Auditions & Interviews

Applicants for all performance courses must pay a non-refundable audition fee.

Audition fees for BA (Hons) Acting and BA (Hons) Musical Theatre are:

• For a First Round audition, the fee is £15

If an applicant is successful and invited to a second-round Audition Workshop, there is an additional fee of £30. 

Audition fees for BA (Hons) Actor-Musician, Foundation (Cert HE) Musical Theatre, Foundation (Cert HE) Acting, MA/MFA Acting and MA/ MFA Musical Theatre are:

• Single Round Audition fee £45

There are no audition or interview fees for BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre, BA (Hons) Theatre Production, MA Stage and Production Management, BA (Hons) Theatre (online learning) or MA Theatre (online learning).

The University of Surrey is able to support eligible students who have applied to an undergraduate course at GSA, by waiving the audition fee for initial and recall auditions. To be eligible you must satisfy all of the essential criteria below, in addition to one of the listed Widening Participation and Outreach (WP&O) criteria.

If you meet the essential criteria below, the waiver will automatically be added to your application once we receive your application from UCAS.

Essential Criteria: You must meet all of the following criteria.

•  Home students (currently residing in the UK with a UK postcode)
•  Studying at a state-funded school or college
•  Invited to audition for GSA

WP&O Criteria: You must meet one of the following criteria.

• Young person in local authority care/Care leaver
• Estranged students
• Young Adult Carer
• Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman or Boater students
• Refugees
• Students with a household income of £15,000 or below, or in receipt of free school meals (within the last 6 years) or in receipt of a 16-19 bursary
• Students from areas of multiple deprivation (*see IMD look-up tool below)
• Students from low participation neighbourhoods (**see POLAR4 look-up tools below)

 *You can check your postcodes Index of Multiple Deprivation data using this online lookup tool. Your postcode must be decile 1- 4 (see column F).

**You can check whether you live in a low participation neighbourhood using this online postcode look-up tool. Your postcode must be quintile 1 or 2 against POLAR 4 (see table on map).

Learn more about dance auditions.

Applicants are invited to a single-day audition workshop. You will be asked to take part in acting and movement sessions. You will need to prepare:

speech from a published play written since year 2000 lasting up to two minutes; and

A speech from a classic play, preferably Shakespeare, lasting up to two minutes.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent with audition information. Applications for the Cert HE Acting programme should be made via UCAS.

Applicants are invited to a single-day audition workshop. You will be asked to take part in singing, dance and acting sessions. You will need to prepare:

• One ‘legit’ song and one contemporary song from the musical theatre repertoire, lasting up to two minutes, that shows your strength as a performer; and

• A speech from a published play written since 1960 lasting up to two minutes.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent with audition information. Applications for the Cert HE Musical Theatre programme should be made via UCAS.

BA (Hons) Acting

Auditions are held in two parts as follows:

1. First Round audition:

Applicants are asked to provide a link to a video self-tape of three audition pieces:

• A speech from a published play written since 2001, lasting up to two minutes; and
• A speech from a classical play, preferably Shakespeare, lasting up to two minutes; and
• Your response to a source image provided by GSA making use of movement, text (either existing or self-written), song, or a combination.

2. If you are invited to a Recall Audition Workshop, you will be asked to take part in acting and movement sessions; you will also be asked to use your first-round audition material as part of these sessions.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent by e-mail upon application. Applications for the BA (Hons) Acting programme should be made via UCAS.

Applicants are invited to a single-day Audition Workshop, where they will be asked to take part in acting, voice, movement and music sessions.

You will be asked to prepare:

• A speech from a play or film, lasting up to two minutes;
• A musical theatre song, jazz or folk song standard lasting up to two minutes; and
• An instrumental piece of music on your first instrument and in your preferred style, lasting up to two minutes. Voice cannot be used as your instrument in this instance.

Speeches

You can choose a speech from any play or film. It should last around two minutes and be delivered in your own accent. Ideally, the character should be close to your own playing age.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent with audition information. Applications for the BA (Hons) Actor-Musician programme should be made via UCAS.

Applicants are invited to a single-day Audition Workshop, which will include creative work together as a group and through direction from the panel.

Applications for the BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre programme should be made via UCAS.

Auditions are held in two parts as follows:

First Round audition:

Applicants are asked to provide links to video self-tapes of three audition elements:

• A ‘legit’ song from a musical written before 1965 lasting up to two minutes; and
• A ‘contemporary’ song written post-1965 from a musical lasting up to two minutes; and
• Five short basic dance and movement exercises

Recall Audition Workshop

If you are invited to a Recall Audition Workshop, you will be asked to take part in acting and dance sessions; you may be asked to re-present your first-round audition material. You will also be asked to prepare:

• A speech from a published play written since 1960 lasting up to two minutes; and
• A song chosen by the applicant from a song list provided by GSA.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent by e-mail upon application. Applications for the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre programme should be made via UCAS.

Applicants for this course will be invited to attend an interview day. This will include a subject talk, a tour of GSA facilities and a short interview with the panel, which will include staff from the Technical Theatre department. You will not need to prepare anything for this interview, and it should last approximately 15 minutes.

Applications for the BA (Hons) Theatre Production programme should be made via UCAS.

Applicants are invited to a single-day Audition Workshop. You will be asked to prepare:

• A speech from a published play written since 1960 lasting up to two minutes; and
• A speech from a classic play, preferably Shakespeare, lasting up to two minutes

You will also take part in acting, voice and movement sessions.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent with audition information. Applications for the MA and MFA Acting programmes should be made via the university’s postgraduate application page.

Applicants are invited to a single-day Audition Workshop. You will be asked to prepare:

• Two contrasting songs from the Musical Theatre repertoire each no longer than two minutes; and

• A monologue from a published play or screenplay written since 1980 that can be performed in your own accent. Please ensure that this is no longer than two minutes.

You will also take part in acting and dance sessions.

Full guidance for each element of the audition will be sent with audition information. Applications for the MA and MFA Musical Theatre programmes should be made via the university’s postgraduate application page.

Applicants for this course will be invited to attend an interview day. This will include a subject talk, a tour of GSA facilities and a short interview with the panel, which will include staff from the Technical Theatre department. You will not need to prepare anything for this interview, and it should last approximately 15 minutes.

Applications for the MA Stage and Production Management programme should be made through the university website.

Offers for this course are made on the basis of the completed application form; an online interview is required; an audition is not required.

Applications for the BA (Hons) Theatre programme should be made through the University of Surrey website.

Applicants must apply via the university’s postgraduate application page. Please include a link to up to 5 minutes of footage of previous movement direction or choreography in rehearsal or performance. This is not essential but is desirable.

You will then be invited to a 30-minute interview that will consist of:

• Leading a 10-minute practical exercise (a detailed brief will be supplied).
• A 20-minute interview.

These interviews can take place in person or online as required.

Applicants must apply via the university’s postgraduate application page. Please include a link to up to 5 minutes of footage of previous movement direction or choreography in rehearsal or performance. This is not essential but is desirable.

You will then be invited to a 30-minute interview that will consist of:

• Leading a 10-minute practical exercise (a detailed brief will be supplied).
• A 20-minute interview.

These interviews can take place in person or online as required.

Offers for this course are made on the basis of the completed application form; an audition or interview is not normally required.

Applications for the MA Theatre programme should be made through the university website.

Offers for this course are made on the basis of the completed application form; an audition or interview is not normally required.

Applications for the MFA Theatre programme should be made through the university website.