How Do You Solve a Problem Like Auditions?!

When I heard that Andrew Lloyd Webber had sunk to the depths of Reality TV in order to find a star for his next West End venture I have to admit I may have uttered the words ‘bloody reality television’ and ‘what a stupid idea’ in the same sentence! So, why did I find myself outside Wembley Conference Centre at 6.30am on Saturday May 13th 2006? I suppose part of me was totally intrigued. Having never auditioned for your Pop Idols, X Factors or I’m Not a Celebrity; Make Me One I couldn’t miss the opportunity to find out what really goes on behind the scenes. As well as this I have to admit to being a complete superstar wannabe! Well, if the Cheeky Girls can do it!

In case you haven’t yet heard the hype (and believe me if you haven’t now, you will come this summer when the show is aired on the BBC!) Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘talent search’ is in aid of finding an unknown to play Maria in his new version of the Sound of Music which opens on London’s West End in December. The auditions were open to females, amateur and professional, over the age of 17 who could convincingly play a twenty year old Maria. Speaking to The Stage newspaper, Lord Lloyd Webber stated: “We are looking for a very young Maria’ and he insisted that there would be no Simon Cowell type gibes!

My friend and I arrived at Wembley Conference Centre at 6.30am after a 4.30am start and I decided at that moment that I must be completely bonkers! Nevertheless, I was extremely pleased to be one of the first ten in the queue which gradually got longer and longer! I prayed that it wasn’t going to rain while I searched for the cameras that would get me spotted! I was, however, disappointed at the lack of cameras/TV crew/talent scouts/famous people! The event was much more low-key than I imagined. Having expected men dressed as nuns, people singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ into the cameras, celebrity tantrums and attitudes, I was in for a surprise.

They started letting us all in at about 8.15am, taking us into the holding area for about half an hour (numbered sticker included!) before being hoarded to the area outside the room where we would be seen by a casting director. It was all rather surreal; 3 hours of waiting for 3 minutes in the audition room, but then that’s the business I guess, and there’s not one like it! Having already prepared two songs of our own choice we were asked to sing one of them and then we were asked to sing a song from the show itself. Sadly, I wasn’t one of the lucky few to be selected but the experience itself was worth the trip! I’m not speaking for everyone else, as I’ve no doubt auditions varied from person to person, location to location but the experience makes you realise that television is indeed an extremely clever medium and not all is as it seems! All in all though it was a great experience, there was a nice atmosphere; a feeling of unity between the auditionees and I didn’t bump into any Simon Cowells or Nasty Nigels along the way (wipes brow!)

Donna Poynton
Theatre Editor