Book reviews: Successful Auditions – The Complete Guide by Annie Tyson

Every year I get asked by a handful of my students how to apply for drama school. Although the number of students is small, their questions are big, as the application process is so different to the channels most other students go through. What audition pieces should they pick? Which schools are the best? Which do you need to apply through UCAS for, which don't you? What Shakespeare piece are they most suited to? Can they alter the gender in the modern piece? And so on. And quite often the final question is, can you convince my parents, as they think I'll never get a job if I become an actor! This is where Annie Tyson's book comes in.

Getting into drama school is notoriously difficult – more difficult in some cases than medicine courses. There are thousands of applicants for a mere handful of places. Last year 4,000 people applied for RADA for just 19 places, so the odds are stacked against most young aspiring actors. Tyson's book aims to help students with all of this, from auditioning for Drama school, to preparing and working on your speeches, to the audition itself. But what is also helpful about this book is the realisation that post-pandemic, many first-round auditions are now being held online, or students will be required to create a self-tape, and there is also a useful chapter on how to best navigate this.

The latter chapters also focus on television and film as well as preparing for professional life and applying for roles once you've left your chosen institution, so it's a thorough exploration of all areas of an actor's career and training too. There is even a section that I think would be useful for parents, which explains which schools specialise in which areas and which you need to apply through UCAS for.

The book is a bit long-winded at times, with some advice being fairly obvious, like getting a good night's sleep before an audition, but on the whole it is very detailed. I will be directing my students towards it when they come and ask their questions, as Tyson provides industry-specific, detailed answers. Tyson is clear that her advice in this book does not guarantee a place at Drama school and she also provides useful comments about applying later in life. The book features testimonials from students who have applied and failed several times to get a place which is a really good voice to hear from.