Every January, Ashbourne College hosts a set of auditions to meet and select aspiring A Level Drama students. It is always an incredibly exciting time for us where we observe talented young people in action. Former Ashbourne students have moved on to study drama at university and some have made a professional career out of acting, such as Greg Foreman, who has taken part in TV programmes such as The Bill, Casualty and Waking the Dead.
The audition on the 27th January 2010 was attended by nine prospective Drama and Theatre Studies students and was presided by our Director of Studies John Wilson, along with our drama tutor Frances Burns, the Director of Studies Assistants James Wykes and Breanne Grantham, tutor Chris Masters and former student Elisha Mansuroglu.
This year, most students chose classic theatre pieces for their audition performance and one prospective student brought a contemporary piece, with a selection from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. No previous experience is required, but demonstrable interest and real talent are the most important requirements.
Aspiring candidates performed their chosen piece for a few minutes, in front of a panel. To put them at ease, current Ashbourne drama students broke the ice with improvised sessions to occupy the candidates waiting for their audition. There was a lot of laughter and it was a unique time to sample how much fun drama at Ashbourne is! After their performance, the students were interviewed about their chosen piece and their interest in theatre.
“It was a very successful evening.” Explained the Director of Studies John Wilson. “It was overall a much more relaxed experience than previous years and it was great to get current students involved.” Looking ahead, Ashbourne hopes to continue to attract such a high calibre of students.
Prospective students can start applying in September 2010 for 2011 drama auditions. |
