Acting audition and interview guidance

The Recall Audition consists of an acting workshop, voice and movement assessments, the presentation of two speeches and a song.

You should make sure you arrive in plenty of time for your audition; if for any reason you will be late please let us know. Punctuality is essential during the course, as it is when working in the profession. We are aware that sometimes transport is delayed – however, we will expect you to have arranged your travel to arrive on time even if there is a reasonable delay.

As in the Initial Audition the speeches should be no more than two minutes each and suitable to your age and experience.

Please prepare an accompanied song; this should be no more than three minutes in length and suitable for your age and vocal range. Piano accompaniment is required and the sheet music must be provided in the right key.

Please note your performance will be stopped if the speech or song exceeds the stated maximum length. You may be interviewed by the Course Director or their representative.

If you wish us to take dyslexia or dyspraxia into account at your Recall Audition you must bring with you a copy of your assessment/report confirming the condition and hand it to the course tutor or Admissions Officer on the day of your Recall Audition.

Note - Please bring refreshments/lunch to your Recall Audition as this will not be provided by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting).

The session is with the entire group of candidates and begins with a physical warm-up which is observed by members of the teaching staff.

We look for your ability to work as a member of a team, access your imagination, propose ideas, listen and respond to stimuli and demonstrate transformational skills. Members of the acting and movement staff will assess the workshop.

As the workshop is extremely physical, it is recommended that you bring comfortable and appropriate clothing; jeans or tight fitting clothes are not appropriate. The work will be undertaken barefoot and long hair should be tied back so as not to cover your face. Tight belts, belts with buckles, clothes with prominent zips – all of which may be dangerous – should not be worn. Trousers should be waisted and not slip down to the hips and leg length should not drag on the floor. Tops should cover the cleavage and stomach areas. These requirements are in accordance with the School’s dress code.

• Focus and concentration
• Physical confidence
• Imaginative and creative response
• Ability to transform
• Listening and responding
• Engagement
• Physical coordination
• Flexibility
• Sense of rhythm
• Posture/stance

You must prepare and memorise two contrasting speeches from different plays, one of which must be from an Elizabethan / Jacobean play.

Note: You can use same the same speeches as used at the Initial audition stage unless feedback from initial Panel states otherwise.

Each selection should be no more than two minutes in length and suitable for your age and experience (you may be stopped if a speech exceeds two minutes in length).

The contemporary speech – you should to be able to demonstrate your knowledge of contemporary repertoire.

The delivery of speeches is in half groups and they should be from published plays. Excerpts from film scripts, television dramas and unpublished plays are not acceptable unless you can provide at audition, and leave with us, a copy of the actual and complete script with the speech used clearly marked.

As at the Initial Audition, you should have read the whole of the play from which a speech is taken and be able to provide the correct title, name of the author and, if relevant, translator. You may be asked questions about the play and your character’s journey within it (i.e. their motives, the plays content etc). It is preferable that the content of the speeches is something you can relate to and understand. It is not advisable to attempt an accent unless you are entirely confident of its accuracy and only if it is appropriate to the speech.

Any performance choices you make should be justifiable within the text. The performance should reveal an understanding of the scene and character and an ability to create and share appropriate emotions and atmosphere. Try to make sure that any vocal and physical interpretation you do is strictly relevant.

• Energy
• Choice of speeches
• Spatial awareness
• Suitability of phsyicalisation
• Identification with character
• Achievement of contrast
• Creation of environment
• Use/handling of language
• Power to hold an audience
• Potential for development through training

Your song will be performed alone to a senior singing tutor. As with your acting selections, your song should be a published work with piano accompaniment. We will provide a pianist but you must provide sheet music in a suitable format for the pianist to use. (Sheet music should be brought with you for the accompanist and this should either be presented in a folder or sellotaped so that it is easily turnable. Loose sheets are not acceptable).

We are interested to see how you interpret a song and its content. We appreciate that some candidates are not experienced singers but we do not believe that this stops anyone from expressing the style and content of a song. It is important that you choose a song suitable for your voice and age. The singing part of the assessment may begin with a group warm-up.

• Qualities: including speech, twang, falsetto
• Technique: including breathing, body alignment
• Story telling: journey of the song

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff, who mark the work shown. In Recall Auditions all elements are assessed including speeches. Please note that audition feedback is not given on Recall Auditions.

Following an audition and/or interview, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered an unconditional place. This means that you have a place on the course for which you applied. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are offered a conditional place. This means that you will have a place on the course for which you applied if you attain the required academic qualifications. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are offered a place in our reserve pool on the course. This is the most common outcome. It indicates that you have reached an acceptable standard, but because applications and auditions/interviews happen throughout the year we cannot allocate all places on a course until the auditions/interviews have been completed.
  Our auditions come to an end in June, and the reserve pool will normally stay ‘live’ until 31st August. Applicants in the sector finalise their choices through UCAS by their reply by date so it is not uncommon for further places to become available at that time. If we are unable to offer you a firm place by this date you may wish to start the audition process again for the following year’s intake when the UCAS Conservatoire application process opens again in July.
• You are not offered a place on the course - unsuccessful. You cannot re-apply for a place on the same course in the same academic year.
• You are considered for the Foundation in Acting course. You requested to submit a song audition recording for the opportunity to obtain a place on the Foundation in Acting course. (The Foundation in Acting is a 20 week full time self funding course.

You will need to create a username and password (four to eight characters) before you can apply online. You can work through the form at your own pace, saving as you go along. You will need to provide information on your previous and current education, employment and English language ability, as well as a personal statement and a referee. We recommend you write your personal statement offline and paste it into the application form.

Your personal statement should cover your interests, accomplishments and personal ambitions. You should discuss the relevance of any specialist training you have undertaken prior to your decision to apply for your chosen course. You should also tell us whether you have applied to any other Drama UK Drama Schools and/or Universities (and if so, which ones) and whether you have applied to Birmingham Conservatoire Acting previously. It would be very good to know why you want to do our course and what you think you can bring to our School.

Your personal statement should be about 500 words in length and written in essay style. You should give your personal statement the same amount of care and attention as the rest of your application. Be sure to cover all the elements requested above, proof-read it carefully and check your spelling before submitting your application.

Your referee should be someone who is not a family member. Your referee should focus on commenting on your stamina and character – in particular, your ability to sustain rigorous training. He or she should also comment on your suitability for study at foundation level and your suitability to pursue a specialised course in acting.

Admission to the course is via application form and reference. You will be required to produce an audition self-tape, after which you may be invited to attend an Applicant Workshop Day and/or be required to attend a brief online interview (it is important, when completing your application, that you consider carefully the content of your personal statement).

By attending the Applicant Workshop Day, the Foundation Team will gain an understanding of your abilities and skills in addition to your personality and potential for actor training on the Foundation Course that have not been initially recognised from your virtual audition recording. In addition, the workshop is a great opportunity for you to see what the school and the course have to offer, and you will also have the chance to meet current students and ask questions.

Your virtual audition recording should include an introduction to yourself and reasons for why you wish to undertake the Foundation course and what you feel you can bring to the course. You should record a contemporary monologue or a Shakespeare monologue lasting no longer than two minutes and you will need to include a recording of you singing. We highly advise that your song choice is a piece from musical theatre. (Please note that, if you are invited to attend a workshop, you will be asked to perform your monologue again.)

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff. If you are invited to a Workshop Day and accept the invitation, we will provide you with a final decision on your application after that date.

Following your attendance at the workshop, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered a conditional place on the pathway you applied for (Full or Part Time). This means that you will have a place on the course for which you applied if you obtain a satisfactory reference and pay the £500 deposit to secure a place on the course. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are entered onto a reserve list.
• You are not offered a place on the course.

BA Acting applicants please note:

• BA (Hons) Acting applicants who are unsuccessful at the initial stage will be asking to submit a virtual audition recording of a song and if successful may be invited to attend a Foundation Workshop if the panel/Course Director feels that this would be suitable.
• BA (Hons) Acting applicants who have auditioned for a Recall audition and have been made unsuccessful but can be considered for an alternative offer, may be offered a conditional place on the Foundation in Acting course without attending a Foundation Workshop A satisfactory reference and a payment of a £500 deposit to secure a place on the course will be required.

The Recall Audition can present in two options.

Option one – Home students and any overseas students who wish to attend a live recall day at the school. This consists of a movement/improvisation workshop, sight reading to camera and the presentation of two speeches and a song.

Option Two – for international students not resident in the UK or available for the live recall will be invited to an online recall with the course director, where they will be invited to present their speeches again and be interviewed for the course.

You should make sure you arrive in plenty of time for your audition; if for any reason you will be late, please let us know. Punctuality is essential during the course, as it is when working in the profession. We are aware that sometimes transport is delayed – however, we will expect you to have arranged your travel to arrive on time even if there is a reasonable delay.

As in the Initial Audition the speeches should be no more than two minutes each and be suitable to your gender, age and experience.

Please prepare an accompanied song; this should be no more than three minutes in length and suitable for your gender, age and vocal range. Piano accompaniment is required, and the sheet music must be provided in the right key.

Please note your performance will be stopped if the speech or song exceeds the stated maximum length. You may be interviewed by the Course Director or his/her representative.

If you wish us to take dyslexia or dyspraxia into account at your Recall Audition you must bring with you a copy of your assessment/report confirming the condition and hand it to the course tutor or Admissions Officer on the day of your Recall Audition.

Note - Please bring refreshments/lunch to your Recall Audition as this will not be provided by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting).

The session is with the entire group of candidates and begins with a physical warm-up which is observed by members of the teaching staff.

We look for your ability to work as a member of a team, access your imagination, propose ideas, listen and respond to stimuli and demonstrate transformational skills. Members of the acting and movement staff will assess the workshop.

As the workshop is extremely physical, it is recommended that you bring comfortable and appropriate clothing; jeans or tight-fitting clothes are not appropriate. The work will be undertaken barefoot and long hair should be tied back so as not to cover your face. Tight belts, belts with buckles, clothes with prominent zips – all of which may be dangerous – should not be worn. Trousers should be waisted and not slip down to the hips and leg length should not drag on the floor. Tops should cover the cleavage and stomach areas. These requirements are in accordance with the School’s dress code.

• Focus and concentration
• Physical confidence
• Imaginative and creative response
• Ability to transform
• Listening and responding
• Engagement
• Physical coordination
• Flexibility
• Sense of rhythm
• Posture/stance

You must prepare and memorise two contrasting speeches from different plays, one of which must be from an Elizabethan / Jacobean play.

Note: You can use same the same speeches as used at the Initial audition stage unless feedback from initial Panel states otherwise.  

Each selection should be no more than two minutes in length and suitable for your gender, age and experience (you may be stopped if a speech exceeds two minutes in length).

The contemporary speech – you should be able to demonstrate your knowledge of contemporary repertoire.

The speeches should be from published plays. Excerpts from film scripts, television dramas and unpublished plays are not acceptable unless you can provide a copy of the script at the audition, with the speech used clearly marked.

As at the Initial Audition, you should have read the whole of the play from which a speech is taken and be able to provide the correct title, name of the author and, if relevant, translator. You may be asked questions about the play and your character’s journey within it (i.e. their motives, the plays content etc). It is preferable that the content of the speeches is something you can relate to and understand. It is not advisable to attempt an accent unless you are entirely confident of its accuracy and only if it is appropriate to the speech.

Please note that there is no requirement to provide a physical portfolio.

Any performance choices you make should be justifiable within the text. The performance should reveal an understanding of the scene and character and an ability to create and share appropriate emotions and atmosphere. Try to make sure that any vocal and physical interpretation you do is strictly relevant.

• Energy
• Achievement of contrast
• Choice of speeches
• Creation of environment
• Spatial awareness
• Use / handling of language
• Suitability of physicalisation
• Power to hold an audience
• Identification with character
• Potential for development through training

Your song will be performed alone to a senior singing tutor. As with your acting selections, your song should be a published work with piano accompaniment. We will provide a pianist, but you must provide sheet music in a suitable format for the pianist to use. Sheet music should be brought with you for the accompanist, and this should either be presented in a folder or sellotaped so that it is easily turnable. Loose sheets are not acceptable.

We are interested to see how you interpret a song and its content. We appreciate that some candidates are not experienced singers, but we do not believe that this stops anyone from expressing the style and content of a song. It is important that you choose a song suitable for your voice, gender and age. The singing part of the assessment may begin with a group warm-up.

• Qualities: including speech, twang, falsetto
• Technique: including breathing, body alignment
• Story telling journey of the song

In certain instances, the Course Director or his/her representative may interview you, to gain a better understanding of you and your motives for wishing to attend a drama school. A voice tutor may wish to see you individually to assess more fully your vocal potential.

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff, who mark the work shown. In Recall Auditions all elements are assessed including speeches.

Please note that audition feedback is not given on Recall Auditions.

Following an audition and/or interview, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered an unconditional place. This means that you have a place on the course for which you applied. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are offered a conditional place. This means that you will have a place on the course for which you applied if you attain the required academic qualifications. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are offered a place in our reserve pool on the course. This is the most common outcome. It indicates that you have reached an acceptable standard, but because applications and auditions/interviews happen throughout the year we cannot allocate all places on a course until the auditions/interviews have been completed.
  Our auditions come to an end in May, and the reserve pool will normally stay ‘live’ until 31st August. Applicants in the sector finalise their choices through UCAS by their reply by date so it is not uncommon for further places to become available at that time. If we are unable to offer you a firm place by this date you may wish to start the audition process again for the following year’s intake when the UCAS Conservatoire application process opens again in July.
• You are not offered a place on the course - unsuccessful. You cannot re-apply for a place on the same course in the same academic year.

Auditioning in person in the USA

Many applicants for this course audition in the USA concurrent with the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) auditions. If you are auditioning only for us, please follow the guidelines below for selecting repertoire. If you are auditioning for several U/RTA institutions, you may use the two audition pieces you have already prepared.

The locations, dates and preparation information for the U/RTA auditions can be found on their website here. You should read all the relevant information relating to the auditions both on the U/RTA website/handbook and this audition guidance specifically for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Acting.

You can audition as a ‘walk-in’ candidate free of charge if you wish to audition solely for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Acting. If you wish to audition for other U/RTA hosts then you will need to register with U/RTA on their website as well which will incur a fee.

Auditioning in person at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Acting in the UK

If you wish to audition in person either as a home/EU or International applicant resident or staying in the UK at the time of the audition, please follow the audition guidelines and submit an online application form. Upon review of your application by the Course Director, we may invite you to an in-person audition, for which you should prepare following the criteria below. We recognise that you will inevitably be nervous about your audition; much rides upon the outcome. We work hard to ensure that your audition is a positive experience. Members of both academic and admissions staff will be available to answer questions at all stages of auditioning.

Completing our online application form

You should complete your application online, which you can access via the course webpage. You can work through the form at your own pace, saving as you go along. You will need to provide information on your previous and current education, employment and English language ability (if English is not your first language), as well as a personal statement and a referee. We recommend you write your personal statement offline and paste it into the application form.

What should I include in my personal statement?

Your personal statement should cover your interests, accomplishments, personal ambitions, and your reasons for wishing to study on the Master of Fine Arts Acting course. You should outline your previous acting experience (training and any professional experience), identify the main reasons why you are interested in further study, and outline what your research interests may be. You should also indicate how you intend to fund the course. You should also tell us whether you have applied to any other Drama UK schools and/or Universities (and if so, which ones) and whether you have applied to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Acting previously.

How long should my personal statement be?

Your personal statement should be about 500 words in length and written in essay style. You should give your personal statement the same amount of care an attention as your audition. Be sure to cover all the elements requested above, proof-read it carefully and check your spelling before submitting it with your application.

What does my reference need to include?

Your referee should not be a family member. Your referee should focus their comments on your suitability for study at postgraduate level and your suitability to pursue a specialised course in acting.

Will I be auditioned?

Admission to the Master of Fine Arts Acting course is via an audition and application. If you are applying from the UK, you should submit an application. You will then be requested to submit an online initial audition recording and if successful at initial stage, you will be invited to attend an on-campus recall audition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire School of Acting, which is based at Ruskin Hall, Bournville, Birmingham.

Before completing your application, you should ensure that you have read the guidance below and on our website regarding the audition process. In addition to the guidance below, you may wish to read Auditions: Frequently Asked Questions.

Auditioning via an online audition recording

If you live outside the UK/EU and cannot attend an audition in the USA, you can submit an application and once received you will be requested to submit an online initial audition recording. You should present your speeches in English to camera and perform them as you would in a live audition, using the guidelines provided.

Please ensure that we can see the whole of your body at least once. It is not necessary to provide close-ups or produce an edited piece of television, but you should ensure that the sound quality is sufficient for us to make an accurate assessment of your voice. You should supply the title, author and, if relevant translator details with your speeches.

You may also make a short personal statement of no more than two minutes about you, your interest in pursuing an MFA, previous experiences and any context for the pieces you feel is relevant to our watching.

Your initial online audition recording should consist of the following 3 elements, and should not exceed 6 minutes in total and there should be no camera edits in any single monologue:

• An introduction, of no more than two minutes about you, your interest in pursuing an MFA, previous experiences and any context for the pieces you feel is relevant
• A Classical monologue
• A contemporary monologue

Your initial audition recording link should be sent as an unlisted YouTube link via uploading a completed the audition form to the mySRS portal (instructions in how to submit an audition recording will be in the acknowledgement of application communication that you will be sent shortly after applying.

Please ensure you check your spam/junk folder if the communication is not showing in your inbox.

If successful at the initial stage, you will be invited to attend a virtual Recall audition and can alternatively request for an on-campus Recall audition if you wish. Please note that you may be asked to present your speeches again live via the Microsoft Teams or Zoom platform link with the Course Director.

Admissions can be contacted at conservatoire.international@bcu.ac.uk (EU/Overseas) or acting.admissions@bcu.ac.uk (Home) if you have an queries regarding submission of a recording.

If you are successful at the Initial stage and are invited to attend an on-campus Recall, you should make sure you arrive in plenty of time for your audition; if for any reason you will be late, please let us know. Punctuality is essential during the course, as it is when working in the profession. We are aware that sometimes transport is delayed – however, we will expect you to have arranged your travel to arrive on time even if there is a reasonable delay.

Please note street shoes and stilettos are not allowed in any of our studios. Please bring some indoor footwear which could be jazz shoes/soft pumps or clean trainers. You will work in bare feet for some elements of the day.

Your online initial audition recording will be reviewed by a panel of staff and/or professional actors who will provide written feedback – If you move forward to the Recall audition stage either in-person or by a one-to-one virtual audition, you will have up to ten minutes with a panel consisting of the course director and possibly other staff to discuss your choice of speeches and your motives for attending drama school.

You must prepare and memorise two contrasting speeches from different plays, one of which must be from a contemporary play written in the last 100 years. The other must be from an Elizabethan / Jacobean play or Spanish Golden Age.

Each selection should be no more than two minutes in length and suitable for your age and experience (you may be stopped if a speech exceeds two minutes in length).

All speeches should be from published plays. Excerpts from film script, television dramas and unpublished plays are not advisable.

You should have read the whole of the play from which a speech is taken and be able to provide the correct title, name of the writer and translator if relevant. You may be asked questions about the play and your character’s journey within it (i.e. their intentions etc.).

It is preferred that the content of the speeches should be something to which you can relate and understand. It is not advised that you attempt an accent unless you are entirely confident of its accuracy and only if it is appropriate to the speech.

Any performance choices you make should be justifiable within the text. The performance should reveal an understanding of the scene and character and an ability to create and share appropriate emotions and atmosphere. Try to make sure that any vocal and physical interpretation you do is strictly relevant.

• Energy
• Choice of speeches
• Spatial awareness
• Creation of environment
• Suitability of physicalisation
• Use / handling of language
• Identification with character
• Power to hold an audience
• Achievement of contrast
• Potential for development through training

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff, who comment on and mark the work shown.

The audition may be followed by an interview with the Course Director where you will be invited to discuss:

• the way you have approached your prepared speeches
• why you are interested in the course
• your research interests

A voice tutor may wish to see you individually to assess more fully your vocal potential.

Decisions on auditions in the USA

The university will contact you directly via email regarding the outcome of your audition after the date that the U/RTA association agrees we may contact you, which is usually mid-February and is when U/RTA permit decisions to be made. You will receive a decision within 10 working days from this date.

As you will not have submitted a formal application for this course at your audition, the university will use the information on your resume/headshot and send you the link to make a formal application. Once submitted, this will generate an application form for you, and you will receive an email thanking you for your recent application.

Following the above, you will be notified of the outcome of your audition on your applicant portal.

If you have been made an offer, you will be able to see any conditions of your offer on your applicant portal. You will also receive an official offer email from the University.

The assessment of each candidate is based upon the set of criteria above and is used consistently by staff, who mark the work shown. The staff on the panel – guided by the Course Director – make the decision whether to offer a place. Within 10 working days of your audition, you should receive confirmation by email of the result. If you have not heard within 21 days, please contact the admissions department on conservatoire.international@bcu.ac.uk (EU/Overseas) or acting.admissions@bcu.ac.uk (Home).

Decisions for international students applying via video link may take longer, but you should hear within 30 days of our receipt of your application.

Following an audition and/or interview, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered a conditional place. This means that you will have a place on the course for which you applied if you attain the required academic qualifications. This offer is only for the year in which you apply.
• You are offered a reserve place on the course. This indicates that you have reached an acceptable standard, but because applications and auditions/interviews happen throughout the year we cannot allocate all places on a course until the auditions/interviews have been completed.
• You are not offered a place on the course. You cannot re-apply for a place on the same course in the same academic year.

If you wish to appeal against a decision you should contact conservatoire.international@bcu.ac.uk (Overseas/EU) or acting.admissions@bcu.ac.uk (Home) within 14 days of notification. An appeals panel, led by a senior member of staff who was not involved in your audition, will investigate thoroughly any grounds for appeal and will notify you of the outcome.

Please view the School of Acting directions page for directions to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Acting School.

Once you have applied for your chosen course, you can submit a DVD or a video link (e.g. YouTube channel) audition if you are an international student and are unable to attend an audition in the UK.

You are not required to pay an audition fee.

DVDs should be sent to - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting), Birmingham City University, 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham B4 7XR.

Video link auditions should be sent to conservatoire.international@bcu.ac.uk

All auditions should be submitted within four weeks of submitting your application form.

Please ensure that we can see the whole of your body throughout the audition – it is not necessary to provide close-ups or produce an edited piece of television, but you should ensure that the sound quality is sufficient for us to make an accurate assessment of your voice. You should supply the title, author and, if relevant, translator details with your speeches.

You are required to fulfil all online audition criteria. If you have purposely missed certain elements of your online audition you need to specify whether this is because you intend on attending a live recall audition and therefore the online component is your initial audition.

You should present two speeches which will be submitted to the Course Director. You should give a brief resume of the plays and characters, and what happens immediately before and after the scene is presented. You should also include reasons for your choice of speeches and your motives for attending drama school.

You must prepare and memorise two contrasting speeches from different plays, one of which must be contemporary and one of which must be from an Elizabethan / Jacobean play. A suggested list of Elizabethan / Jacobean pieces can be found in ‘Suggested Audition Selections’, below.

Each selection should be no more than two minutes in length and suitable for your age and experience (you may be stopped if a speech exceeds two minutes in length).

All speeches should be from published plays. Excerpts from film script, television dramas and unpublished plays are not advisable.

You should have read the whole of the play from which a speech is taken and be able to provide the correct title, name of the author and, if relevant, translator.

It is preferred that the content of the speeches should be something to which you can relate and understand. It is not advised that you attempt an accent unless you are entirely confident of its accuracy and only if it is appropriate to the speech.

Any performance choices you make should be justifiable within the text. The performance should reveal an understanding of the scene and character and an ability to create and share appropriate emotions and atmosphere. Try to make sure that any vocal and physical interpretation you do is strictly relevant.

• Energy
• Achievement of contrast
• Choice of speeches
• Creation of environment
• Spatial awareness
• Use / handling of language
• Suitability of physicalisation
• Power to hold an audience
• Identification with character
• Potential for development through training

Your song will be viewed and assessed by the Head of Singing. As with your acting selections, your song should be a published work with accompaniment.

We are interested to see how you interpret a song and its content. We appreciate that some candidates are not experienced singers but we do not believe that this stops anyone from expressing the style and content of a song. It is important that you choose a song suitable for your voice and age.

Qualities: including speech, twang, falsetto

Technique: including breathing, body alignment

Story Telling: journey of the song

You should perform a devised piece of movement for a maximum of two minutes where the Course Director can see your whole body in motion. Alternatively, if you have footage from a show or production that you have been involved in, you could submit that instead.

• Focus and concentration
• Imaginative and creative response
• Listening and responding
• Physical coordination
• Sense of rhythm
• Physical confidence
• Ability to transform
• Engagement
• Flexibility
• Posture/stance

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff, who comment on and mark the work shown.

Decisions for international students applying via video/DVD may take up to 30 days of our receipt of your audition. If a decision cannot be reached regarding your audition, you may be asked to attend a recall audition in person in the UK. A schedule of recall dates is listed on our website. Should you not be offered a place, you can re-apply for the following academic year. Feedback is not provided for online auditions.

The following list are suggested pieces only, and are not mandatory. If you have your own ideas, please do not hesitate to use them:

18 - 20

Isabella (Women Beware Women)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 158 – 185
From: "Marry a fool..."
To: "When my best friend’s distress’d? What is’t afflicts you, sir?"

Julia (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 105 – 130
From: "Nay, would I were so angered with the same."
To: "Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will."

Diana (All’s Well That Ends Well)
Act 4 Sc 2 lines 55 – 77
From: "When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window..."
To: "To cozen him that would unjustly win." (ignoring Bertram)

Cressida (Troilus and Cressida)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 114 – 130
From: "Hard to seem won; but I was won, my lord..."
To: "My soul of counsel from me. Stop my mouth."

Helena (All’s Well That Ends Well)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 101 – 131
From: "'Till I have no wife I have nothing in France..."
To: "For with the dark, poor thief, I’ll steal away."

Annabella (‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 23
From: "Pleasures, farewell, and all ye thriftless minutes..."
To: "The torment of an uncontrollèd flame;"

Gaoler’s Daughter (Two Noble Kinsmen)
Act 2 Sc 4 lines 1 – 33
From: "Why should I love this gentleman?"
To: "And this night; ere tomorrow he will love me."

Arthur (King John)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 41 – 70
From: "Have you the heart? When you head did but ache..."
To: "I would not have believed him; no tongue but Hubert’s." (Excluding second part of line 58 and lines 59 and 60)

Antipholus of Syracuse (Comedy of Errors)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 29 – 52
From: "Sweet mistress-what your name is else I know not..."
To: "Let love, being light, be drowned if she sink."

Giovanni (‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 139 – 158
From: "Lost. I am lost. My fates have doomed my death..."
To: "O me! She comes."

Prince Harry (1 Henry 1V)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 192 – 214
From: "I know you all, and will a while uphold..."
To: "Redeeming time when men think least I will."

Sebastian (Twelfth Night)
Act 4 Sc 3 lines 1 – 21
From: "This is the air, that is the glorious sun..."
To: "That is deceivable. But here the lady comes."

Gratiano (Merchant of Venice)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 79 – 104
From: "Let me play the fool..."
To: "I’ll end my exhortation after dinner."

Young Clifford (2 Henry VI)
Act 5 Sc 3 lines 31 – 65
From: "Shame and confusion, all is on the rout!"
To: "Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine."

21 - 25

Margaret (Henry VI ii)
Act 3 Sc 1 lines 4 – 41
From: "Can you not see, or will ye not observe..."
To: "Or else conclude my words effectual."

Annabella (‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 37
From: "Pleasures, farewell, and all ye thriftless minutes..."
To: "I long have died in." (ignoring Friar)

Sylvia (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 11 – 36
From: "O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman-..."
To: "That I may venture to depart alone."

Lady Percy (1 Henry 1V)
Act 2 Sc 4 lines 37 – 64
From: "O my good lord, why are you thus alone..."
To: "And I must know it, else he loves me not."

Queen Isabel (Richard II)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 15 & 26 – 34
From: "This way the King will come. This is the way..."
To: "When triumph is become an alehouse guest?" and
From: "What, is my Richard both in shape and mind..."
To: "Which art a lion and the king of beasts?"

Luciana (Comedy of Errors)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 1 – 28
From: "And may it be that you have quite forgot..."
To: "When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife."

Portia (Merchant of Venice)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 40 – 62
From: "Away then. I am locked in one of them..."
To: "I view the fight than thou that mak’st the fray."

Prince Harry (2 Henry 1V)
Act 4 Sc 3 lines 151 – 178
From: "No, I will sit and watch here by the King..."
To: "Will I to mine leave, as ‘tis left to me."

Richard Crookback (Henry VI iii)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 164 – 195
From: "O, monstrous fault, to harbour such a thought..."
To: "Tut, were it farther off, I’ll pluck it down."

Proteus (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 2 Sc 6 lines 1 – 43
From: "To leave my Julia shall I be forsworn..."
To: "As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift."

Mosca (Volpone)
Act 3 Sc 1 lines 1 – 33
From: "I fear I shall begin to grow in love..."
To: "Are the true parasites, others but their zanies."

Richard (Richard II)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 32 – 58
From: "Discomfortable cousin, know’st thou not..."
To: "Weak men must fall; for heaven still guards the right."

Gaveston (Edward II)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 1 – 24
From: "My father is deceas’d, come Gaveston..."
To: "But how now, what are these?"

Edward IV (3 Henry VI)
Act 5 Sc 7 lines 1 – 20
From: "Once more we sit in England’s royal throne..."
To: "And of our labours thou shall reap the gain."

Bassanio (Merchant of Venice)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 114 - 148
From: "What find I here?..."
To: "Until confirmed, signed, ratified by you."

26 - 30

Titania (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 81 – 117
From: "These are the forgeries of jealousy..."
To: "We are their parents and original."

Portia (Julius Caesar)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 236 – 277
From: "Nor for yours neither. You’ve ungentley, Brutus..."
To: "Even from darkness." (excluding Brutus)

Beatrice-Joanna (The Changeling)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 1 – 19
From: "This fellow has undone me endlessly..."
To: "Sure ‘twas forgot; I’ll be so bold as look in’t."

Vittoria (The White Devil)
Act 4 Sc 2 lines 105 – 125
From: "What have I gain’d by thee but infamy?"
To: "I’ll not shed one tear more; - I’ll burst first."

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
Act 1 Sc 5 lines 14 – 29 & 37 – 53
From: "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be..."
To: "To have thee crowned withal" and
From: "The raven himself is hoarse..."
To: "To cry ‘Hold, hold!’"

Vindice (The Revenger’s Tragedy)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 1 – 49
From: "Duke: royal lecher; go, grey-hair’d Adultery..."
To: "But wise men little are more great than they."

Oberon (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 147 – 188
From: "Well, go thy way. Thou shalt not from the grove..."
To: "And I will overhear their conference." (Excluding Robin/Puck)

Prince of Morocco (Merchant of Venice)
Act 2 Sc 7 lines 13 – 60
From: "Some god direct my judgement! Let me see..."
To: "Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may."

Mark Antony (Julius Caesar)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 171 – 199
From: "If you have tears, prepare to shed them now..."
To: "Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors."

Lieutenant / Captain (2 Henry VI)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 69 – 103
From: "Convey hem hence and, on our longboats side..."
To: "And all by thee. Away, convey him hence." (excluding Suffolk)

Saturninus (Titus Andronicus)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 1 – 26
From: "Why, lords, what wrongs are these! Was ever seen..."
To: "Cut off the proud’st conspirator that lives."

Faulconbridge (King John)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 561 – 599
From: "Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!...
To: "Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee."

Iago (Othello)
Act 2 Sc 3 lines 327 – 353
From: "And what’s he then that says I play the villain,..."
To: "That shall enmesh them all..."

30+

Margaret (Henry VI iii)
Act 5 Sc 4 lines 1 – 38
From: "Great lords, wise men ne’er sit and wail their loss..."
To: "Twere childish weakness to lament or fear."

Volumnia (Coriolanus)
Act 5 Sc 3 lines 132 – 173
From: "Nay, go not from us thus..."
To: "This is the last."

Nurse (Romeo and Juliet)
Act 1 Sc 3 lines 18 – 50
From: "Even or odd, of all days in the year..."
To: "And, pretty fool, it stinted and said ‘Ay’."

Margaret (Richard III)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 82 – 115
From: "I called thee then ‘vain flourish of my fortune’;"
To: "These English woes shall make me smile in France."

Constance (King John)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 1 – 26
From: "Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace?"
To: "But this one word: whether thy tale be true."

Duchess of Gloucester (Richard II)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 44 - 74
From: "Why then, I will. Farewell, old Gaunt..."
To: "The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye."

Giacomo (Cymbeline)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 11 – 51
From: "The crickets sing, and man’s o’er-laboured sense..."
To: "One, two, three. Time, time!

Iago (Othello)
Act 2 Sc 3 lines 327 – 353
From: "And what’s he then that says I play the villain,..."
To: "That shall enmesh them all..."

Cassius (Julius Caesar)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 136 – 162
From: "Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world..."
To: "As easily as a king."

Boyet (Loves Labour’s Lost)
Act 5 Sc 2 lines 81 – 118
From: "Prepare, madam, prepare..."
To: "To check their folly, passion’s solemn tears." (Excluding Princess)

Enobarbus (Antony and Cleopatra)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 191 – 245
From: "I will tell you..."
To: "Bless her when she is riggish." (excluding Agrippa)

Antigonus (The Winter’s Tale)
Act 3 Sc 3 lines 14 – 57
From: "Come, poor babe..."
To: "I am gone forever."

King Philip (King John)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 235 – 266
From: "When I have saud, make answer to us both..."
To: "And stalk in blood to our possession?"

Duke of York (3 Henry VI)
Act 1 Sc 4 lines 112 – 150
From: "She wolf od France, but worse than wolves of France"
To: "Gainst thee, fell Clifford, and thee, false Frenchwoman."

• Avoid materials unsuitable for your age and pieces where you have no understanding/experience of the context of the piece
• Avoid screenplays
• Avoid pieces made famous by an Actor (you will only draw comparisons)

Ultimately, choose something that you feel confident with and you believe will demonstrate your potential to train as an Actor at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting).

Following an audition and/or interview, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered a place on the course. This will be communicated to you through your Applicant Portal and via email.
• You are not offered a place on the course. You cannot re-apply for a place on the same course in the same academic year.
• You are offered an alternative place on our 20-week Foundation in Acting course.
• You are asked to attend a recall audition in the UK.

Once you have applied for your chosen course, you can submit a DVD or a video link (e.g. YouTube channel) audition if you are an EU or international student and are unable to attend an audition in the UK. Please note that a video link is preferable to a DVD and will normally result in a quicker decision.

You are not required to pay an audition fee.

DVDs should be sent to; Admissions, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting), Birmingham City University, 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham B4 7XR.

Video link auditions should be sent to conservatoire.international@bcu.ac.uk

All auditions should be submitted within four weeks of submitting your application form.

Please ensure that we can see the whole of your body throughout the audition – it is not necessary to provide close-ups or produce an edited piece of television, but you should ensure that the sound quality is sufficient for us to make an accurate assessment of your voice. You should supply the title, author and, if relevant, translator details with your speeches.

You should present two short speeches (one minute) which will be submitted to the Course Director. You should give a brief resume of the plays and characters, and what happens immediately before and after the scene is presented. You should also include reasons for your choice of speeches and your motives for attending drama school.

The speeches should be two contrasting speeches from different plays, one of which must have been written in the last 15 years and one of which must be from an Elizabethan / Jacobean play. A suggested list of Elizabethan / Jacobean pieces can be found in ‘Suggested Audition Selections’, below.

Each selection should be no more than one minute in length and suitable for your age and experience.

All speeches should be from published plays. Excerpts from film script and television dramas may be acceptable but the use of unpublished plays is not advisable.

You should have read the whole of the play from which a speech is taken and be able to provide the correct title, name of the author and, if relevant, translator. You should know about the play and your character’s journey within it (i.e. their motives etc.).

It is preferred that the content of the speeches should be something to which you can relate and understand. It is not advised that you attempt an accent unless you are entirely confident of its accuracy and only if it is appropriate to the speech.

Any performance choices you make should be justifiable within the text. The performance should reveal an understanding of the scene and character and an ability to create and share appropriate emotions and atmosphere. Try to make sure that any vocal and physical interpretation you do is strictly relevant.

• Energy
• Achievement of contrast
• Choice of speeches
• Creation of environment
• Spatial awareness
• Use / handling of language
• Suitability of physicalisation
• Power to hold an audience
• Identification with character
• Potential for development through training

The assessment of each candidate is based upon a set of criteria used consistently by staff, who comment on and mark the work shown.

Decisions for international students applying via video/DVD may take up to 30 days of our receipt of your audition. If a decision cannot be reached regarding your audition, you may be asked to attend a recall audition in person in the UK. A schedule of recall dates is listed on our website. Should you not be offered a place, you can re-apply for the following academic year. Feedback is not provided for online auditions.

The following are suggested pieces only and are not mandatory. If you have your own ideas, please do not hesitate to use them:

18 - 20

Isabella (Women Beware Women)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 158 – 185
From: "Marry a fool..."
To: "When my best friend’s distress’d? What is’t afflicts you, sir?"

Julia (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 105 – 130
From: "Nay, would I were so angered with the same."
To: "Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will."

Diana (All’s Well That Ends Well)
Act 4 Sc 2 lines 55 – 77
From: "When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window..."
To: "To cozen him that would unjustly win." (ignoring Bertram)

Cressida (Troilus and Cressida)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 114 – 130
From: "Hard to seem won; but I was won, my lord..."
To: "My soul of counsel from me. Stop my mouth."

Helena (All’s Well That Ends Well)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 101 – 131
From: "'Till I have no wife I have nothing in France..."
To: "For with the dark, poor thief, I’ll steal away."

Annabella (‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 23
From: "Pleasures, farewell, and all ye thriftless minutes..."
To: "The torment of an uncontrollèd flame;"

Gaoler’s Daughter (Two Noble Kinsmen)
Act 2 Sc 4 lines 1 – 33
From: "Why should I love this gentleman?"
To: "And this night; ere tomorrow he will love me."

Arthur (King John)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 41 – 70
From: "Have you the heart? When you head did but ache..."
To: "I would not have believed him; no tongue but Hubert’s." (Excluding second part of line 58 and lines 59 and 60)

Antipholus of Syracuse (Comedy of Errors)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 29 – 52
From: "Sweet mistress-what your name is else I know not..."
To: "Let love, being light, be drowned if she sink."

Giovanni (‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 139 – 158
From: "Lost. I am lost. My fates have doomed my death..."
To: "O me! She comes."

Prince Harry (1 Henry 1V)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 192 – 214
From: "I know you all, and will a while uphold"
To: "Redeeming time when men think least I will."

Sebastian (Twelfth Night)
Act 4 Sc 3 lines 1 – 21
From: "This is the air, that is the glorious sun..."
To: "That is deceivable. But here the lady comes."

Gratiano (Merchant of Venice)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 79 – 104
From: "Let me play the fool..."
To: "I’ll end my exhortation after dinner."

Young Clifford (2 Henry VI)
Act 5 Sc 3 lines 31 – 65
From: "Shame and confusion, all is on the rout!"
To: "Nothing so heavy as these woes of mine."

21- 25

Margaret (Henry VI ii)
Act 3 Sc 1 lines 4 – 41
From: "Can you not see, or will ye not observe..."
To: "Or else conclude my words effectual."

Annabella (‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 37
From: "Pleasures, farewell, and all ye thriftless minutes..."
To: "I long have died in." (ignoring Friar)

Sylvia (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 11 – 36
From: "O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman-..."
To: "That I may venture to depart alone."

Lady Percy (1 Henry 1V)
Act 2 Sc 4 lines 37 – 64
From: "O my good lord, why are you thus alone..."
To: "And I must know it, else he loves me not."

Queen Isabel (Richard II)
Act 5 Sc 1 lines 1 – 15 & 26 – 34
From: "This way the King will come. This is the way..."
To: "When triumph is become an alehouse guest?" and
From: "What, is my Richard both in shape and mind..."
To: "Which art a lion and the king of beasts?"

Luciana (Comedy of Errors)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 1 – 28
From: "And may it be that you have quite forgot..."
To: "When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife."

Portia (Merchant of Venice)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 40 – 62
From: "Away then. I am locked in one of them..."
To: "I view the fight than thou that mak’st the fray."

Prince Harry (2 Henry 1V)
Act 4 Sc 3 lines 151 – 178
From: "No, I will sit and watch here by the King..."
To: "Will I to mine leave, as ‘tis left to me."

Richard Crookback (Henry VI iii)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 164 – 195
From: "O, monstrous fault, to harbour such a thought..."
To: "Tut, were it farther off, I’ll pluck it down."

Proteus (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Act 2 Sc 6 lines 1 – 43
From: "To leave my Julia shall I be forsworn..."
To: "As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift."

Mosca (Volpone)
Act 3 Sc 1 lines 1 – 33
From: "I fear I shall begin to grow in love..."
To: "Are the true parasites, others but their zanies."

Richard (Richard II)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 32 – 58
From: "Discomfortable cousin, know’st thou not..."
To: "Weak men must fall; for heaven still guards the right."

Gaveston (Edward II)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 1 – 24
From: "My father is deceas’d, come Gaveston..."
To: "But how now, what are these?"

Edward IV (3 Henry VI)
Act 5 Sc 7 lines 1 – 20
From: "Once more we sit in England’s royal throne..."
To: "And of our labours thou shall reap the gain."

Bassanio (Merchant of Venice)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 114 - 148
From: "What find I here?..."
To: "Until confirmed, signed, ratified by you."

26 - 30

Titania (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 81 – 117
From: "These are the forgeries of jealousy..."
To: "We are their parents and original."

Portia (Julius Caesar)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 236 – 277
From: "Nor for yours neither. You’ve ungentley, Brutus..."
To: "Even from darkness." (excluding Brutus)

Beatrice-Joanna (The Changeling)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 1 – 19
From: "This fellow has undone me endlessly..."
To: "Sure ‘twas forgot; I’ll be so bold as look in’t."

Vittoria (The White Devil)
Act 4 Sc 2 lines 105 – 125
From: "What have I gain’d by thee but infamy?"
To: "I’ll not shed one tear more; - I’ll burst first."

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
Act 1 Sc 5 lines 14 – 29 & 37 – 53
From: "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be..."
To: "To have thee crowned withal" and
From: "The raven himself is hoarse..."
To: "To cry ‘Hold, hold!"

Vindice (The Revenger’s Tragedy)
Act 1 Sc 1 lines 1 – 49
From: "Duke: royal lecher; go, grey-hair’d Adultery..."
To: "But wise men little are more great than they."

Oberon (Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 147 – 188
From: "Well, go thy way. Thou shalt not from the grove..."
To: "And I will overhear their conference." (Excluding Robin/Puck)

Prince of Morocco (Merchant of Venice)
Act 2 Sc 7 lines 13 – 60
From: "Some god direct my judgement! Let me see..."
To: "Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may."

Mark Antony (Julius Caesar)
Act 3 Sc 2 lines 171 – 199
From: "If you have tears, prepare to shed them now..."
To: "Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors."

Lieutenant / Captain (2 Henry VI)
Act 4 Sc 1 lines 69 – 103
From: "Convey hem hence and, on our longboats side..."
To: "And all by thee. Away, convey him hence." (excluding Suffolk)

Saturninus (Titus Andronicus)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 1 – 26
From: "Why, lords, what wrongs are these! Was ever seen..."
To: "Cut off the proud’st conspirator that lives."

Faulconbridge (King John)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 561 – 599
From: "Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!..."
To: "Gain, be my lord, for I will worship thee."

Iago (Othello)
Act 2 Sc 3 lines 327 – 353
From: "And what’s he then that says I play the villain,..."
To: "That shall enmesh them all..."

30+

Margaret (Henry VI iii)
Act 5 Sc 4 lines 1 – 38
From: "Great lords, wise men ne’er sit and wail their loss..."
To: "Twere childish weakness to lament or fear."

Volumnia (Coriolanus)
Act 5 Sc 3 lines 132 – 173
From: "Nay, go not from us thus..."
To: "This is the last."

Nurse (Romeo and Juliet)
Act 1 Sc 3 lines 18 – 50
From: "Even or odd, of all days in the year..."
To: "And, pretty fool, it stinted and said ‘Ay’."

Margaret (Richard III)
Act 4 Sc 4 lines 82 – 115
From: "I called thee then ‘vain flourish of my fortune’;"
To: "These English woes shall make me smile in France."

Constance (King John)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 1 – 26
From: "Gone to be married? Gone to swear a peace?"
To: "But this one word: whether thy tale be true."

Duchess of Gloucester (Richard II)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 44 - 74
From: "Why then, I will. Farewell, old Gaunt..."
To: "The last leave of thee takes my weeping eye."

Giacomo (Cymbeline)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 11 – 51
From: "The crickets sing, and man’s o’er-laboured sense..."
To: "One, two, three. Time, time!"

Iago (Othello)
Act 2 Sc 3 lines 327 – 353
From: "And what’s he then that says I play the villain,..."
To: "That shall enmesh them all..."

Cassius (Julius Caesar)
Act 1 Sc 2 lines 136 – 162
From: "Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world..."
To: "As easily as a king."

Boyet (Loves Labour’s Lost)
Act 5 Sc 2 lines 81 – 118
From: "Prepare, madam, prepare..."
To: "To check their folly, passion’s solemn tears." (Excluding Princess)

Enobarbus (Antony and Cleopatra)
Act 2 Sc 2 lines 191 – 245
From: "I will tell you..."
To: "Bless her when she is riggish." (excluding Agrippa)

Antigonus (The Winter’s Tale)
Act 3 Sc 3 lines 14 – 57
From: "Come, poor babe..."
To: "I am gone forever."

King Philip (King John)
Act 2 Sc 1 lines 235 – 266
From: "When I have saud, make answer to us both..."
To: "And stalk in blood to our possession?"

Duke of York (3 Henry VI)
Act 1 Sc 4 lines 112 – 150
From: "She wolf od France, but worse than wolves of France"
To: "Gainst thee, fell Clifford, and thee, false Frenchwoman."

• Avoid materials unsuitable for your age and pieces where you have no understanding/experience of the context of the piece
• Avoid screenplays
• Avoid pieces made famous by an Actor (you will only draw comparisons)

Finally, may we remind you that the contemporary speech should have been written within the last 15 years; ‘Road’, by Jim Cartwright, was written in 1986. The idea is for you to be able to demonstrate your knowledge of contemporary repertoire.

Ultimately, choose something that you feel confident with and you believe will demonstrate your potential to train as an Actor at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (Acting).

Following an audition and/or interview, one of the following outcomes is possible:

• You are offered a place on the course. This will be communicated to you through your Applicant Portal and via email. You will be required to pay a deposit of £1,500 to secure your offer.
• You are not offered a place on the course. You cannot re-apply for a place on the same course in the same academic year.
• You may be required to attend an audition in the UK.