RADA Recall

Yay, I get to talk about RADA again. I was so damn excited for my recall - and very nervous! I got there nice and early - and I wasn't on the list. WHAT?

I was told to go over to Chenies St with the others and one of the graduates went to find out why I wasn't listed. I felt like a lost puppy as I waved around my printed email with the date on it. She returned to tell me that I had been expected to turn up the day before despite what it said on my email. At this point, I was supposed to audition according to the email, 90 minutes ago.

I was the last to be seen and went in to find 5 examiners - including the Head of Acting. Nerve-racking or what? But I just couldn't contain my excitement. They laughed at the mishap of the dates and asked me loads of questions. Why did I want to act? When did I first know I wanted to act? What is acting? What else do I do other than acting? What do I want to do?

I could not stop talking. I was being myself. I explained to them that growing up, I never thought that acting could be a career path as it wasn't taught as a subject, and that it was only last year that I realised I would be unhappy doing anything else for the rest of my life. Just be yourself, and show them how excited you are to be there.

I did my speeches and was very happy when they giggled again at the modern. They asked where I had found the play "Last Chance Romance" by Sam Bobrick. I explained how it was American (though I perform it as an Essex chav) and I had stumbled across the last copy in Foyles after hours of monologue hunting. They said that it was obviously meant to be and I agreed. It was nice that they shared by views.

I was asked to perform my third monologue for the first time, which was Lady M "Yet here's a spot". Despite its reputation of being overused, I felt confident because of my blocking and interpretation. I was also asked to sing. Don't feel like you have to do a song from a musical - I didn't. I sang Picking Up The Pieces by Paloma Faith but slowed it down and added my own.

I'm telling you now, I am not a good singer, but I can carry a tune. The acoustics in this massive room were so amazing! And while I was singing, all I could think to myself was bloody hell I actually sound good!

Rehearse singing to yourself in the mirror. They want to be able to see that you can act while singing as well as if you have a trainable voice or not. 

As I turned to pick up my stuff, the panel member on the end who had been silent up until this point mentioned to me that I had said the wrong word in my Portia monologue. I expressed that my complete works of Shakespeare had the 'incorrect' word printed, to which he turned to the other members and they agreed with me and told him it was interchangeable. We were both right, but I now felt that he hated me. Hahaha.

I came out with the same feeling as the preliminary - refreshed, happy and beyond excited. I couldn't stop smiling. And then 11 days later, a letter came through to tell me I was through to the third round. Still awaiting my date.