Musical Theatre: Audition Preparation (16+)

During this intensive five-day musical theatre course students will learn how to select appropriate audition pieces that are suited to their strengths as a performer. Students will work closely with tutors on developing their skills in acting, voice and dance, as well as engage in ensemble work to further develop improvisational skills that may be needed at an audition.

The teachers on this course have first- hand experience of sitting on audition panels for degree courses at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as well as for professional theatre productions, and offer a unique insight into what is required of auditionees.

Once you have selected a variety of songs and monologues to work on throughout the course, you will look at the process of researching and interpreting them for audition. You will be supported by the course tutor to choose appropriate material which best highlights your strengths as a performer.

The process of preparing your pieces will challenge you to deepen your understanding of the material you are working with and refine your performance skills.

The final element of the course will focus on the actual audition. You will receive valuable advice on how to deal with questions from a panel and learn how to cope with nerves on the big day. The week will conclude with a mock audition which closely resembles the experience of auditioning for full-time vocational musical theatre courses. This will be followed by a review of your achievements and individual feedback on your performance.

This summer school provides a fun, supportive and challenging environment in which all students can explore and learn.

This is an open access course for anyone regardless of prior acting experience.

The course is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training and our tutors are experienced in teaching across all levels of skill and experience.

Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.

Please bring the sheet music for at least two contrasting songs, one contemporary Musical Theatre song (either up-tempo or ballad) and one song either written before 1960 or in another style (pop, folk, rock, blues, jazz, gospel). The course leaders will want to look at contrasts in style, vocal choices, repertoire, and character choices that suit you so bring repertoire that you have worked on previously.

Please also bring two monologues to work on, one contemporary and one Shakespeare. You will be using these choices as the basis of discussion and development throughout the week so they do not need to be polished performance pieces at this stage.

Students should also bring a bottle of water to ensure they stay hydrated during class. Please also bring a notepad and pencil to take notes during the course.

You should wear loose, comfortable clothing, suitable for a rehearsal environment, specifically trousers and shoes suitable for dance work given the nature of your course. Students are advised to avoid jeans, skirts and items of jewellery.

This course runs Monday 12 – Friday 16 August, 10am – 5pm.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR