(Featured Image : Ralph Fiennes graduated from RADA in 1985).
Hey Audition Hackers! Today we are going to demystify the second round of the BA Hons Acting Audition at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. I did this round myself so I will explain it to you. The last two articles of this series will be brought to you through the experience of Ivan du Pontavice, a LAMDA alumni that also reached the final round of RADA. Thus you will have all the necessary tools to learn how to get into RADA with RADA Audition Experience Post !
Note : RADA is considered by many as the most prestigious drama school in the United Kingdom, and as one of the best in the world. Rada acceptance rate is, not surprisingly, very low, but that should not discourage you !
How does the Audition Day start?
The second round at RADA is pretty similar to the first round. You will still most likely have a morning audition. Then you get to the reception, say your name, and get your little sticker (yay!). Once you get that, you wait into the same good old RADA Lobby Hall. There will be a significantly smaller number of candidates with you (around 4-5), so you can be proud of yourself!
Once it is time, you will be called by a RADA Alumni or Staff Member, and will go into another good old corridor and wait for your turn. Same advice as in the first round : try to not think about the fact that you are auditioning for RADA. Open yourself up to others, stretch, meditate but don’t do any last minute rehearsals. You don’t want to have to think about how you are going to say the lines. If you got to that stage, you must be doing something right so trust yourself.
What happens in the RADA second round Audition Room?
There should be 4-5 people in the panel this time. Similar questions will be asked to you as in the first round, although more advanced. Expect questions such as :
- What character have you seen in a movie that you would like to play?
- What are three things that an actor needs in your opinion?
- Why do you want to act?
- Why RADA?
- Why do you want to train?
Once you have answered all those questions, you will be able to do your contemporary monologue, your classical monologue, and your song.
On this occasion, I would like to share with you findings that I made about the difference in how to play a classical monologue and a contemporary one. Different people have different approaches to the craft but I will share with you what I explored with a successful LAMDA student. You can then apply if it makes sense to you! The following features some valuable drama school audition advice.
A technique to perform your Contemporary Monologue at RADA (or elsewhere)
What I personally do is find a monologue that strongly resonate with my soul. Something I have experienced. I then use my experience to bring truth to my contemporary character.
Example : I did a monologue from Nine Lives and Come to Where I’m from, and I was portraying an immigrant. I myself moved to the UK, and I am the first generation born in France. I then used my emotion and feelings about immigration when I was speaking the lines. This technique is inspired from Method Acting and works for me!
A technique to perform your classical monologue at RADA (or elsewhere)
This is where I long struggled. Classical Acting was not originally based on truth, which led Stanislavsky to develop his famous Method. Classical acting was developed at a time where emotions, feelings and intentions were exacerbated. So when you do a classical acting piece, TECHNIQUE is key. You have to be physically, vocally ready for a demanding performance. You have to be big and bold with whatever character you are portraying. Even if this character is reserved, you have to be bald in how reserved you are, and express it clearly. In a nutshell : Have a clear voice with good volume, be sure of your physicality and intention, and then just speak the words.
With that in mind, you should definitely be a serious candidate for your second round audition, and you should have a great RADA audition experience.
Did you make it to the third Round? If you did, congratulations! You are really getting closer to getting into RADA !
AUDITIONHACK 