Booked yourself onto the 24 Hour Plays: OVNV actor's auditions? Wondering what it will be like? What to wear? If you need to bring anything? Here's your guide to what to expect...
The Old Vic has launched some stellar careers in its time, from Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud to Vivien Leigh and Judi Dench.
Not to mention a whole host of contemporary and emerging talent including Charlotte Mills (Jerusalem, West End and Broadway); Nick Blakeley (Sunshine Boys, Savoy Theatre); Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones, HBO) and Charity Wakefield (Mockingbird Lane, NBC) to name just a few.
To continue this tradition, The 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices is looking to find the best emerging acting talent out there. If that’s you, and you’ve signed up for the audition, then here are some tips from Old Vic New Voices on what to expect...
Steve Winter, talent-spotter extraordinaire and Director of Old Vic New Voices, will be leading all of the auditions. This probably won’t be like any other audition you’ve attended, but it’s the best way we can make sure that we’ve seen you perform, improvise and work with other people.
We’ll start with some watchability and physicality testers, and then move onto group work based around your monologue. This will be about the essence of your piece, so we may not get to hear the whole thing. However, it is really important that you know the character in your monologue inside out. This project is all about teamwork, energy, trust and boldness, so we will do our best to get that from you while at the same time ensuring you get your chance to shine.
At the midway point we will shrink the group and ask some people to stay on for more improvisation work. If you’re not asked to stay for the second section, this doesn’t mean you won’t make it through to the next round of auditions.
We know that The 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices isn’t going to be right for everyone, and what we’re looking for is often very specific. So when you turn up, don’t just think about your audition as a chance to get on The Old Vic stage – this is your opportunity to meet the Old Vic New Voices team face-to-face, get to know us and show us your talents. We’ve met lots of people who haven’t been quite right for the project they applied for, but who have later gone on to work on something else with us. So remember, we’ve got lots lined up for 2013 and you might be just what we’re looking for...
DON’T FORGET
Punctuality: We know it sounds obvious, but the first step to getting on The Old Vic stage is being on time! We will not be admitting any latecomers – and remember you need to register before the audition starts.
Photo: Don’t forget to bring your headshot with you. If you have an agent (don’t worry if you don’t!) please write their details on the back of the photo before you arrive to speed up registration.
Volume: There will be a lot of people in the room, so make sure you’ve warmed up your voice before we start. Remember to project when speaking – we want to know that you can fill The Old Vic stage!
Long hair: It is really important that we see your face, so if you have long hair or a long fringe please tie it up and out of the way.
Outfit: Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothes that you can move in; it’s not a fashion parade!
To read about last year's 24 Hour Plays: OVNV, check out the review.
Image by Lucy Glover
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