This week on the Simon Morris
blog, I ask; will an education in musical theatre actually get you that role on
a West End stage you’ve been dreaming about since you were a kid.
It’s Extremely Hard to Get a Role in the West End
You don’t have to be a musical
theatre expert, Simon Morris readers, to know that it is monumentally hard to
break into the West End.
It’s a simple matter of
mathematics. There are only a handful of roles for a large number of
applicants. That is why most people assume that a first class education in
musical theatre will give you the edge to outshine your competition and get the
role of your dreams.
Only 2.6% of Musical Theatre Graduates Work in West End in First Five
Years
But is this the case? This week I
came across a fascinating article on The
Stage that revealed that only 2.6% of jobs taken by top musical theatre
graduates in their first five years actually see them land on a West End Stage.
According to the online
publication, this finding came from research commissioned by Drama UK and
carried out by Jane Dietch, a casting director.
It went on to show that out of the almost 500 performing arts jobs that
were taken by musical theatre graduates who had been studying a three year
course in 2013, a mere 13 were for roles in the West End.
Where are Musical Theatre Graduates Getting Jobs?
The figures went on to show that
13 jobs were provided to graduates from the larger theatre companies. These
include the National Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Donmar
Warehouse.
Meanwhile 3.4% of jobs (17) were
given to graduates by regional theatres, whilst 4.6% (23), were provided by
commercial tours. Yet the largest proportion of jobs given to graduates (26%)
were for roles in cabaret, pantomime, events, cruises concerts etc. whilst the
second largest proportion (20%) were
provided by Off-West End and fringe work.
You Have to Work Your Way Up
So will an education get you a West End role; eventually. However what these figures show, Simon Morris readers, is that you have to work your way up. If you want to be successful in any industry, you have to pay your dues and gain experience before graduating to the big leagues.