m not going to get political about it, but all I am going to say is that there is a dearth of training for people who don’t have independent wealth or rich parents. We are aiming to stop that in its tracks.”
It is inevitable that the social background of drama school graduates will directly affect the type of plays that get put on. Lynn Gardner opined that “the Royal Court writing of the 60s would not have thrived without the influx of exciting actors from less privileged backgrounds coming out of drama schools.”
The view that theatre aims to reflect the human condition and effectively “hold a mirror up to nature” was disproved by one columnist in the Stage who questioned: “How can theatre reliably examine say, Cameron’s cabinet when there are more old-school ties among its members than on his front bench?”
Ultimately, professional training should not be an elitist privilege with opportunities to pursue a career in the arts open only to those with ample means. Yet drama schools are not the only places where training can be offered. Apart from private lessons, Audition Doctor offers group sessions from Meetup to Introduction to Acting and Acting- An In-Depth Approach where fees are reasonable and you don’t have to have a rich parent to receive peerless teaching.
by Bel | Nov 7, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Monday’s article “Man Up!” in the Evening Standard subverted the common perception of drama schools being populated solely by young thespians muttering Shakespeare soliloquies whilst stretching at the barre in black leggings. Instead, RADA played host to a group of businessmen and women and held the increasingly popular two-day “Personal Impact in Meetings” group course which teaches corporate executives “practical physical and vocal techniques to improve communication” and how to be “more powerful, confident and effective in business.”
History has proved that this is not an unusual coalition; actors have often been called upon to advise people in various job sectors on how to effectively communicate. Thatcher’s political strategist recognised the authority and influence that came with being a confident public speaker. He sought Laurence Olivier’s advice which led to Thatcher attending voice coaching lessons at the National Theatre and soon “the hectoring tones of the housewife gave way to softer notes and a smoothness that seldom cracked except under extreme provocation on the floor of the House of Commons.” Whatever your views on the former Prime Minister are, the improvement in her communication skills was unfortunately undeniable.
The rigorous training at drama school equips the actor with the technical skill that is required in holding the attention of an audience. In a business world where promotions hinge on adroit presentational skills and the ability to pitch ideas in an engaging fashion – the professionally trained actor is golden. No other job focuses so intently on the importance of captivating listeners; actors understand that it isn’t just what you say, but how you say it that is important. Breath, posture, voice, eye contact and even attire (or “costume”) affect your ability to communicate.
With drama schools now offering courses to business executives, the demand for an actor’s perspective in the corporate world has never been greater. Audition Doctor has had a marked increase in demand from clients in the corporate sector. Many businessmen and women prefer one-on-one sessions as opposed to the group sessions which some drama schools and companies offer. Private lessons under Tilly’s focused tutelage foster a less self-conscious atmosphere and quicker progress.
by Bel | Oct 31, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
With the sharp hike in tuition fees and an industry suffering from government cuts, acting hopefuls have to think carefully about whether training at drama school is an advantageous investment or whether saving £27,000 (and chancing it in an industry where notable practitioners such as Miriam Margolyes and Eddie Redmayne are a success without having gone at all) is a worthy risk to take. Bursaries, grants and scholarships are becoming increasingly difficult to come by and with universities and colleges offering a variety of “Theatre Studies” courses, it’s hard to know whether the traditional route of a three-year course at drama school is the best choice. Reality television has also proved that you can be viewed as an “actor” without having ever stepped foot in an accredited drama school.
As theatre producer Richard Jordon stated in the Guardian: “It’s a big problem in the industry that those reality shows make it seem as if being an actor is easy, and that you don’t need the training. But if you’re going to survive, then being properly trained is crucial, not just in acting technique but also in the techniques of getting a job, building a career and surviving in the longer term.”
In other words, it’s not just the vocational training and development of creativity that drama school offers but also the tools with which you can most effectively market your talent. In an industry that is infamous for its precarious employment statistics, the skills, support and advice that drama schools offer seem integral if you want to sustain a long-term career as an actor. Although universities now offer many theatre-based courses, these focus largely on academic theory. While the history of drama is useful knowledge, what drama school offers is performance-based training that is the most applicable and beneficial to someone aspiring to become an actor.
Having trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Tilly recognises the categorical importance of professional training as a working actress. The high standard of teaching that Audition Doctor provides is incomparable and is an invaluable asset when auditioning for drama schools. The meticulous and rigorous sessions that Audition Doctor offers maximise your chances of gaining a place at an accredited drama school which will ensure, as Lyn Gardner wrote, that young actors will attain “the skills, support and confidence that will allow them to develop as independent artists, make their own opportunities and help broaden the theatre ecology.”
by Bel | Oct 24, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Auditioning for drama schools for a second time can be argued as being an even more challenging process than when you applied the first time. The stakes are higher. While not getting in the first time could be put down to you using the auditioning process as a litmus test to see whether or not you feel you are cut out for an acting career, the second time can no longer be regarded as a “trial run”. You are now a “veteran” of the process and not getting recalls for auditions can no longer be excused away with the reasoning that you didn’t know what to expect and thought doing two Modern speeches was acceptable as opposed to one Shakespeare and one Modern. Trying to rationalise your failure to get to the next stage in the audition process becomes harder when you realise that if the audition panel didn’t like you last year and proved that they’re still not keen on you this year, the simple reason might just actually be that you’re not good enough for drama school.
Aside from the self-doubt, you are in fact in a more advantageous position the second time round. You’ve been to the drama schools and met the teachers who would be teaching you and you realise that just like the audition panel – you are allowed to have preferences. The stock phrase uttered at every “Welcome To Our Drama School speech”: “Just remember that you’re auditioning us as well” becomes a little more believable.
Having spoken to people who have applied again, it is clear that different strategies involving detailed planning are deployed. From the timing of applications to the spacing out of recalls, drama school aspirants put a lot of forethought into changing tactics to increase their chances of getting in. While this pragmatic deliberation can be helpful, finding the right audition speeches is surely the most important decision. This is where Audition Doctor comes into play. Having a third-party with a professional eye when auditioning speeches is essential.
As Tilly gradually gets to know you better over the course of your sessions with her, landing on the right audition speech becomes easier. Audition Doctor is hugely helpful when it comes to not only helping you with audition speeches but also picking up on the unconscious ticks that every actor who is starting out will have. It’s always useful to be aware of these so you can keep them in check during your audition. More than anything though, it’s also simply reassuring to know that someone apart from your Mum is on your side.
by Bel | Oct 17, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
While audition masterclasses at the Actors Centre are open only to members, Tilly also holds group Audition Doctor sessions which are open to all and attended by a range of people; from professional actors, drama school applicants to businessmen and women who are eager to improve their presentation skills and public speaking. Tilly holds Audition Doctor Meetup sessions in Central London which are perfect for those who want a fun and stress-free atmosphere to work on building confidence and experience performing in front of “an audience” involving like-minded people.
While one-to-one Audition Doctor sessions are preferable if you require undivided and focused attention, sometimes group sessions are a cheaper and less intensive choice if all you want to do is try out your improvisation technique and have an entertaining evening. Groups usually comprise of about 10 people which allows Tilly to give each person an adequate amount of attention and allows students to get to know each other well enough for there to be a non-judgmental and encouraging environment.
At Audition Doctor, there is no pressure to “perform” or have extensive knowledge of Shakespeare. The speeches people choose are varying – from Jacobean tragedy to monologues from contemporary films. This is where being in a group has its advantages. At times, several members won’t even have heard of the play or film. However, others who have will fill them in. Often, discussions will arise about past productions that they’ve seen, whether or not they liked how it was directed and digress so far that you find that you have “wasted” your one fag and loo break heatedly talking about the National’s 2009 production of ‘Mother Courage’.
The group Audition Doctor sessions are fun and stimulating as you get feedback not only from the Audition Doctor herself, but also your fellow classmates. The next Meetup Audition Doctor session is being held this Friday- 19th October at 20 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, WC2. It’s never scary and always a laugh.
by Bel | Oct 9, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
During the build-up to drama school auditions, my focus was solely on the text (As You Like It); sessions concentrated understandably on my individual performance and personal interpretation of Rosalind.
Having watched Helen Mirren play the part in the BBC 1978 version, it was initially hard to shake her impeccable performance from memory and I found it impossible to see the character as anything other than what she had portrayed. My initial Audition Doctor sessions were filled with embarrassingly pale imitations of one the country’s most respected Oscar-winning actresses. It was frustrating as I could envision the drama school audition panel wearily putting their pens down and wishing fervently to forcibly remove me from the building and the profession.
This is when Tilly’s advice became crucial as she reminded me why I had chosen the speech in the first place. We went back to the text and not only analysed the minutiae of the play but also plotted the psychological journey of Rosalind. The resultant Rosalind was not worthy of being televised by the BBC but thankfully it was my Rosalind and not a plagiarised version of Dame Helen’s.
It’s easy when applying to drama schools to only focus on the audition and forget about the workshop. While Tilly’s acting coaching inculcates you with an element of self-assurance, it is unnerving having to work with other drama school applicants during the group sessions. You’re aware that you’re all competitively vying for the same places whilst simultaneously sharing a feeling of camaraderie due to working together in the workshop and being in the same boat during the rigorous process of drama school auditions.
From the energising pre-audition pep talk to the buoying texts of encouragement, Audition Doctor proved to be a godsend during auditions. Wobbly moments and feelings of intimidation swiftly vanish when a text from Tilly pops up with the simple rallying cry: “COME ON!”
by Bel | Oct 2, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
For me, the number of lessons with Audition Doctor depended on the stage I got to in recalls. With drama schools such as RADA and Guildhall, there are up to four audition stages. While the competition gets stiffer with candidates of equal competency and talent battling for limited places, it became increasingly more vital to try and show flexibility. Regular lessons in between recalls at Audition Doctor gave me the secure environment to do this.
Working on an audition speech from ‘Cock’ by Mike Bartlett was an eye-opener; the speech was a young woman’s angry indictment of what she saw as her future father-in-law’s hypocritical and false leftist ideals. My initial shallow interpretation was basically quite shouty and accusatory with no varying shades of tone or emotion which made it generalised and quite frankly exhausting to watch. Tilly and I then looked closely at the text and “actioned” it which involved assigning a transitive verb for each line. Initially it was difficult to recall each verb for each line and when I did it again I felt like a car continuously stalling. However, not only did this process ensure that I became more aware of the character’s thought process but also gave the speech far more intensity without resorting to deafening the audition panel.
At drama school auditions, it was interesting to note that different drama schools had varying requirements for performing audition speeches. Most informed you that they didn’t want you to direct the speech at the panel as they would be jotting down notes during your audition and therefore didn’t want to be a distraction if they failed to react to your speech. Others however, stipulated that acting was not a solitary process and interaction was cardinal and therefore preferred you to direct your speech to them. Some drama schools even provided an existing student for candidates to say their audition speeches to. I directed most of my speeches to the bookshelf (more specifically a collection of wartime poetry) just above Tilly’s head which meant that it wasn’t as intimidating for me when asked to look the audition panel in the eyes during my speeches.
While rehearsing audition speeches alone in your bedroom is undeniably a prerequisite to attending an audition, performing in front of an audience is equally important. Acting in front of friends or parents can be excruciating, which is why lessons at Audition Doctor are indisputably beneficial. Apart from her twenty years of experience in the acting profession, her invaluable support and guidance, Tilly is also- to put it bluntly- a person in the room.
by Bel | Sep 27, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting
The process of getting into an accredited drama school has become synonymous with adjectives such as “tough” and “challenging”. It requires not only creative ingenuity but also pragmatic organisation over a period which can span over six months. The very nature of an audition is stressful, with your performance dependent on innumerable factors which are out of your control- from the time of your audition, your nerves on the day, to whether the Northern line was part suspended due to planned engineering works. However, there are aspects that you yourself can plan that don’t involve Transport for London.
Many drama schools will assign an audition date as early as two weeks after having received your application form. This means you must already be confident enough to perform your audition speeches by the time you send it off. It’s also worth noting that drama schools have different audition requirements, with some stipulating one modern speech and one Shakespeare, others requesting three speeches and some such as The Central School of Speech and Drama providing a list of speeches for candidates to choose from. Reading the small print has never been more critical as I disquietingly discovered at East 15 when asked to do my second modern speech and had only Hermione from ‘The Winter’s Tale’. Despite the audition panel being obliging, this is a situation that could have been easily avoided. Tilly’s peerless acting coaching furnished me with unparalleled positivity and confidence, but it requires a whole other kind of audacity to feel poised and centred when in this position, which even she cannot provide.
Over the course of auditions and hopefully recalls for drama schools, audition panels will give notes as to how they think a speech could be improved or done more interestingly. Often notes from different drama schools will be contradictory as each panel will have varying tastes. This means that your audition speech will evolve even after Tilly’s acting sessions. Personally, I found it helpful to have “top-up” sessions at Audition Doctor, as this gave me time to discuss my audition, and workshop the panel’s suggestions. Furthermore, drama school auditions are staggered over a length of time and acting sessions at Audition Doctor are useful to ensure that the speeches don’t appear to be over-rehearsed and tired but fresh and original.
by Bel | Sep 6, 2012 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, help with auditions, tilly blackwood
Applying to drama school is undoubtedly an exacting journey that can span over the course of several months. Every applicant will be constantly reminded of the punishingly unfavourable odds of successfully securing a place. I wanted to seek professional advice from someone who was experienced in coaching actors for auditions. I looked through dozens of acting coaches on the internet and Audition Doctor was the only website that distinctly stressed how Tilly Blackwood ensured that every student that she took on benefited from intensive classes that were specifically tailored to each individual. Already feeling like a very small fish in a sea of 4,000 applicants, I thought it would be a wise idea to get in touch. Her warm and approachable manner combined with her enthusiasm and thoughtful advice allowed me to start the process with structure and confidence.
As Tilly stressed, investing time to pick speeches that show off your strengths as well as your potential is key. Depending on how many drama schools you apply for and how successful you are in getting recalls, the odds are that you’ll be doing the same two or three speeches twenty times in auditions, not to mention using lines from them during audition workshops. Knowledge of the play as a whole is vital for when you are hopefully redirected. It puts you in a position to be able to make intelligent decisions and justify them. The ability to analyse and articulate thoughts on character is rooted in a deep understanding and familiarity with the text.
Going into Samuel French or Waterstones and being faced with seemingly unending bookshelves with centuries worth of plays is, without question, intimidating. There are some reassuring guidelines that help narrow the search such as “Modern” being rather arbitrarily defined as being post 1956. Certain drama schools such as the Central School of Speech and Drama have a list of audition speeches that you must choose from. RADA offer helpful criteria such as advising candidates to pick speeches that feature characters that are close in age to them and not picking modern speeches that require an accent that isn’t your own. As some people found out, some drama schools are averse to certain audition speeches. With Shakespeare, this is clearly unavoidable, however, Tennesse Williams, Steven Berkoff and Chekhov were at times deemed to be “overdone.”
I bought a selection of plays. (As long as you are careful not to bend the spine and smear the pages, Waterstones allow you to return “unwanted items” and obtain a full refund within 21 days. I would advise only doing this a maximum of two times as you will be strictly reprimanded for “using the bookshop as if it’s a university library, which it isn’t” and banned from purchasing not only books but also stationary for a month.) I auditioned them with Tilly and it was immediately clear which speeches were not suitable and which were real contenders. We did this for about 3 weeks until we narrowed it down and when the final 2 were chosen, I felt a bit like I had climbed Everest as the general consensus is that when you’ve chosen your speeches, you’re half-way there. Little did I know it was only Base Camp.
