Getting into a top drama school is one of the most competitive things you can do in the performing arts. Every year, thousands of talented people audition for a handful of places at schools like Central, Mountview and Guildford. I’ve seen incredible singers get rejected and average ones get in. The difference almost always comes down to preparation.

I’ve been coaching singers in Wood Green, North London for over twenty years now. In that time, I’ve prepared hundreds of students for drama school auditions. Some of them are now working in the West End. Others are still training. A few decided it wasn’t for them after all, which is fine too. But the ones who got in all had something in common: they understood what the panel was actually looking for.

This guide is everything I wish someone had told me when I was auditioning. It’s what I tell my students, and it’s based on watching what works and what doesn’t over two decades of doing this.

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What Drama Schools Are Actually Looking For

Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: drama school panels aren’t looking for finished performers. They’re looking for potential.

Think about it from their perspective. They’re offering three years of intensive training. They don’t need someone who’s already polished. They need someone with raw talent that can be shaped and developed. Someone who’s trainable.

When you walk into that audition room, they’re assessing several things at once. They want to hear vocal quality and range, but they’re not expecting perfection. They’re listening for a voice that’s worth investing in. They’re watching to see if you can act through a song, not just sing the notes. They’re paying attention to how you respond when they give you direction. That last one is huge. If they ask you to try something differently and you get defensive or freeze up, that’s a red flag. If you embrace the note and run with it, that tells them you’re coachable.

One of my students who’s now at Guildford told me afterwards that the panel spent more time chatting with her about her song choices than listening to her sing. They wanted to know why she’d picked those pieces and what they meant to her. The conversation mattered as much as the performance.

Choosing Your Audition Songs

I cannot overstate how important song selection is. I’ve seen students with beautiful voices get rejected because they chose the wrong material. And I’ve seen students with more modest instruments sail through because their songs showed them off perfectly.

What Not to Sing

Let’s start with what to avoid.

Overdone songs are the biggest trap. Every audition panel has heard “I Dreamed a Dream” and “On My Own” dozens of times. Same with “Defying Gravity.” These are wonderful songs, but unless you can do something truly extraordinary with them, the panel’s eyes will glaze over before you hit the chorus. They’ve heard it all before.

Age appropriateness matters too. If you’re eighteen, you probably shouldn’t be singing “Send in the Clowns” or “Being Alive.” Those songs require life experience you haven’t had yet, and it shows. Save them for later in your career.

Don’t sing songs that are currently in the West End unless specifically asked. If everyone’s just seen the show, they’ll compare you to the original cast. You don’t want that.

And please, please don’t choose songs outside your comfortable range. Straining for a high note tells the panel you don’t know your own voice. That’s not the impression you want to make.

What Works Well

Choose characters within about five years of your actual age. If the character is meant to be forty and you’re nineteen, it’s going to feel like dress up.

Your two or three songs should contrast with each other. One uptempo, one ballad. One contemporary, one from the classic canon. This shows your versatility.

Lesser known songs from well known composers often work brilliantly. Deep cuts from Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown or Pasek and Paul can impress a panel because they show you’ve done your research. You understand the repertoire beyond the obvious hits.

The Music Theatre International website has searchable databases where you can filter by voice type and age range. It’s genuinely useful for finding material.

Drama School Audition Requirements

Every school does things slightly differently. Here’s a quick comparison of the major London institutions, but always check the official websites because requirements change annually.

Drama School	Songs Required	Monologues	Key Notes
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama	2 contrasting	2 contrasting (1 Shakespeare)	Strong acting focus with workshop element
Mountview Academy	2 contrasting	2 contrasting	Contemporary and classic; sight reading possible
Guildford School of Acting	2 to 3 contrasting	2 contrasting	Dance call included; triple threat focus
Royal Academy of Music	3 to 4 songs	1 monologue	Classical technique valued; music theory helpful
Arts Educational Schools	2 contrasting	2 contrasting	Professional panel with strong industry connections
Italia Conti	2 contrasting	1 to 2 monologues	Commercial focus with screen work included

For the most current requirements, check the official audition pages:

• Central School of Speech and Drama
• Mountview Academy
• Guildford School of Acting
• Royal Academy of Music

Preparing Your Voice

Technical preparation should start at least three months before your audition. I know that sounds like a long time, but you need to account for illness, bad days and the simple reality that voices need time to develop.

Your first priority is knowing your material so well that nerves can’t shake you. When you’re standing in front of a panel with your heart racing, muscle memory needs to take over. If you’re still thinking about lyrics or melody, you won’t be able to focus on performance.

Breath control is the foundation of everything. If your support isn’t there, nothing else will work properly. I spend a lot of time with my students on this because it’s so often neglected. Good breathing isn’t glamorous but it’s what separates confident performers from shaky ones.

Record yourself regularly. You can’t hear yourself accurately while you’re singing, and recordings reveal habits you’d never notice otherwise. It’s uncomfortable at first but incredibly useful.

I trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Professor Brian Parsons, and the technical foundations I learned there inform everything I teach. Proper technique isn’t about sounding perfect. It’s about having enough control to make artistic choices without hurting yourself.

If you’re dealing with vocal fatigue during preparation, read our guide to vocal rest and recovery.

What to Expect on the Day

Drama school auditions typically happen in two rounds. The first is often a self tape or initial in person audition where you’ll do one song and one monologue. Brief introduction, five to ten minutes total.

If you get a recall, that’s when things get more intensive. You’ll perform your full repertoire. There might be a workshop or group exercise. Musical theatre courses usually include a dance call. You’ll probably have an interview with the panel. Some schools include sight reading.

A practical tip: bring your sheet music in a folder with your name clearly marked. Have it in the correct key with any cuts indicated. Panels notice these details. They signal that you’re professional and prepared.

My Students’ Success Stories

Over the years, I’ve worked with some remarkable students. Watching them succeed is the best part of this job.

Siobhan Dillon came to me before auditioning for the BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, where she finished third. She went on to star in Sunset Boulevard alongside Glenn Close, both at the London Coliseum and on Broadway.

Scott Folan worked with me on his audition prep before landing the lead in the West End production of Be More Chill.

Zoe Gappy got rave reviews for her portrayal of Nancy Sinatra in Sinatra: The Musical at the London Palladium.

More recently, a teenage student of mine was accepted to the Purcell School for Young Musicians after we worked together on her video submission. She’s now studying at Guildford School of Acting. Her mother wrote to me: “Nicholas is intuitive and works his students hard to achieve results quickly. He has given my daughter so many tools and more confidence in her technique when approaching West End auditions.”

I share these not to boast but because they prove something important: with the right preparation, these goals are achievable. These students weren’t born with some special gift the rest of us lack. They worked hard, prepared thoroughly and walked into their auditions knowing exactly what to do.

Read more student testimonials on our homepage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After coaching hundreds of auditions, certain mistakes come up again and again.

Overacting is the biggest one. Trust your material. You don’t need to show every emotion on your face like a silent film actor. Feel it genuinely and it will read. Panels can smell performative emotion from a mile away.

Copying famous performances is another trap. They want to see your interpretation, not a Lea Michele impression. If you’re essentially doing karaoke of the original cast recording, you’re not showing them anything about you.

Neglecting the acting in your songs is surprisingly common among singers with strong technical skills. A song is a monologue set to music. You should know who you’re singing to and what you want from them. Every phrase should have intention.

Being unreceptive to direction is perhaps the most damaging mistake. If the panel gives you an adjustment, embrace it. Even if you don’t fully understand what they’re asking for, try something. They’re testing whether you’re trainable. Getting defensive or shutting down tells them you’re not.

Never apologise or make excuses. I’ve seen students walk in and immediately say “Sorry, I’m a bit ill today” or “I didn’t have much time to prepare this one.” Don’t do that. Walk in with confidence even if you don’t feel it. What happens in that room is all that matters.

Final Thoughts

The students who get into top drama schools aren’t always the most naturally gifted. I’ve seen technically brilliant singers get rejected and more modest voices get in. The difference is usually preparation: thoughtful song choices, diligent practice and a genuine understanding of why they want this.

If you’re serious about your audition, work with someone who’s been through it. A good coach won’t just polish your songs. They’ll help you figure out what makes you different from everyone else walking into that room, and how to communicate that under pressure.

At my studio in Wood Green, North London, I offer intensive audition preparation sessions. We work on song selection, vocal technique, interpretation and the mental side of performing under pressure.

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About the Author

Nicholas Martin is a vocal coach and professional tenor based in Wood Green, North London. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Professor Brian Parsons and holds a Masters in Music Performance. His students have performed in West End productions including Sunset Boulevard, Be More Chill and Les Misérables. Learn more about Nicholas.