Undergraduate Musical Theatre Admissions
Am I eligible to apply?
If you are over 18 years of age and have a good general standard of education you may apply. Your potential for training will be assessed at a workshop audition.
How do I apply?
Download an application form and post back to:
MTS
Arts Educational Schools London
Cone Ripman House
14 Bath Road
Chiswick
London
W4 1LY
Auditions
Auditions are generally held from October to May for Musical Theatre. There will be a chance to see the School in operation and to ask questions on the day so you should expect to be at the School for most of an afternoon.
Audition Requirements 3yr BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
There are two stages to the audition:
Stage 1 consists of a jazz workshop, followed by a short singing audition. Candidates should prepare two songs in full. One should be a ballad written no later than 1965 (something like ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel), and the other should be contrasting – something you enjoy singing! For stage 1 you should prepare a section from each of the two songs, each lasting no longer than one minute. The audition panel will choose to hear one or both of these sections. Sheet music in the right key must be brought for both songs. Please avoid character songs, such as ‘Adelaide’s Lament’ (Guys and Dolls) or ‘My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada’ (Avenue Q). We need to hear YOUR voice – pretending you have a cold or that you are the voice of a puppet will not be helpful! If you are invited to continue to Stage 2 you may be asked to perform the same two songs in full and two acting monologues.
Stage 2 Candidates will be selected to stay for this stage. Some may be required to dance again. All candidates will be asked to sing again using their songs as previously prepared for the first stage of the audition.
You should also prepare two contrasting monologues*, one from a play by Shakespeare and the other chosen from a play written after 1960. The modern piece must be from a play and not a musical and should not be in verse. Both pieces should be learnt off book and MUST not exceed 2 minutes each.
* please do not do any of the following speeches
Puck – Midsummer Nights Dream
Ariel – Tempest
Launce – Two Gentlemen of Verona
Laughing Wild – Tuna Fish Monologue
Equus
Gut Girls
Alan Bennet – Talking Heads
Each candidate selected for Stage 2 will also have an interview with senior tutors and a possible orthopædic examination by a qualified physiotherapist for which top and shorts should be worn.
Post diploma BA Hons performance studies
Post Diploma BA Hons Performance Studies, 1 year part-time course entry is subject to fulfillment of the entry criteria and a personal interview.
Students from outside the UK
The School invites applications from eligible candidates from all countries. The working language of the courses are English, so you must be able to show evidence at the audition of an excellent command of spoken and written English.
The UK Government is reviewing the systems whereby overseas students from non-EU countries can study in the UK. We are currently taking advice from the UK Borders Agency as to how to proceed which may cause a delay in the processing of your application to study at Arts Educational Schools. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Open Days
We do not offer Open Days for our undergraduate programmes. Prospective students will have the opportunity to be shown around the school by current students during the audition day. If you would like to see our current students work, please come along to one of our forthcoming productions.
Accessibility
If an applicant with a disability is successful at audition the college will do its utmost to meet the student’s access requirements. Before offering a place the college will discuss with the student its ability to fully support him/her during training. If after discussion the college regretfully feels it cannot provide adequate support and, therefore, is unable to offer a place, it will explain to the student why, and advise them on alternative opportunities. Although the building is fully accessible for public performances, many of the teaching areas are not accessible for people with mobility impairments.
The application forms are in Adobe Acrobat format. If you do not already have Acrobat Reader installed you can download it for free here.
