BA (Hons) Acting
Audition Pack
Faculty of Education and the Arts
School of Creative Performance and Production
Pictured on the cover: Mari Hovden, EarthquakesinLondon Theatre Royal Winchester 2025
Picture below: Raeph Mukoko, Constellations, Theatre Royal Winchester 2024
Congratulations!
You have gained an audition and interview for our BA (Hons) Acting Programme in the School of Creative Performance and Production at the University of Winchester.
Due to the high level of demand for our courses, we take great care in the selection of students who we believe can meet the standards required, and who will make a positive contribution to their year group and the wider University.
Your interview/audition is an opportunity for you to introduce yourself, demonstrate your potential and discuss your passion for the subject. It is also your chance to see if the programme and the University provide the environment you are looking for to support your aspirations. The exact timings of the interviews will depend on the number of applicants attending. The timings of interviews will be confirmed before the Programme presentations.
Though we encourage you to attend an in-person audition so that you can get a feel for the environment at Winchester, for those candidates who require it we offer online auditions/interviews via Microsoft Teams, following submission of two pre-recorded audition speeches. Your interview discussion is important in that it will help you to get a sense of how we work so that you are able to make an informed choice about your choice of Programme, in addition to your audition via video submission. Online interviews are arranged between the tutor(s) and the applicant, and they will take place at a mutually agreed time.
Please note that the workshops and interviews are for candidates only. Parents are welcome to talk to staff, use the facilities in the University Centre and take the campus tour with current students.
The University will hold Experience Winchester Open Days in February and March which offer the opportunity to meet staff and students and include guided tours of the outstanding facilities and award winning accommodation. Alternatively, Campus Tours are held throughout the year, guided by a current student who is able to answer any questions you may have about student life at the University of Winchester. These are available on many days throughout the year and are booked in advance on the University of Winchester website.
Good luck and we hope you have a great day with us!
Please scan the QR code to book onto an Experience Winchester Day
Audition schedule*
TIME EVENT BUILDING
12.30-12.45 Registration and Refreshments
12:45-13:05 Campus Tour
13:05-3:25 Welcome Talk and Q&A with Current Students
AUDITIONS:
13.30-14.30 Group Workshop
14.30-15.30 Monologue Auditions
15.30-16.00 Small Group Interviews
The Stripe
Paul Chamberlain Building
Paul Chamberlain Building
Paul Chamberlain Building
Paul Chamberlain Building
* This schedule is based on our standard audition format for Wednesday afternoons from January to March each year. Your experience may be slightly revised depending on the particular session you attend.
No audition fee!
The School of Creative Production and Performance does not charge applicants a fee for interview/audition as we wish the experience to be as stress-free and rewarding as possible.
Car parking
We regret we are unable to offer parking on campus. You are advised to park in the Park & Ride or city centre car parks.
winchester.gov.uk/ parking/park-and-ride
Online auditions
If you would prefer an online audition, once we have received your application you will need to send in your audition tapes to SOCPP.Admin@winchester.ac.uk
You should record and send video links to two contrasting speeches, as per the instructions under ‘Monologues’on p.8 of this brochure. Once we have received your tapes the Programme Leader or a member of the Course Team will contact you to arrange an online interview. If you receive an offer via our online audition process, you are encouraged to visit us for one of our Open Days or Applicant Days if you would like to meet with staff and current students to get a feel for the supportive, creative environment here at Winchester.
Pictured: Constellations, Theatre Royal Winchester 2024
Pictured: Shrewish Women, created by Second Year BA Acting Students and performed at Winchester Hatfair, 2024.
Why Winchester?
I’m so grateful [for] the opportunities this course has given me. It has given me hope and direction for my future.
3rd Year Exit Survey, Class of 2025
The lecturers have always pushed us to be our [. . .] authentic selves and to believe in our work.
3rd Year Exit Survey, Class of 2025
The pressure gifted to us through the workload has pushed me in such a positive manner that [. . .] I feel ready as an individual to approach the first steps of my career now’
3rd Year Exit Survey, Class of 2025
The following pages contain some information on what to prepare for your audition, what to expect on the day, as well as answers to a few frequently asked questions.
Poster design for our 2025 production of in Mike Bartlett’s EarthquakesinLondon
Poster design for our 2023 production of Nick Payne’s Constellations
Poster design for our 2023 Production of
Pictured above: Tilly Bartlett in EarthquakesinLondon, Theatre Royal Winchester, May 2025
Pictured above: James McInally Smith and Freddie Scott EarthquakesinLondon, Theatre Royal Winchester, May 2025
Pictured above: Lily Burke and Mabee Dukuly, EarthquakesinLondon Theatre Royal Winchester, May 2025
Stef Smith’s Nora
BA (Hons) Acting audition details
The group workshop audition process is a chance for you to demonstrate your collaborative skills and willingness to work with others: this is a vital skill for studying acting. The individual monologues audition is where you have an opportunity to share some contrasting pieces that help us to see your versatility and understand what kind of work interests you.
Group workshop
Following the introductory talk your audition and interview process will begin. Firstly, you will take part in a group workshop. This enables us to see how you work imaginatively and creatively with others. You do not have to prepare anything for this part, although please wear clothes and shoes in which you can move easily.
Monologues
Secondly, you will then perform your audition speeches to the audition panel. Please prepare two speeches/pieces for performance. One of these should be from a classical verse text (Greek, Elizabethan, Jacobean, Restoration etc.) and the other should be from EITHER a contemporary text (1956-present day) OR you can opt to create a 2 minute piece of your own making (any performance form). Please ensure that these are no longer than two minutes each in duration and ensure that your speeches contrast: we want to see your range as a performer.
Interview
Finally, you will be interviewed. Our interviews take the form of seminar-style discussions. A member of the acting staff team will speak with a group of 2- 4 candidates for about 20 minutes. It is a very good idea to spend some time preparing for this interview, perhaps with your teachers or friends. You might be asked about plays and practitioners you have studied, performances you have seen and projects you have undertaken yourself. We are looking for evidence of passion, enthusiasm, and engagement with the craft. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the course.
• We want to see your willingness to collaborate and potential for working as part of an ensemble
• We want to understand your potential as a performer, especially your willingness to respond to direction.
• We want to get to know you a little and understand something of your passion for studying Acting and creating performance work.
Pictured above: Second Year students rehearsing for EverythingisFine, a devised work about ecology and ‘big oil’.
Pictured above: EarthquakesinLondon, Theatre Royal Winchester, 2025
Pictured above: Amie Johnson and Billy Saunders in Constellations, Theatre Royal Winchester 2024
Contacts
Thank you for applying. If you have any questions about the interview day or about the university, please contact:
BA (HONS) ACTING PROGRAMME LEADER
Dr Marianne Sharp: Marianne.Sharp@winchester.ac.uk
DEPARTMENT OFFICE
SOCPP.Admin@winchester.ac.uk
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Dr Helen Grime
School of Creative Production and Performance helen.grime@winchester.ac.uk
Pictured above: Classes in our Performing Arts Studios
Pictured above: Courtenay Sutton in EarthquakesinLondon, Theatre Royal Winchester 2025
UoWPerformingArtsDepartment @winchbaacting