How can I get into an acting school or gain some acting experience?

Question

I'm 17 years old and I left school after my GCSEs. I want to become an actress/scriptwriter and to achieve this I need to gain experience by going to an acting school and learning all I can about what I want to do, then hopefully going on to get an agent and get myself out there. Which acting schools take people on who haven't studied past their GCSEs? Thanks

Answer 1

A lot of schools will take you on your ability to do the job and not your academic results. You can check in the "Stage" for some names and addresses and then email the schools you are interested in for more details

Answer 2

You would probably be MUCH better off staying on at school and doing an A-Level Drama course. NOT 'Theatre studies' as this is pretty much academic research with little practical work experience.

LIkewise working in and around your local theatre will help - as would joining a local 'am-dram' society. Not that it will necessarily teach you much, but it will give you that all-important 'being-on-the-stage-in-front- of -an-audience' experience!

But as you seem impatient:
most Drama schools will wait until you are 17 or 18 before signing you on. They will also require payments - anything up to £1,000 per term! Most courses are two or three years. If you have a degree in a relevant subject area most will accept you onto a one year 'post-graduate' course.

Check out the Conference of Drama Schools through Google - conference schools are all pretty much guaranteed to give you the best training for your money.

Or check out The Poor School
http://www.thepoorschool.com

they offer very good training and are fairly reasonably priced.

You will be expected to PAY for your auditions (as well as for the courses), and will be expected to have learned and rehearsed two scenes of about 2 minutes each - one from a Shakespeare play and one from a play written within the last 50 years. You should be able to talk about the play & character you have chosen and the reason for choice. There are a few books about in the 'Short Scenes For Auditions' category, but be careful with them - the drama schools obviously know about them and may question you beyond the scope of such a books entry on your play.
But see it in a light spirit and you will be fine.

When I say learned, I mean not just knowing the words - you will need to ACT these short scenes - make them come alive... it is not a memory test but an acting assignment. This is where a good A-Level course can help - giving you that extra coaching needed to get through this hurdle.

Once you have finished at Drama School you will then be in the battle for an agent. Many agents send representatives to drama school's 'end-of-year' shows.

Most of the actors I have ever worked with, did the job because they just had to. There was no other thing for them.
Of course, they were often found (as was I) doing some of the crappiest jobs around 'between engagements' as you had to have money to pay the rent and to keep up with your training- and it had to be a job you could ditch at a moments notice "when the call came".

These days there is really no such thing as a 'secure' profession, to be honest.

That said, of all of the people I trained with, many of them are no longer working in the profession. I have also now re-evolved into a teacher - although I am a drama/acting teacher. And, although it can be fun, and I get paid EVERY month (oooh wow!) it just isn't quite the same.

Answer 3

Most private acting schools will take you if you can pay the tuition. It is part of a big swindle, but it will get you some needed training. It they require an audition, then they are more legit. Where you can really get acting experience is in the local community theatres.

Answer 4

get some experience with drama groups that are in your area then if you lok online i bet there will be plenty of drama schools near by that will take you on.

if you are serious that this is what you want to do then most schools will take you if you have a passion for their area of work then they will go out their way to help you

hope it all works out for you

Answer 5

Get a crowbar or something to lever the doors open, then its as simple as just walking in.

To get acting experience, thats a bit harder, start by pretenting to your parents that youre unwell and you need a few days off school, gradually, youll get better at it.

Hope this helps, ant...

(PS, dont really do that, it was a joke)