National Youth Theatre (NYT) will host open auditions across the UK for its acting summer courses. Actors aged 14-25 can apply for a place at any of the 35 auditions taking place in February. The courses run in the summer of 2017.
Auditions consist of a three-hour group workshop followed by a performance of a prepared speech. Successful applicants aged 14-17 will join NYT’s Junior Acting Course, while actors aged 18-25 will take part in a three-week Senior Acting Course or a four-week Epic Stages Course.
Daisy Lewis, who starred in Downton Abbey and is an NYT alum, commented that: ‘[NYT] was where I grew up, where I learned how to be an actor, but more importantly how to be a member of a diverse society where I was judged solely on merit. I would not be who I am or have had the career I love without the NYT.’
Added NYT artistic director Paul Roseby: ‘We want to meet any young person with a spark looking for a life-changing experience, regardless of whether they’ve acted before, what they look like or where they come from.’ Past NYT summer course students include Helen Mirren, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Craig and Matt Smith.
NYT is also running workshops and acting masterclasses alongside the auditions. These are led by industry experts and include workshops on lighting and sound, stage management, scenic construction and costume as well as masterclasses on acting for the screen, audition technique, performing Shakespeare and music theatre.
The deadline for applications is 6 February. A full list of audition dates and locations is available on the NYT website. Auditions cost GBP46 (€55), with bursaries available for those who cannot afford the fee.
