Birmingham School of Acting – Alumni Thoughts

We asked drama school alumni from across the years to share their recollections,tips, advice and thoughts from their years spent training. Here are their answers. If you want to share your memories get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter

I only applied for one drama school, so the initial audition was scary, because drama school was all I had ever wanted to do so it felt like a really big deal.

There were two people watching me do two speeches, one was really chatty and the other closed his eyes half way through speech one and appeared to be asleep for a while! I had a friend in the 1st year there who snuck in afterwards and looked at my score so I knew I was going to be re-called.

The re-call day was really fun and I didn’t feel under pressure at all. Lots of games and exercises, singing, dancing, voice work. They want to see you get stuck in regardless of how good you think you are or aren’t.

Just be prepared to be brave and have to do some slightly odd things. And don’t try and second guess whats going on, just go with it.

They were horrible and grotty but completely loved.

The sofa in the green room would expel a huge cloud of dust if you sat down on it too hard, and the heating would always be on in the summer and off in the winter, but I loved it. It felt like the past was soaked into the walls of the place.

In our third year they moved us to this new hi tech building, which is miles better really, but we all felt like it wasn’t really home to us. I’m sure students who started their training there wouldn’t feel the same though.

I don’t know about items, but mentally you need to lose the ego, be open to new ideas regardless of how ridiculous they feel, and be prepared to fail as often as you need to.

It’s also important to realise that you aren’t in the real world. There’s usually some sort of social status ladder that builds up in each drama school year; well the industry doesn’t care about that.

You really are in a bubble there and it can all get a bit much. I got really wrapped up in it all and the first few months after we left I felt like I’d had the crap kicked out of me. I didn’t know what to do without everyone.

Try and stay friendly with all the other students. You’ll all have a nicer time and you’ll get half of your work through your friends once you’re out.

I can remember moments rather than lessons.

For instance one of our tutors once told me that it was obvious I didn’t like the scene I was doing, and until I found something about it that I loved it wouldn’t be any good. I always remembred that. If you get a job in a play you don’t really like, you’re still going to take it believe me, so you sure as hell better find a way to love it if you want to look good on stage.

I also remember a teacher asking if I would ever murder/frame/rape another person. I of course said no and he said “Oh yes you would. In the right circumstances anyone is capable of anything.” That really changed how I looked at characters and tried to understand their point of view and sympathise with them.

The voice training is also imperitive.

Personally, I could have done without the pilates, alexander technique and some of the movement lessons. Most of us called it wanky movement but one or two people enjoyed it and found it useful.

Not many that I can remember, there was the odd comment but nothing that focused specifically on that side of things.

From what I can gather this is an area where all schools need to put more effort in.

Its fine being taught how to audition, but when you can’t GET an audition it’s not very useful. I’d much rather have had talks with industry pros and ex students etc instead of the lessons where I lay on the floor for 20 minutes isolating the movement in my left elbow for instance….

Yeah, I love them. I hate not being able to see them every day like we did at school. I was so happy there.

There was a period in the second year where I was given a stupidly big part in a really political play, and, for weeks, when all my mates were in the pub I was at home researching what the hell my character was talking about and trying to get the words down. That’s when I feel like I stopped playing at acting and realised just how seriously I had to take it.

You do solo signing in front of each other in groups. I chose the song Blue Moon and decided to try doing it like a sleazy club singer, flirting with the girls in the front row and making kissy faces at them and stuff. It wasn’t a huge success. I was met with awkward faces and stifled giggles.

But failure is important if you want to grow… thats what I kept telling myself anyway.

Also, wearing a jock strap for the first time, that was interesting.

Not brilliantly attended, and they split the year in half. The other half got a much better turn out than we did, and there was a system where agents could follow the actor they wanted to watch, but it meant that not every student was seen by every agent.

It wasn’t the best send off but it’s changed now.

I saw the most recent showcase and it was packed out, with good people too, and everyone was seen by everyone. They all have agents except one or two. But remember, any agent isn’t better than no agent. Anyone can set up an agency, doesn’t mean they are any good or know what they are talking about.

Because we moved buildings there were a few. Raphaels Bar in Paradise Place was one (its gone now, i helped demolish it, very sad), then there was The Malt House by the canal. We had pretty much free reign of the place because we were friendly with the owner, it was brilliant.

A place where I grew up, messed up, made up for it again & found wonderful friends. I could talk about it all day.

I’d tell him to lose the bling immediately and stop wearing a leather jacket with tracky pants! I’d tell him to write to agents before showcase and not leave it to the school. I’d say to make sure he got the most out of every single teacher and every single lesson, because while you are there you are surrounded by people who have your best interests at heart and want to help you; none of its there once you leave, you’re on your own.

I’d also tell him not to get involved with anything naughty because it will only set him back from what he’s trying to achieve, and I would tell him he’s not half as good as he thinks he is.

The other thing I would say is that getting in and getting through drama school is SO easy compared to what happens afterwards.

But he wouldn’t have listened to any of it, you can’t tell drama school students anything, especially the 3rd years haha.

If you would like to answer the Actor Hub 12 training questions and share your thoughts and recollections from your time at drama school, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via the Contact Page

We asked drama school and university alumni from across the years to share their recollections,tips, advice and thoughts from their years spent training. If you want to share your memories get in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter