LUTG Audition Guide

1. LUTG Audition Guide How Theatre Group auditions work By Michael Reffold (Need more info? Visit www.theatregroup.co.uk or email theatregroup@lancaster.ac.uk) Remember: Auditions for this term�s shows = 3rd and 4th October at midday. We�ll be meeting in Furness Foyer. Hope to see you there!

2. Before the Auditions People auditioning for this term�s shows will be gathering in Furness Foyer on the 3rd and 4th of October at 12 noon. You only need to attend on one of these days and will be able to audition for all of the term�s shows, or as many of them as you like. Please be punctual and patient � we expect to have a lot of people auditioning, and we�ll try not to keep you all waiting for too long. We recommend getting chatting with some of the other actors while you wait � LUTG is full of friendly people and we don�t (usually) bite! If you haven�t paid your �5 membership fee for the year yet, a member of the exec team will be there to help, and to sign up new members who didn�t join LUTG at Freshers Fair. Once that�s all been sorted out, you�ll be given a sticker with your name on and you�ll be ready to audition!

3. Getting To Know You From Furness Foyer we�ll be heading to the rooms where the auditions will take place (don�t worry, we�ll go there in a big group, like an army of actors!) and then the fun will begin! We�ll all get in a circle, or some other funky shape, and introduce ourselves � this usually involves telling everyone your name, which subject you�re studying, which college you�re in, and an interesting fact about yourself � so try to have one ready! This is just to help you relax, so don�t feel like you�re under any pressure to come up with something amazing or hilarious: just be yourself ?. Once the introductions are finished, all the people auditioning will be split into smaller groups � you�ll go round in the same group all afternoon, and audition together for each show in turn. Please don�t let this scare you � everyone will be in the same position as you, and auditions are lots of fun!

4. All The World�s A Stage Now it�s time for the audition process to begin! You and your group will be taken to the room where one of the shows is holding auditions � you might do some warm-ups, and you�ll be asked to write down a few important details (e.g. your mobile number) for the production team. Then the audition pieces will be handed out! The audition pieces you�ll be given will be scenes or extracts taken from the play itself � there�s no need to have anything prepared beforehand, the production team will try you out with different characters and other actors from your group and see what you can do. You may even be asked to perform a monologue on your own, depending on what the production teams want to see. Just relax and do your best, and you�ll be fine. You�ll be allowed some time to rehearse each extract outside the audition room, and then you�ll be called in to act in front of the production team. Once your first audition slot is over, you�ll be told which show to make your way to next, and the auditions will continue! There may be some waiting around between auditions or between being given scenes to practice � if so, please be patient, and we�ll try to get it sorted out quickly.

5. When Will I See You Again? Once all the fun of auditions is over, it�ll be time for the next stage: recalls! On Sunday night a list will be posted on Facebook and the forum (so make sure you check for it!). This list will be people who the production teams would like to see again at recalls. If your name is on the list, you�ll be called back to audition again for the production team/s, who�ll be seeing if you�re right for a certain part or how well you work with the other actors they�re thinking of casting. This will take place on Monday and Tuesday the 5th and 6th of October � meet in Furness Foyer at 6 pm. More details will be available closer to the time but they�re just like auditions so don�t be intimidated! After recalls, the production teams will meet up to discuss who they want to cast. If you auditioned over the weekend (even if you didn�t get recalled), please keep your mobile switched on: you might be phoned up and offered a part! Cast lists will also be posted on Facebook and the forum. If you get cast, congratulations! There�ll be a read through that weekend with the rest of the cast, and then rehearsals will begin � and soon we�ll see you treading the boards! If you don�t get a part this time, there are still lots of opportunities to get involved, e.g. helping out backstage. Please contact us if you�re interested. There�ll also be more auditions later on in the year, so please don�t give up!

6. Practice Makes Perfect To make sure all of our productions are professional-quality, LUTG shows have rehearsals three times a week. These take place on: Mondays 6-10 pm Wednesdays 6-10 pm Sundays 12-6 pm You may not be needed at all of these rehearsals every week if you get cast, though for main parts the director will probably need you at most, if not all, of the three rehearsals. The rehearsal times have been organised so that you won�t miss any lectures or seminars, but please take note of when you�ll be expected to rehearse before you audition. It�s not a problem if you miss one or two rehearsals (as long as you let your director know beforehand), but if you know you won�t be able to be there regularly you�ll need to think carefully before auditioning about whether you�ll be able to commit to the shows fully if you get cast. Rehearsals are always lots of fun � as well as practicing for the show, we usually do some warm-ups and play a few drama games. They�re definitely worth the time you put into them, and of course you�ll get to be part of a great show at the end!

7. Top Tips Auditions can seem pretty daunting and nerve-wracking, particularly if it�s your first time auditioning for LUTG. Here�s some tips to make sure you get the most out of them: The production teams are looking for potential, not perfect acting: we�re all amateurs, after all, and Theatre Group�s about having fun, not stressing you out. So be yourself, and try to relax: it really helps! We�ll try to have all the auditions finished by 6 pm, although we might overrun � we recommend bringing some bottled water, and some money so you can buy something to eat (you�ll be given a lunch break) and keep your energy levels up! Get to know the other people in your group: you�re going to spend the afternoon (and maybe the term!) acting with them, and LUTG is full of awesome people who would love to get to know you ? Ask someone for help if you�re feeling panicky, if you don�t understand what you�re meant to do, if the script has weird language in it that you need deciphering� Don�t suffer in silence and bottle things up, we�re happy to help and we want you to have fun. And, most importantly, enjoy it! Good luck!