Audition Information Book
I am the father of two boys who attended many auditions as children. They were lucky to be offered roles in professional and amateur productions including the no.1 national tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, London productions of The Beautiful Game and Legend Trippers as well as Billy Elliot, West Side Story, Hot Mikado, Oliver! and Jesus Christ Superstar more locally. Both boys went on to attend performing arts colleges, one as a musician and one as an actor.
Prior to ‘The Conroy Collective’ I created and owned an award-winning children’s theatre school (West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts – WOAPA – 2011 – 2025), alongside my wife Louise, and we were always thrilled when our students informed us that they had an audition arranged. This was often accompanied by an anxious request from the parent “Any tips or advice you can give us?”. There usually followed a discussion about the role, the show, production company, theatre and the audition process in general. Of course we were always happy to help students become successful (after all, that’s why they attended our singing, dance and drama classes) and after talking to parents on many occasions, it occurred to me that I ought to produce the information in written form, for them to take away and think about in their own time. Some parents were new to the audition process and needed a lot of guidance and some very basic information while others were more experienced and their questions more specific. It subsequently occurred to me there may be parents further afield, with children who attend auditions, who might appreciate the same information. Soon after I started to put the information together, I realised it wasn’t just going to be one sheet of A4 paper and this book started to take shape.
Primarily aimed at parents who are new to auditions, whether you are a new-comer or an old-hand, I hope everyone enjoys reading the book and that it helps them to feel better prepared to support their child with the process of auditioning.
Contents
What is an audition?
Are all auditions the same? (including various different styles of audition)
How can you be best-prepared for an audition?
Are you ready for an audition?
Audition day – what to expect
What should you wear?
Nerves
Audition by video
Are you a pushy mum?
Headshots/CV
Call-backs
If it’s a ‘No’
If it’s a ‘Yes’
What next?
Students’ comments
Parents’ comments
Some comments from real Casting Directors
The Up-side
The Down-side
Financial commitment
Chaperones
Legal regulations
Scams
How do people hear about auditions?
Agents and the law
