Online Auditions
A remote audition, reviewed by the West End Kids Directors. The route into West End Kids for performers who cannot attend a London Workshop, or whose families prefer to be assessed remotely first.
£15. Submission window open year-round.
The Standard
Selective by design, regardless of route
West End Kids is not a stage school. It is an audition-only training and performance company, founded in 2001, with twenty-five years of alumni outcomes to evidence what consistent training at this level produces.
West End Kids alumni currently perform in West End, Broadway, and international productions, including Aladdin, Dear Evan Hansen, Evita, Heathers, Les Misérables, Matilda, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked, among others. Alumni also work as pop stars – including Dua Lipa – and in Hollywood, including stunt performer Selina Jessey. West End Kids is also a recognised route into leading UK and American performing arts colleges.
The self-tape Audition is held to the same assessment standard as the in-person Workshop. It is not a lighter route. It is reviewed by the same Directors, against the same criteria. Not every audition results in an offer of a place. That is the point of an honest assessment.
The Submission
What we ask performers to submit
The self-tape Audition is a short, focused submission. Performers send two pieces, filmed simply at home:
- A vocal piece. Sixteen to thirty-two bars of an age-appropriate song. Sung with a piano backing track or unaccompanied. We are listening for story-telling, tone, pitch, phrasing, and musicality - not for production polish.
- A dance piece. At least 1 minute of MT jazz choreography of the performer's choice. We are watching for coordination, focus, and energy.
A simple phone camera is sufficient. We do not require professional lighting, professional editing, or a backing track studio. A clear video, audible sound, and a performer who has prepared properly is what we are looking for.
Detailed filming and submission guidance is sent within twenty-four hours of payment. Most families film and submit within a week.
What we are watching for
Beyond the two pieces, we are watching for the same things we watch for in the Workshop room: how a performer handles being assessed, and whether they have prepared rather than improvised. Do they love what they do?
Talent is a starting condition. Disposition is what allows training to compound. Both come through on a self-tape more clearly than parents expect.
The Route
What happens after each submission.
Each submission is reviewed personally by the West End Kids Directors. We aim to respond within seven days.
There are three possible outcomes:
- An invitation to the next stage. Where the assessment supports it, performers are invited onto the relevant programme - most commonly WEK: Training, Associates or Summer Intensive or, for performers ready, West End Kids Troupe.
- An invitation to attend a Workshop. Where the self-tape suggests promise but in-person assessment would help, we recommend a Workshop as the next step.
- No invitation at this time. Where the standard is not yet met, we will say so honestly. The route remains open at a future point, as readiness develops.
Esme Rothero first joined West End Kids through a Workshop, then moved through WEK: Training before reaching Troupe. She is now a leading lady in the West End (Six). Other performers reached WEK: Training via the self-tape route. Both routes lead to the same standards once inside the Company.
Practical Details
The Audition in practical terms
- Fee: £15.
- Submission window: open year-round.
- Ages: 9–18.
- What you submit: vocal, dance pieces, filmed at home.
- Equipment: a phone camera is sufficient.
- Guidance: detailed filming and submission notes sent within twenty-four hours of payment.
- Response time: within seven days of submission.
- After the Audition: a private outcome from the West End Kids Directors, with our honest view of the suitable next step.
