How to star in a West End Musical?

Question

I can sing, and im a fairyly good actor. I know i need 2 have dance lessons but how can i go from being a singing, daning actress, to a west end star?

How should i go about it?

By the way, im 15

Answer 1

The West End is not a closed shop anymore.  You don't have to be an Equity member to get a role.  What you would benefit from though, is training.  As far as I am aware, most young people appearing in West End Shows go to one of the children's acting schools and have agents to represent them.  When you are old enough, you can apply for Drama School.  Most have musical theatre courses which will start you on your way.  Have a look at the National Council for Drama Training Website.  On the Student pages, there is a wealth of information.  Good Luck.

Answer 2

London's West End is as closed a shop as New York's Broadway.  You have to be a member of the union -- British Equity -- and it is more difficult to get into than American Equity.  Without your Equity card, you won't even be allowed in the door past the monitor.  At 15, the best thing you can do is to continue to hone your craft; take those dance lessons; and try to audition for a company that has an internship program.  After completing the internship, you'll have points enough for your card.

Answer 3

You're the perfect age to start seriously.

Audition for all the performing arts colleges - read programmes from the kind of shows you see yourself in. In their bios, most of the cast say where they trained. Google the names of the colleges, call or email them for a prospectus and application form. Auditions cost money, sadly, about £30 each plus travel expenses. Different colleges ask for different things, but you should generally prepare a 1:30 minute dance, two songs - up tempo and ballad, a modern monologue, and a Shakespearean one to cover your bases. Competition is steep, but remember that everyone is auditioning everywhere, so there aren't really as many competing students-to-be as there seem. And don't give up - a lot of places want 18 year olds, and may reject you purely on the basis of age, hoping you'll come back in a couple of years.

Once you're into one of these places, you're spending 3 years on becoming a professional. In the third year you're auditioning for shows and agents, and probably have your Equity card. Equity isn't really all that important when it comes to getting work, but they do a lot of work protecting you once you have it.

May I humbly suggest, to start with:

Mountview

Arts Educational

Performers'

Bird College

Guildford School of Acting

Stella Mann College

Laine Theatre Arts

And good luck. If you must break a leg, make sure it isn't your own...