We visited Samuel Creasey, 2020 graduate of our BA (Hons) degree in Acting, at the Bridge Theatre, where he is appearing in The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage.
We chatted about his experience making his professional stage debut, and how his time at ArtsEd has supported his career so far.
Congratulations, you’re applying for our Musical Theatre courses here at ArtsEd!
You’ve submitted your application, invitations to audition are beginning to land and you have taken the first step on your journey to becoming a professional performer, an ambition you’ve likely had for some time.
There’s a lot for you to get to grips with, including understanding all the different audition requirements, sorting out your travel so you get here in plenty of time, and of course being at your best for the audition panel!
We appreciate that the audition day can be daunting, but we also want you to have as much fun as possible.
There is a lot you can do to ensure you make the most of each opportunity. ArtsEd’s Director of the School of Musical Theatre, Jonathan O’Boyle, is here to help with some top tips for auditionees applying to our Musical Theatre Courses.
The first thing I do is introduce myself and the team that will be auditioning you that day. We talk about the course and then walk you through the day ahead.
We then kick off the audition process with a group warm-up, after which you will be split into two groups. One group will head off to the dance section of the audition, whilst the other group will take part in the singing section, presenting their legit and/or contemporary songs to the panel. After that, the groups switch around.
Once everyone has sung their songs and completed their dance audition, we will let you all know who has been recalled to the afternoon 2nd round audition phase.
The second round of our Musical Theatre audition includes a further dance workshop, a further singing audition and your acting audition where you will work on your monologues. The final part of your day will be an interview with me and/or a senior member of the teaching staff from the School of Musical Theatre.
So that’s the overall shape of an ArtsEd Musical Theatre audition. Here’s what you need to know to best prepare you for your time with us.
For the singing round you will need to prepare and perform two songs. One should be a ‘legit’ ballad written no later than 1965 (e.g. ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel, ‘Simple Little Things’ from 110 in the Shade or “On the Street Where You Live’ from My Fair Lady). The other song can be anything of your own choice, providing it’s a contrast to your legit song and it is something you enjoy singing. We always look forward to hearing people’s choices.
You must bring your own copy of the sheet music for the song. It makes sense to make it as easy as possible for the accompanist do the best job they can do for you during your audition. To that end, make sure the music is in the right key, clearly printed and firmly sellotaped at the seams.
For the first round you will be asked to sing a 1-minute cut of each song. Choose your favourite part of the song. This might be the first minute, it might be the last, choose the section that speaks to you the most and that best showcases your voice.
Remember to prepare both songs in full as you will need the full versions for the second round in the afternoon (if you are recalled).
It will help you if you understand the context of the song. Where does it sit within the musical? What happens before the song? What happens after? What is the environment, are you outside? Inside? Is it cold? Warm? What does the character want?
If your song is addressed to someone, imagine who you’re signing to, and place them in the room with you, to the left or right of the panel. If the character is singing to themselves, I recommend singing over the panel’s head. Try to avoid looking at the panel, as we will be taking notes and we don’t want to distract you.
On the morning of your audition, you will take part in a group jazz class. Don’t worry if you haven’t danced before, all movements will be explained and demonstrated on the day. We are looking for candidates who have potential, not just experience.
All 2nd round recalled candidates will participate in a second dance workshop in the afternoon. During this workshop you will be given more detailed and precise technical information that you will need to apply to a new piece of choreography. Again, don’t worry about lack of experience, if you have got through to the 2nd round, we think you have potential and will explain anything that needs explaining.
You should wear comfortable clothing that you can move freely in (not too tight or loose). You can wear jazz shoes or dance bare foot, but please don’t wear trainers.
You will need to have prepared two monologues in anticipation of getting through to the 2nd round of the auditions. Each monologue should be a maximum of three minutes long.
One should be from a modern play written after 1990, and the other from a classical play using heightened language. This could be Shakespeare, but we also welcome classical pieces from across the globe. Please choose material you relate to personally and which you find exciting.
As with your songs, you will benefit from having a clear understanding of what the character wants in that moment in time, and how that fits within the wider context of the play. We ask that you perform your monologues in your natural voice. We want to hear you!
The interview will be an opportunity for us to meet you and get to know you a little more. We are interested in getting to know you as a person, as well as getting to know your skills. I will be asking questions about your interests and aspirations. This will also be your chance to ask any questions that you might have for us about the course.
Calling all aspiring filmmakers!
We’re launching a brand new Sunday course just for you!
The Young Filmmakers course is perfect for all you budding creatives out there looking to get behind the camera, challenge yourself, and collaborate with others. We provide all the gear so all you need is the imagination and ideas.
The course is for ages 14 – 17+ and you can read all about it (and sign up!) here.
Today we were fortunate to be joined Ruth Cadbury MP, to deliver a chat to our year 12, A Level Politics students.
They got the chance to have a Q&A session, at the end, to discuss the issues that most matter to them.
For more information about our Sixth Form Curriculum, click here.
Check out Marianthe’s vlog!
Spend a typical day with a first year BA (Hons) Musical Theatre student.
ArtsEd’s Foundation Acting course students (led by Steven Kavuma) were treated to a brilliant workshop and Q&A session this Friday with actor, Dipo Ola.
Dipo made his screen debut in the critically acclaimed, and multi-award nominated Channel 4 Series, Baghdad Central. He has gone on to work with the BBC on the cult classic anthology show, Inside No.9 and is now in HBO’s true crime miniseries Landscapers, alongside Olivia Coleman.
For more information about our School of Acting, including the 1-year Foundation course, click here
ArtsEd Sixth Form graduate, Isabella Pappas, is currently filming a brand new sitcom for Disney+ called Meet the Mayhems, we are thrilled to report!
As announced in Hollywood’s Deadline last year, Meet the Mayhems is an original live-action comedy series from Lab Rats co-creators Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore. Production is underway in Los Angeles on the series about a family of raucous supervillains who recently ran afoul of the League of Villains and now must somehow beat a path to normalcy in a small Texas town.
The series is scheduled to premiere in summer 2022 on Disney Channel and Disney+ platforms worldwide. The plot focusses on Isabella’s character, teenager Havoc, who stands up against the leader of all villains, forcing her entire family to change their identities and relocate to a Texas suburb where she now goes by the name Amy. With the help of her effervescent new neighbour Hartley, she must somehow hide her superpowers and quell her villainous nature in favour of something she’s fought against all her life — being normal!
Isabella starred in the ITV drama Finding Alice last year, and is going from strength to strength since graduating from ArtsEd in 2020. We can’t wait to see her in action in this latest project!
PHOTO: Disney Branded Television
Applying to ArtsEd’s HE Courses couldn’t be simpler!
Watch this step-by-step video guide to our online application system and get started today on your drama school journey.
Visit our Courses page to explore our HE offering: BA (Hons) | Foundation | MA
Visit our Auditions page for all the information you need to apply.
Our SATURDAY ACADEMY is back in action THIS SATURDAY 8 January!
It’s the perfect time to join us as well – Musical Theatre students are working towards a studio performance, and Acting students will be working on a screen project.
We also give private lessons and tuition for LAMDA exams on Saturdays.
If you’re interested in checking out our weekend offering, see here for more info and to sign up!
We’re absolutely thrilled to see Musical Theatre alum Carly Mercedes Dyer feature in The Stage 25: Theatremakers to watch out for in 2022 and beyond!
Since graduating from ArtsEd’s School of Musical Theatre, Carly has added a string of West End shows to her CV – Rock of Ages, Dirty Dancing, Memphis, Chicago, The Lorax (at The Old Vic) and Hedestown at The National Theatre.
She starred as Anita in West Side Story at The Leicester Curve, and Erma in Anything Goes at The Barbican last year. She most recently played Cassie in A Chorus Line at Leicester Curve.
Carly was nominated for the award by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, who said:
“Carly Mercedes Dyer is a wonderful performer with an exceptional range of roles in her career to date. Indeed, she practically stole the show as Erma in our production of Anything Goes at London’s Barbican this summer – holding her own against hugely experienced performers like Sutton Foster and Robert Lindsay.
The critics agreed. The Times, Guardian and Evening Standard all praised her performance in the show. The Stage’s Tim Bano said she didn’t just steal the scenes, she “plunders and ransacks them”. Broadway World praised the “piercing comedy genius” throughout her performance, most notably in her number Buddie, Beware, which, according to the Financial Times “brings down the house”.
We have to say, we agree with the critics and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Carly!
Photo: The Stage / Will Haub
