We are looking forward to welcoming you to your audition and/or production workshop.
On arrival, please report to the reception in the Priestley Building. You will receive a warm welcome and be well looked after by the PSP staff and students who will guide you to our Costello Theatre for a short briefing about Priestley School of Performance and outline the timetable for the auditions/production workshop.
This will be an opportunity to find out more about your courses and meet the highly experienced staff as well as current students. It also means we get to meet you, give you a tour of the department and assess your potential to study our courses.
- If you have not already, please email admissions@priestley.ac.uk to confirm your attendance.
- If you are unable to attend, or have decided that you no longer wish to join the Priestley School of Performance, please call 01925 415415.
Preparing for your audition
For the audition workshops, you should wear suitable clothing, i.e. no skirts, or tight jeans etc. Long hair should be tied back and all jewellery should be removed. For Dance and Musical Theatre, you should either wear dance shoes or bare feet – no outdoor shoes are allowed.
Our PSP courses are very popular at Priestley School of Performance and only those who have successfully completed an audition (including written work) and obtained the appropriate GCSE qualifications will be able to start on these courses in September.
If you have any questions leading up to the audition you are welcome to contact a member of the Priestley School of Performance team by email at auditions@priestley.ac.uk
Back Stage Theatre & Design
- Bring written work – please write a review based on a piece of theatre (maximum of one side A4) You will write a short review of a piece of theatre you have recently watched (live or streamed). Your review should briefly describe the performance, then focus in detail on one of the following design areas including Lighting Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hair Design or Set Design.
Choose one design element from the list above and explain:
- What you noticed – specific examples from the performance.
- How the design contributed to the mood, atmosphere, storytelling, or characterisation.
- Why it was effective (or not) – give your own opinion with reasons.
- How it supported the director’s overall vision (if known or can be interpreted).
- Take part in a production workshop – an opportunity to discuss and explore your creative design ideas.
Dance
- Learn and perform a short dance phrase in a group as part of a Contemporary dance workshop. You must prepare for this task using this footage – Priestley Dance Audition Phrase.MOV You will be required to work in groups to develop this material choreographically during the workshop.
- Perform a solo dance in a style of your choice. You may choreograph this yourself or you may wish to perform your set study from GCSE Dance for example. If you wish to use an accompaniment, you need to provide your own music – Bluetooth is available.
Bring written work – please write a response to the following task (maximum of one side of A4)
Explain how a choreographer translates their dance idea into movement material, you should use professional works to support your answer.
Drama
- Take part in an acting workshop.
- Perform a solo monologue (prepared in advance) it must be a maximum of one and a half minutes. It must be from an existing play, not from a film or TV programme and cannot be written by yourself. AVOID GCSE texts such as Blood Brothers and Too Much Punch for Judy. You MUST learn your lines. Make sure you think about vocal projection, blocking, and the way you portray your character through your body.
- Bring with you a written theatre review – a 300-word review on a professional performance you have seen including a brief description of the plot, a description of one moment of action that stood out to you, an analysis of what the moment was designed to communicate to the audience and how the moment made you feel about the characters involved.
Music
- Perform a short piece on your chosen instrument or as a vocalist – You must choose a song from the list provided. All details about the performance pieces are on the website https://www.priestley.ac.uk/audition/
You will also take part in a brief music workshop on your instrument or as a vocalist. We will provide some music/tab/lyrics and tuition on the day – we will work together to create a short musical excerpt in a Popular Music style.
Music Performance
Written Task: Musical Biography
Instructions: Write a brief biography (around 200-300 words) that includes:
- When and how you first became interested in music.
- Any instruments you play and for how long you have been playing them.
- Your favorite genres of music and why you enjoy them.
- Any performances or musical projects you have been involved in.
- What you hope to achieve or learn in this music course.
Music Performance
Written Task: Analysis of a Music Production
Instructions: Select a recorded song or piece of music production you find interesting. Write an analysis (around 200-300 words) that includes:
- The title, artist, and producer (if known).
- A breakdown of the production elements (use of technology, layering of sounds, mixing techniques, etc.).
- What you find effective or innovative about the production.
- How this production has influenced your interest in music production.
Musical Theatre
- Perform a short dance routine in a group as part of a dance workshop (prepared in advance) from this footage https://youtu.be/MsHzon0yRgE
- Perform a verse and chorus of a song from any musical (prepared in advance, approximately 1 minute in length). You will sing this unaccompanied.
- Take part in an acting workshop.
- Resilience is one of the most important elements of being a successful performer. Taking feedback and working through challenges is the key to success. Please write 200-300 words explaining why you believe you have the resilience to be successful on this course, including examples from your performance experience. (Prepare this in advance, bring a paper copy to your audition, either word processed or hand written).
