National Youth Theatre Auditions 2024

Hey!
I just got a recall for the 2024 self tape auditions and I wondering whether anyone who's successfully auditioned for the NYT has any tips? Should I do a different monologue from my self tape and would it make me more likely to get in? What sort of questions do they ask in the recall?
Any advice would be helpful!! Thank you so much!!!

Hey!
I just got a recall for the 2024 self tape auditions and I wondering whether anyone who's successfully auditioned for the NYT has any tips? Should I do a different monologue from my self tape and would it make me more likely to get in? What sort of questions do they ask in the recall?
Any advice would be helpful!! Thank you so much!!!

Hey! Thought I would also offer some advice!
I am a current member with NYT and have done a lot of their ambassador/facillitation work. @blackcatmeow has already given some really useful advice however, I just want to offer you a wee bit more detail if you'd like?
First of all, in my audition, I didn't change my monologue but I was also doing a very obscure Scottish play which I think worked in my favour. If you feel like you want to change monologue, go for it, but the people in the audition room are unlikely to worry about whether you did it in your self-tape as they generally don't have many notes on this. I have been in the room of some auditions, and generally speaking, it's about the monologue you have on the day. Make sure it suits you, make sure you enjoy performing it and make sure you know it comfortably well - but not too well of course!
Secondly, the questions are more personalised usually to the person who is auditioning you. In my own audition, I was asked about instruments I play as I took a song I wrote to my audition. I think I was also asked about where I come from because my monologue was partially in very broad Scots and I am a Scots speaker. The questions are typically based off your recall audition and things they pick up in that room.
Just another note would be, you are likely to be re-directed and I would reccomend you go for it. I have personally been redirected to do my monologue like I am having a conversation with someone however, I had friend be re-directed to do his monologue like he was a weather presenter on top of a windy hill in the rain. So with this in mind, you have just go for it, that's what they like to see.
Additional advice would be, be yourself and don't be hard on yourself. You've come this far and already beaten some hefty statistics.
Good luck! 😊

Hello!! I have some additional questions if you don't mind answering some more How should I set up my phone/ computer for the call?? This is minor but it feels like it could matter a lot. Should I join from my phone and keep it on a tripod? I'm thinking we'd be better off conducting the audition standing in order to perform? Or is that not right? Should I just treat it like an ordinary zoom call and do it from my computer? There's a lot of mystery for me because I've never actually done a recall like this online. Help!

Hello!! I have some additional questions if you don't mind answering some more How should I set up my phone/ computer for the call?? This is minor but it feels like it could matter a lot. Should I join from my phone and keep it on a tripod? I'm thinking we'd be better off conducting the audition standing in order to perform? Or is that not right? Should I just treat it like an ordinary zoom call and do it from my computer? There's a lot of mystery for me because I've never actually done a recall like this online. Help!

Hey! Thought I would also offer some advice!
I am a current member with NYT and have done a lot of their ambassador/facillitation work. @blackcatmeow has already given some really useful advice however, I just want to offer you a wee bit more detail if you'd like?
First of all, in my audition, I didn't change my monologue but I was also doing a very obscure Scottish play which I think worked in my favour. If you feel like you want to change monologue, go for it, but the people in the audition room are unlikely to worry about whether you did it in your self-tape as they generally don't have many notes on this. I have been in the room of some auditions, and generally speaking, it's about the monologue you have on the day. Make sure it suits you, make sure you enjoy performing it and make sure you know it comfortably well - but not too well of course!
Secondly, the questions are more personalised usually to the person who is auditioning you. In my own audition, I was asked about instruments I play as I took a song I wrote to my audition. I think I was also asked about where I come from because my monologue was partially in very broad Scots and I am a Scots speaker. The questions are typically based off your recall audition and things they pick up in that room.
Just another note would be, you are likely to be re-directed and I would reccomend you go for it. I have personally been redirected to do my monologue like I am having a conversation with someone however, I had friend be re-directed to do his monologue like he was a weather presenter on top of a windy hill in the rain. So with this in mind, you have just go for it, that's what they like to see.
Additional advice would be, be yourself and don't be hard on yourself. You've come this far and already beaten some hefty statistics.
Good luck! 😊

Hey there, of course!
I remember setting my laptop up in my kitchen and moving furniture around (taking pictures off the walls, moving tables, chairs etc) so I had a plain background. I found that I really liked having a lot of space to move inside of because my monologue kind of required me to do so, but they are usually happy with whatever you choose to do. Stand or sit, either is fine so long as you are comfortable and feel like you are capable of completing your best work!
Honestly, depending on what you have, you could place your phone against something and then be able to see most of yourself. It really is up to you. I would also add as well that these auditions, they really are quite informal. Much more informal I personally found than my drama school auditions. If you are still worried, perhaps do a couple practice videos with different devices if that would help? Maybe get a friend to do a FaceTime/zoom call/teams call/whatever you have available to you to get you to the point where you can do your best work on the day.
Let me know if you have any more questions! I try to check in on this forum like once or twice a day because I am active in a few different performing arts related ones!!
Best of luck for the audition incase I don't send another message before! 🙂

Hi,
I am NYT alumni. I have done multiple things with them including a show at the London building.
The best thing to do is just be yourself. The first time I auditioned I was so nervous and fretful I couldn't be myself and it did me a great disservice - though it worked out in the end as that was the year of covid and it was all online anyway.
I would do a different monologue to show some different skills and styles as a performer. Make sure you ENJOY it - they can tell.
The questions will most likely be general and be about what you've said about yourself in your self-tape. It'll be very casual and informal.
I know it's hard not to worry but honestly, focus on enjoying it and being yourself and you'll do miles better than you think.
Good Luck ❤️

Hey - thank you so much for you advice!! I have my recall in 2 days and you really helped calm me down 😅😅. This might be a stupid question but do you know if the person auditioning you will have seen your initial self-tape and will ask questions based on that information?
Also, do you roughly know how many people from the first round get a recall and then how many from those get selected to an acting course. I know the chances are very slim and don’t want to get my hopes up too high

Thank you so much for all of your advice it has been super helpful and calmed me down for my recall on Thursday 11th!!! Just one last question, I'm thinking of doing a song from a musical, is this a good idea? It is about 3:20 minutes and I know they might not have time to see it, do you think its the right length or maybe too long? Also should I use an instrumental backing track from YouTube or is it better to sing acapella?
Thank you so so much and good luck to everyone else with a recall!! My 1st choice course is the summer one in London, is anyone else the same??

Hey - thank you so much for you advice!! I have my recall in 2 days and you really helped calm me down 😅😅. This might be a stupid question but do you know if the person auditioning you will have seen your initial self-tape and will ask questions based on that information?
Also, do you roughly know how many people from the first round get a recall and then how many from those get selected to an acting course. I know the chances are very slim and don’t want to get my hopes up too high

Is the limit for the monologue still 2 minutes? I know for the self tape it was, but for the recall I was considering choosing a different monologue thats around 3 mins. Would that still be okay?

Hey!
The initial self-tape is unlikely to have been seen by the person auditioning you!
I don't know how many people get recalled but I do know that it is about 1 in 10 people who are selected for NYT each year, although there aren't really any official numbers to go off of. It also depends on how many auditions and what demographic boxes you might tick if you are taken on.
Best of luck! ❤️

Do you think that if I do the same monologue as my self-tape that it will decrease my chances of getting in?

I'm in the same position as you, and in my mind, it's better to do a different monologue because it makes you seem like a more well-rounded performer, you need to be flexible as an actor, not be limited to one genre/form of drama, because it at the heart of it, it is just more interesting. At the same time, the consensus I've got from reading various forum pages, is that you shouldn't choose a monologue that you think will impress the auditioner, pick a monologue you enjoy performing and are able to really sink your teeth into.
A friend of mine did a recall earlier this year for early bird and I think the auditioner just asked her general questions about life like whether she had any personal struggles and they also asked her if she could sing. I'm going to prepare a song, because I think it's important in these instances to stand out from the crowd.
Hope this helps and good luck, hope the recall goes well!!!

I was in the early bird recalls and around 250 were recalled. Do you know how many recalls there were in this round? (You should be able to work it out by the number of days and clots when you click on the recall booking link) Also, some places will be allocated via the live community and schools auditions.

Have you done yours and if so how did it go? Did they ask similar questions than in the self tape?