Question 1

How much does drama school audition coaching cost?

Accepted Answer

One-to-one drama school audition coaching at Drama School Success costs £50 per hour for both in-person and online sessions. We also offer an intensive 3-hour Audition Surgery for £140, designed to stress-test your repertoire before recalls. Subsidised rates are available for applicants experiencing genuine financial hardship.

Question 2

Where do in-person coaching and self-tape sessions take place?

Accepted Answer

In-person sessions take place in a private, dedicated studio in Palmers Green, North London (N13). The studio is a short walk from Palmers Green Overground station (direct from Finsbury Park, Highbury & Islington, and Moorgate) or a short bus ride from Wood Green Underground station (Piccadilly Line). Free client parking is available, along with access to a library of hundreds of classical and contemporary plays.

Question 3

How do I choose the right monologues for drama school auditions?

Accepted Answer

Choose characters close to your own age, casting type, and natural energy from published, full-length stage plays rather than standalone monologue books or film scripts. Audition panels want to see you through the words, not a character mask. Focus on active pieces where your character needs something urgent from an imaginary scene partner, avoiding over-the-top acting choices or shock-value speeches that restrict your natural playfulness.

Question 4

What is the difference between a classical and a contemporary monologue?

Accepted Answer

For UK drama school auditions (such as RADA, LAMDA, Central, and Guildhall), a classical monologue is typically written during the Elizabethan or Jacobean era—predominantly verse or prose from Shakespeare or his contemporaries like Marlowe, Webster, and Jonson. A contemporary monologue is generally written after 1960 (with some conservatoires specifying post-2000). Both pieces should offer a strong contrast in status, temperament, and emotional stakes.

Question 5

What happens during a drama school audition redirect?

Accepted Answer

An audition redirect occurs when the panel asks you to perform your monologue again with a completely different objective, physical obstacle, or emotional intention. Panels do this not because you did it wrong, but to test your directability, openness, and instinct. We rehearse redirects in our coaching sessions so you feel excited rather than thrown off.

Question 6

Can I do drama school audition coaching online?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Online audition coaching via Microsoft Teams offers the exact same text analysis, objective breakdown, and panel redirect exercises as in-person sessions. Remote coaching is ideal for regional UK applicants, international candidates targeting London conservatoires, and actors looking for rapid feedback on self-tape submissions without traveling to London.

Question 7

What drama schools do you prepare actors for?

Accepted Answer

We coach applicants for all major Federation of Drama Schools (FDS) institutions and international conservatoires, including London schools (RADA, LAMDA, Guildhall, Royal Central, Mountview, ArtsEd, Rose Bruford, Italia Conti, Drama Studio London), UK/international institutions (RCS, RWCMD, Bristol Old Vic, Oxford School of Drama, Manchester School of Theatre, Juilliard), and youth programmes (The BRIT School, NYT).

Question 8

How many coaching sessions do I need before my auditions?

Accepted Answer

Students will normally require between 4 and 8 sessions, although this can vary from student to student depending on their starting point, monologue choices, and upcoming deadlines. Spreading sessions over several weeks allows time to absorb notes and complete text work between meetings. For actors with fully memorised pieces approaching recalls, a 3-hour Audition Surgery can also be used to stress-test their repertoire under audition conditions.

Question 9

What questions do drama school panels ask in the interview round?

Accepted Answer

Panels typically ask questions to assess your curiosity, collaborative spirit, and theatrical knowledge, such as why you want to train at that specific school, the last play you saw and what moved you, and how your characters compare. We include mock interview technique in our recall prep to help you answer conversationally and authentically without sounding rehearsed.