Stagecoach Blog

Auditions can be nerve-racking but if you go fully prepared with a positive attitude, you can reap the benefits of the audition experience, whether you land the role or not. 

 

At Stagecoach, though our students don’t have to audition to join our classes but we do hold audition workshops for our Summer Showcase and many of our students go on to further education in the performing arts or professional roles in singing, dancing or acting so here are our top tips for auditioning for wherever you are in your career. 

 

1. Come prepared

 

Before entering an audition, it’s key to spend some time learning what you can help you feel comfortable in the audition room. This includes researching the drama school or company you’re auditioning for and researching the piece or people you’re auditioning for. Basically, do some homework before heading to the audition, you never know what nuggets of knowledge will help you out. 

 

2. Timing is everything

 

Make sure you arrive on time. It could be worth doing a test run of the journey to the audition space before the day to make sure you know how long you need and where the entrance is.

 

3. Learn your lines

 

It might sound simple but it really is worth a reminder. If you have been given the material ahead of time, make sure you’ve taken the time to rehearse before you reach the audition day. 

4. Warm up 

 

Don’t forget to allow time to warm up before your audition so you can give your best performance on the day. 

 

5. Be yourself 

 

Remember to always be yourself in the audition room. You might be playing a character but you’ll still have your own way of playing them. Draw from your own theories and experiences to determine the character’s motivations.   

 

6. Embrace the nerves

 

It’s natural to be nervous in an audition but how you feel inside doesn’t always have to be what you show outside. Bring a fake it ‘til you make it approach to your audition, as long as you act confident and polite, you’ll be on the right track. 

 

7. Be nice to everyone, and we mean everyone 

 

The performing world is smaller than you might think so you never know who you’ll cross paths with again. You don’t need to befriend everyone in the audition space or waiting room but a smile and a ‘hello’ goes a long way as a first impression. 

 

8. Don’t sweat the small stuff

 

Mistakes happen. If you make an error or forget a line, don’t stress about it. The people you’re auditioning for know you’ll likely be feeling nervous and they were probably in your shoes themselves once. They’re human too! Besides, often the recovery and showing how you can pick yourself back up after making a mistake is more memorable than the mistake itself.  

 

9. Remember your worth 

 

You wouldn’t be given the opportunity to audition if the team didn’t see something in you so hold your head high when walking into the room. Even in an open audition, they’ll be an expectation that the team will see a range of auditionees, potentially with a range of experience levels, so don’t be afraid to sign yourself up. 

 

Also, don’t try to figure out what the casting team want to see from your interpretation of the character. Unless they outrightly tell you, they want to see what you’d do with your portrayal so trust your gut and put your own spin on it. 

 

10. Take notes for next time 

 

No experience is wasted. If you land the role or the place at performing arts school then you should be really proud of yourself but if you don’t, you will have still learnt something from the experience. It may even be worth reaching out for feedback so you can discover what you could change next time.  

 

We hope you find these tips useful. Best of luck for your next audition!