Audition Requirements

Auditions for our BA (Hons) Acting degree are conducted in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment. We want our applicants to be able to enjoy and learn from their audition experience with us.

Our audition process is a preliminary assessment of your acting skills and an opportunity to see how you connect and collaborate with others. Our Applicant Days will also provide you with the opportunity to experience first-hand what training as an actor at UCA might feel like.

Auditions are an integral part of the selection process, and it allows the staff team to develop a cohesive year group.

For the audition, please prepare two monologues in advance:

  1. The first should be from a 20th or 21st Century play and have a running time of 1:30-2 minutes maximum
  2. The second should be from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play and have a running time of 1-1:30 minutes maximum

Your audition pieces should be off book, and you should have read the whole play. Please do not select pieces written only as audition monologues, they should be selected from a full play text. Most importantly, pick pieces that you connect with and are excited to perform.

You will also be asked to collaborate with another applicant or current BA (Hons) Acting student to rehearse and sight-read a duologue. Our Applicant Days also include a presentation, Q&A, warm up, practical workshop, and interview with a member of the staff team.

Please wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing or sports gear and appropriate footwear such as trainers. We recommend you bring with you plenty of water, a notebook and pen.

Online Auditions

We recommend Applicants attend an in-person audition wherever possible. If for any reason you are unable to attend an Applicant Day, we ask that you submit a portfolio including four self-tapes:

  1. The first self-tape should be a monologue from a 20th or 21st Century play and have a running time of 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes maximum.
  2. The second self-tape should be a monologue or soliloquy from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play and have a running time of 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds maximum.
  3. The third self-tape should be a duologue from a film or television screenplay and have a running time of 1 to 2 minutes. Please use a friend, family member, or fellow actor to play the other role off camera.
  4. The fourth and final self-tape should be 2 to 3 minutes maximum and is an opportunity to tell the panel about yourself; your acting experience to date, why you have chosen to apply for BA (Hons) Acting at UCA, what your aspirations are for your future career etc. 

The requirements for an online portfolio audition are the same as what we’d expect to see if you were to audition at an Applicant Day in person.

You can film your self-tape on a video camera or smartphone. Make sure you film in landscape, not portrait. You should film your audition material in a quiet space and check that the device is picking up your voice clearly.

Use natural light where possible, and soft, diffused practical lighting if required. Your lighting source(s) should not be in shot or behind you and please avoid the casting of shadows. 

Try to find a plain background to film against and place your camera at eye-level, framing the shot in a mid-close (including your chest to the top of your head). 

You can choose to perform looking directly into the lens or to a character on either side of the camera making sure your whole face is still visible. Only use props that are essential to the performance. Try to avoid too many takes - trust your work and enjoy the experience.

Portfolio advice webinar: 14 January

Applying to university can be stressful, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. You’ll leave this webinar with an understanding of how to build an outstanding portfolio.

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Integrated Foundation Year  Applicants

If you have applied for BA (Hons) Acting with Integrated Foundation Year, the audition process is the same as for direct entry to the full degree.
 
We conduct a standard audition process for all BA (Hons) Acting pathways, including Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the course team: performance@uca.ac.uk.

Further information

If you have any more questions about your portfolio please get in touch with our Admissions team:

If you have additional needs you haven’t yet told us about – whether it’s learning support or physical assistance – we can work with you and support you through the application process. Please contact relevant campus to discuss this with us:

Getting in touch early gives us plenty of time to discuss any reasonable adjustments you might need.