How to Apply

Entry Requirements

Entry is by audition only; there are no academic requirements for any of our courses.

We are unable to accept international students on our courses unless they have UK residency with indefinite leave to remain/settled status.

Applicants from the EU/EEA/Switzerland who do not have settled status in the UK are eligible to apply for the Six Month Foundation Course.

Minimum age for acting courses:

Foundation Course – 18 years
Three Year Course – 18 years
One Year Course – 21 years

There is no upper age limit for any of our courses. It is essential however, that you meet the minimum age requirement by the time the course starts in September. e.g. if you would like to apply for the One Year Course and you will not turn 21 until June 2022, for example, you are able to apply.

Audition Fee

£15 – First Round audition by self-tape is paid on application.

£30 – Recall audition fee is paid when confirming your place at your First Recall Audition. All recall auditions are held in person at the School. They include a workshop and an individual audition with the panel.

An Audition Fee Waiver is available to some applicants. It aims to increase access by offering a free audition to eligible applicants who aspire to train at drama school. Please note, in order to get this fee waiver, applicants must apply for it before they submit their application. We are unable to reimburse audition fees once we have processed your application.

We have introduced a two stage audition fee payment. The First Round audition fee is £15 which is paid when submitting your application. We hope that the lower fee for the First Round self-tape audition will give more people the opportunity to audition for the School.

If invited to a recall, a further £30 is paid on confirmation of your First Recall audition date. The Recall audition fee covers the First Recall and Second Recall audition. All Recalls are held in person at the School and include a workshop alongside your individual audition with the panel. You will not be asked to pay any additional audition fees if you progress to the Second (final) Recall stage.

Please note that the audition fee is non-refundable, and applications received without the audition fee will not be processed. The Recall audition fee must be paid by the deadline in the email because this confirms your attendance at the First Recall Audition. If you are unable to attend then please let us know so that we can allocate the space to another applicant. Please email: auditions@oxforddrama.ac.uk if you have any queries.

The Application Procedure

Applications for entry in September 2022 open on 19 October 2021 and close on 31 May 2022. We hold recall auditions at the School between October and June. We advise you to apply as early as possible in the year to ensure that you can be flexible and make the recall dates when invited.

The First Round audition is via self-tape and the First Recall and Second/final Recall audition is held in person at the School and include a workshop alongside your individual audition with the panel.

Please follow the instructions below regarding submitting your First Round audition with your application. Click here to download the full application guidance.

Submitting Your First Round Application Tape

Before completing your application form, you will need to film and submit your introduction and answer to the question below along with two speeches of no more than 2 minutes each, no more than 6-7 minutes long in total. You are required to upload one link with the three parts (you can film in one take or use a programme to edit them into one) onto your application. The speeches are of your choosing, but if you would like to take one of our suggestions for your classical speech, please click here to view the list. For those unsure or unconfident about your classical piece we would encourage you to take one of our suggestions.

1. Film a close up of your face introducing yourself (state your name, age, the course(s) you are        applying for, why you wish to train at the Oxford school of Drama and the details of your              speeches) and then answer the following question: Choose a moment from a play or film which    really impacted you emotionally and tell us about it. How did you feel? (2 minutes).

          Change position by moving back from camera to a waist up shot and deliver the two pieces.                    Your eyeline should be to the side of the camera.

      2. A classical speech from the 16th or 17th century. This can be Shakespeare or any other writer                from that period; for example, John Ford, Ben Jonson, Mary Pix, Christopher Marlowe, Aphra                    Benn (2 minutes long).

      3. A contrasting (a different subject, theme or emotion) speech from a 20th or 21st century play                  (2 minutes long).

      4. Upload your audition video to Vimeo/YouTube making sure the link works for someone who isn’t             logged in, that settings are set to either public or set to private only if people with the link can                 still access it. Copy and paste the link into the indicated field on the application form. Please                   also include the names of your speeches in the indicated fields. Please make sure there is no                   expiry date for viewing the link because we may want to access your audition at recall and                       waiting list stages. The link should be in this format: https://vimeo.com/000000000

General Advice On Your Online Audition

• Watch the short film clip offering advice and tips on recording your audition video: https://vimeo.com/398892665/3a0e767110
• Stand away from the background which should be plain and not distracting.
• Pick a quiet room with some space to move and no background noise.
• Be aware of your distance from the camera/mic and speak up (project) when further away.
• Make sure the room is bright and you can be seen clearly – lit from the front rather than above.
• Do not place yourself in silhouette – be careful of the position of windows.
• Try and use a tripod – not handheld. If you don’t have a tripod, spend a bit of time experimenting to ensure that your smartphone is secure.
• Your eyeline should be to the side of the camera when you are performing your monologues, you may find it helpful having someone standing just to side of the camera, out of shot, for you to talk to.
• Avoid props, costume and make up. We are interested in you and your ability.
• Please ensure that you check the video for any audio issues etc before you upload the link to the application form.
• Please also ensure that the settings are not set to “private” and that there is no expiration date on the video.

Please allow up to 4 weeks for us to get back to you regarding the outcome of your First Round audition. We will contact you by e-mail, so please make sure that you also check your Spam folder for any communication from the School.

Please be ready to confirm your First Recall audition by making the Recall payment by the date requested in your First Recall invitation.

If your First Recall audition is not successful, we will email you a letter to inform you. You will be able to call the School to obtain feedback on your audition from the Admissions Administrator on the days stated.