why the audition panel asks you to sight read
So you get your audition date and instructions through by email and are super excited. Workshops in the morning followed by audition speeches and….dun, dun, dun….sight reading.
How very frightening.
They’re going to ask me to read….a piece of text…..that I have never…..never…..EVER…..seen before.
Oh my gosh, thats ridiculous, I’d rather not, I think I’d rather run away instead thank you and good day.
Fair….but why? Surely the panel have their reasons for wanting to see you read some unknown text in front of them. Surely this ‘horrendous’ event must be satisfying some kind of desire for the panel. But what?
Let me tell you, it isn’t what you expect. It most certainly IS NOT:
They want to see how well I can read - If I wanted to know that, I’d look at the exam results that you had to supply through UCAS
They want to see a perfect recital of the words and no more - well thats pretty dull
They want to test me and see how many words I get wrong. They’re probably taking bets - no, no and no
They want to have a good laugh - also no, thats very cruel and, quite frankly, a waste of time
What the panel actually want to see is pretty simple and the stakes and demands are certainly not as high as you think.
how you respond imaginatively to a text
You’re an actor right? And don’t give me the whole ‘I’m not an Actor yet, I want to be an Actor but I haven’t got into drama school yet’ nonsense. You’ve prepared for an audition, turned up and performed - you’re an Actor, this is your job now.
So, as a big fancy Actor, the fundamentals of this job is to create a world imaginatively and truthful from a text. Your imagination is like bullets to soldiers - its your ammo, your resource. Use it wisely. The panel want to see how you imaginatively digest the words on the page and bring the story to life in a way that no one else can. We want to see how your brain works. How you tick and relate to the world around you and the words on the page.
how you respond instinctively in the moment
As this is sight reading you probably won’t have the luxury of preparing the text ahead of time and may in fact be reading it for the first time as your saying it out loud! This is the perfect circumstance for a panel to see how easily and willingly you jump in and respond in the moment. We are looking for you to be brave, bold and big with the choices you make regardless of not knowing what comes next. We want to see how much you’re willing to risk by going all in. This means physically, vocally, imaginatively. We want to see if that is something you enjoy and revel in.
how you cope with pressure and nerves
Like it or not, auditions and particularly sight reading can be stressful and nerve wracking. The training you want to undertake will have high expectations and demands upon you for a lengthy duration. The panel will be using the sight reading portion of the audition to assess how gritty and sturdy you are in order to gauge how ready and able you are to train at higher education level. Talent is only one thing. Work ethic, determination, follow through, steady nerves and stress management are huge factors to consider when auditioning for the next academic year.
THATS IT!
No seriously, that is most certainly it. There are not tricks, no scams and no tests. Sight reading is just a really good gauge for where you’re at on your creative journey and a great demonstration of your ability to cope under pressure.
My overall advice would be to practise. Practise until it’s not daunting. Challenge yourself once a day to pick up some unknown text whether that be a novel, a monologue, an article in a magazine, the back of a cereal box, a advert at the bus stop - whatever! Pick it up, read it once and bring it to life!