For the third year in a row, Emil Dale Academy welcomed a Cameron Mackintosh casting team into the college to work with its third-year BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students.
The session gave students the chance to perform directly for casting professionals whose work spans some of the most influential productions in British theatre, including Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, Oliver! and Hamilton in the West End.
Each student presented a solo song to the panel, replicating the structure and pressure of a professional first-round audition. Alongside this, students took part in an open Q&A, discussing audition preparation, presentation, and what casting teams are genuinely responding to when performers walk into the room.
Throughout the workshop, the casting team commented not just on vocal ability, but on how confidently students presented their work, how clearly they communicated intention, and how effectively they told a story through song. These were repeatedly highlighted as qualities that can elevate an audition beyond solid technique.
The return visit followed clear outcomes from the previous workshops. After last year's session, several students were invited into further West End audition rounds while still in training. Among them was Dan Hand, who was subsequently brought into the audition process for Oliver! and went on to be cast as a swing in the West End company before graduating.
Since that initial workshop, BA graduates introduced to the casting team through Emil Dale Academy have continued to be welcomed into casting rooms for major productions, allowing professional relationships to develop early. Following this year’s visit, current third-year students have already begun receiving invitations into casting rooms with the team, marking the next step in that ongoing pathway into the industry.
The repeat visits reflect Emil Dale Academy’s approach to training: placing students in front of real industry decision-makers, setting professional expectations early, and ensuring graduates leave equipped to walk into audition rooms with confidence and clarity.
