by Bel | Mar 20, 2014 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
The chief reason why people come to Audition Doctor early on in the audition process is preparation. Advice on picking monologues and direction on the speeches themselves can only be assimilated and played with if you give yourself enough time before an audition.
The Stage warned against hurried interpretations: “Once you’ve selected your speech, experiment. See what it could be, rather than stamping a panicked performance upon it. You must deliver the text audibly, truthfully and connectedly – with intention. That is the actor’s job: to convey the words without false acting voices or daft, uncontrolled head and body-wobbles. The panel will be excited by a clear, clean performance that delivers the words with connection and conviction. Heaped emotion is less interesting.”
In the same article, Andy Johnson explained how “an audition is a two-minute show”. Many candidates comment on how much quicker they perform their speeches. Usually, these are applicants whose first “public” showing of their speeches have been in front of the panel. The combination of nerves and under-preparation is a detrimental cocktail in auditions. Audition Doctor sessions ensure that you don’t throw away your audition by rushing. They give you the reassurance that it’s okay to not throw yourself unthinkingly into your speech, but to do what the Stage recommends: ” To take a moment to imagine the audition space as the location of the monologue. The best auditions are those in which the actor successfully transports the panel from wherever they are to an urban street, a clearing in the woods, a vast hall in a medieval palace etc.”
Audition Doctor is also beneficial for advice in the interview part of the audition; running through possible questions and answers can make all the difference. Ben Caplan recently lamented: “I’ve known actors come into class and have not properly read the play or don’t know basic things like who is running the Royal Court. That is not good enough. But if you do prepare yourself you can have a successful career.”
As almost every actor has said, they key to a good performance is preparation and this is what Audition Doctor gives you. Tilly doesn’t give out answers but something much more powerful – the ability to ask more questions. The curiosity and willingness to engage in trial and error that is fostered in her lessons prepares all her students for drama school auditions.
by Bel | Mar 6, 2014 | acting classes, acting classes london, audition classes, audition doctor, auditions, classes for acting, tilly blackwood
Insanity was once defined by Einstein as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. One of the many reasons why students come to Audition Doctor is the fact that they find that they are not getting the recalls they so desperately want. They perform the same two speeches over and over again at every drama school audition without success.
Audition Doctor has always stressed that the most important decision you make is your choice of speeches. However, many candidates continue to pick speeches that they perhaps think will show their range, yet which are ostensibly not suitable for where they are in their development.
Steve Winter, head of Old Vic New Voices, advised in Ideastap: “Don’t play a pensioner when you’re 21. Play to your strengths and embrace whatever age you are.” There are hundreds of great monologues for people in their twenties and thirties out there – so don’t just reach for the grandparent role.”
Furthermore, Winter commented on casting sessions where students failed to read the actual play from which the speech was chosen. Reading the play multiple times is a must. It’s essential that you have as thorough an understanding of your character as possible. Additionally, showing that you have a lack of knowledge of the play reveals a lack of interest and preparation. Drama schools are renowned for their insistence on total commitment, not bothering to do something so basic as read the play will guarantee no recall.
“You need to know the playwright, story and character arc of the monologue you are performing,” says Steve. For all you know, this might be the monologue delivered just before the character reveals that they are a pathological liar, or in prison, or actually in love with their mother. If you don’t know the context, it’s hard to give a really informed performance. Also, OVNV are looking for actors who are dedicated and enthusiastic enough to do their research. As Steve says, “Phrases such as. ‘I just selected it from the monologue book my tutor gave me’ are not words we like to hear.”
Audition Doctor is not the place to come if you aren’t thirsty to stretch your acting capabilities. Most of Tilly’s students come ready with several different speeches and ideas of how to approach them. Audition Doctor will not find audition speeches for you because the hunt for the perfect speech is important in itself. The writing must speak to you personally as the organic process of exploring the speech is a lengthy one. In other words, you have to care about what you’re saying to be able to convey the emotion and vulnerability that the writer asks of you.
When Arthur Darvill was asked how useful his training at RADA was, he responded: “Training is a funny thing. I was very lucky and went to RADA. That was the Holy Grail for me, before I went. But it meant that I spent my first year trying to “get it right” rather than get what I could from it. The truth is you never get it right, you just keep learning. Drama school was a great opportunity to do that and – like any place of learning – you get out what you put in.”
Audition Doctor is much the same.
