BA (HONS) IN ACTING

APPLICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

Applications for 2018 are now closed. Applications open in October for entry in 2019.

There is an intake of up to 28 students in September each year. We audition all eligible applicants who apply before the deadline.

You may only apply once per academic year, but you may apply for our Foundation Course in Acting at the same time and using the same form as our BA (Hons) in Acting. Preliminary auditions run from November until April, with the option to audition in London, Leicester, Manchester, Chester, Newcastle, Bristol and Plymouth as well as overseas in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles.

APPLICATION FEES

RADA charges an application fee for all courses. Our admissions process is not automated and may involve significant contact with an individual applicant. We do not refund application fees. Please see our Admissions Policy for further information.

APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS

UK students who are coming to higher education for the first time, with a family income of less than £25,000 may be eligible for an audition fee waiver and for financial support with travelling to later-stage auditions or interviews.

You will need to submit a fee waiver application at the same time as your programme application to be considered. This is based on your household income, and we will ask you to provide evidence of that income.

This is in addition to fee waivers offered by the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, which you may use at RADA or at another CDD school, see here. RADA fee waivers are only available for applicants applying to RADA.

TRAVEL BURSARIES

All UK/EU students new to HE students who meet one of the following criteria may be considered for a travel bursary at third or fourth round of the BA (Hons) Acting or an interview for our Technical Theatre Arts programmes. The criteria are:

You attended a state school AND one or more of the following:

Your family income is less than £43,000 and your home address is in a neighbourhood with low participation (in accordance with the HEFCE Polar4 Postcode Check)
Your family income is below £25,000
You will be considered to be a care leaver when you begin your training

Please make sure that you have indicated your family income in the box on the application form to be considered. We will require evidence of need. We do not set a specific amount paid for travel bursaries as it will depend on the distance travelled and mode of transport. We will only pay travel bursaries for travel within the UK.

RADA auditions everyone who applies and we are committed to making our training as widely accessible as possible. Every year, over 50% of our students on core courses receive financial support, ranging from fee waivers, contributions towards maintenance costs (accommodation, travel and course materials) and full scholarships. Information about funding is available on the Fees & Funding page.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants wishing to apply for the reduced rate audition fee should ensure that they allow plenty of time (or use special delivery) before the 11 December 2017 deadline to ensure receipt prior to RADA’s Christmas closing. Please also be aware that, due to the volume of Christmas post, applications may take longer to arrive so make sure you send your application in well before the deadline. Applications received after the deadline will be charged the full application fee.

The deadlines and audition dates vary according to each venue. You can find the full list of deadlines and auditions on the application form. If you are looking to audition outside of London, please note that there are a limited number of allotted times for each venue. We advise that you apply early to avoid disappointment. We do not accept any late applications.

THE AUDITION PROCESS

Auditions are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday, with occasional Saturdays and evenings.

Our audition process is rigorous, spanning several months, and you may be called to attend at short notice. Owing to the number of candidates we audition, we do not routinely provide feedback.

If you are auditioning outside of London please be prepared to attend subsequent recalls and workshops in London if required. A list of audition guidance notes will be sent to all applicants.

THE FOUR AUDITION STAGES

Preliminary audition
Preliminary auditions run continually between November and April. You will be seen at preliminary auditions by two members of the audition panel. The preliminary audition usually consists of two, but sometimes three, audition speeches. Each speech should last about 2 minutes, and certainly no longer than 3 minutes. The panel may stop you if your speech is longer than 3 minutes.

Recall audition
Speeches presented at the preliminary audition are repeated at the recall audition, unless you have been recommended to prepare a new audition piece. You are also required to sing a prepared unaccompanied song.

Short workshop
A three hour workshop. Bring both classical speeches (Piece A and Piece C) and the contemporary speech (Piece B) from earlier rounds and prepare an alternative contemporary speech (Piece D, same rules as Piece B).

Workshop day
This is the final stage and you will need to prepare a new audition speech of your choice. It can be from any era, Greek to contemporary. If you have not used Piece C or D in previous rounds you may choose one of them.

Regional/ Overseas Auditions

You can attend auditions in Leicester, Manchester, Chester, Newcastle, Plymouth and Bristol as well as overseas in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles. This can be indicated on the application form.

Candidates opting for regional/ overseas auditions should ensure that they are available for a recall on the same day if required. Recalled candidates will also be requested to attend a workshop in London at a later date.