Audition Requirements

Auditions for our BA (Hons) Acting degree are conducted in a safe and supportive environment. We want our applicants to be able to enjoy and learn from their experience with us and to be able to share their best work.  

These auditions are not just a preliminary assessment of your acting skills, but also an opportunity to see how you connect and collaborate with others. Our Applicant Days will also give you an opportunity to experience first-hand what training as an actor at UCA might feel like.  

Auditions are an integral part of the selection process, and it allows the staff team to develop a cohesive year group. 

For the audition, please prepare two monologues: 

  • The first should be from a 20th or 21st Century play and have a running time of 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes maximum. 
  • The second should be from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play and have a running time of 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds. 

Your performances should be off book, and you should have read the whole play. Please do not select pieces only written as monologues, they should be from a full text. Most importantly, pick pieces that you connect with and are excited to perform. 

Please wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing or sports gear and appropriate footwear such as trainers. We recommend bringing with you plenty of water, a notebook and pen. 

Your performances should be off book, and you should have read the whole play/screenplay. Please do not select pieces only written as monologues, they should be from a full text. Most importantly, pick pieces that you connect with and are excited to perform. You may choose to dress neutrally or wear appropriate clothing for the different characters. 

Online Auditions

If you are unable to attend an Applicant Day for this course, we ask that you submit three self-tapes: 

  • The first should be a monologue from a 20th or 21st Century play and have a running time of 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes.  
  • The second should be a monologue or soliloquy from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play and have a running time of 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds.  
  • The third should be a monologue or duologue from a film or television screenplay and have a running time of 1 to 2 minutes. If you choose a duologue please find a friend or fellow actor to play the other role off camera. 

The requirements for an online audition are the same as what we’d expect to see if you were to audition at an Applicant Day. 

You can film your self-tape on a video camera or smartphone. Make sure you film in landscape, not portrait. You should film your audition material in a quiet space and check that the device is picking up your voice clearly.  

Use natural light where possible, and soft, diffused practical lighting if required. Your lighting source(s) should not be in shot or behind you and avoid the casting of shadows. 

Try to find a plain background to film against and place your camera at eye-level, framing the shot in a mid-close (including your chest to the top of your head).  

You can choose to perform looking into the lens or to a character on either side of the camera making sure your whole face is still visible. Only use props that are essential to the performance. Try to avoid too many takes – trust your work and enjoy the experience. 

Integrated Foundation Year  Applicants

If your course includes an integrated foundation year  then you'll be developing your audition during this year of study.

We're not expecting to see a polished audition from you at this stage. We would, however, like to get a sense of you. 

Further information

If you have any more questions about your portfolio please get in touch with our Admissions team:

If you have additional needs you haven’t yet told us about – whether it’s learning support or physical assistance – we can work with you and support you through the application process. Please contact relevant campus to discuss this with us:

Getting in touch early gives us plenty of time to discuss any reasonable adjustments you might need.