FAQs

How many people get through each round?

A normal live round will see 4 contestants go through to the next round - this is 3 by judge selection and 1 by audience vote! Occasionally in bigger heats, judges may put an extra contestant through.



Can a parent come into the room for the audition?

Nope! Our auditions are set up exactly like a professional audition so contestants can experience what this is like, therefore we ask parents to wait in the waiting room next door. Friends and family have plenty of other opportunities to watch in future rounds!



When do we find out the result of the audition?

After your audititon, you will recieve an email with your written feedback and results within a week.



What if someone has the same song as me?

This happens all the time in the industry - don't worry! In the heats and semi-finals, we do allow duplicates of songs, however we always let contestants know if someone else is singing the same song to give the option to change. In the Grand Final, we do not allow duplicates and it is first come, first served, so make sure you get your choice in ASAP!



If I bring more than one song, will I get to sing them all?

It's always good to be over-prepared and it never hurts to bring more than one song into an audition. In this competition, we only require one song per round so there is no need to bring more!



What happens if I forget my words?

EVERYONE gets nervous! If you forget your words, the best thing to do is to keep going. Most of the time the audience won't even notice so keep in character and sing whichever words come to your head whether that means singing a different verse or making up some words. Just keep going!



Why do we have to pay a deposit?

The deposit of £30 is required at the audition. If you are unsuccesful, you will have the money transferred back to you within a week of your audition. If you are successful, we will hold onto it until you leave the competition. If you turn up and bring 5 people to see each round you are in, you will recieve the full deposit back. If you don't then we will only keep the deposit and you can continue in the competition! The reason we have to have a deposit is to ensure we can cover our cost of the venues and staff throughout the competition. We want to be as transparent about the cost of the competition as possible, so if you have any questions, please do drop us an email.



How much does it cost to enter the competition?

Entry to the competition is just £15 which you pay when you sign up. The only other cost for the contestant is the £30 deposit which most people recieve back when they leave the competiton. Other than this, audience members can buy tickets to the live heats for £10. We want to be as transparent about the cost of the competition as possible, so if you have any questions, please do drop us an email.



Why should I enter the competiton?

There is simply nothing else out there like us. The opportunities we provide are unique and we will always give you an experience you won't forget. We have seen so many young performers gain confidence and skills in such a short space of time and will continue to support every contestant, past and present. You will not regret being a part of this competition!



How old do you have to be to take part?

As long as you are under 22 on the day of your audition, you can take part. We don't have a younger age limit, our youngest contestant has been 7 up until now!



Can I repeat a song in different round?

You will need a different song for the heat and the semi-final but can repeat songs from the audition and for the Grand Final.



Do we need to stay with our child if they are under 16?

Once you leave your child with us at the beginning of a round, they will be looked after by our DBS checked chaperones until you get them back at the end. If they have any problems, there are always lots of people around who can help and of course we will have your contact details if we need them! It's only different for the audition as the parent/guardian needs to be there because the child is only with us for 5 minutes!



Can I use a backing track?

No. At West End Calling we want to give an accurate experience of a professional audition which means you need to bring in sheet music for your chosen song with any cuts marked in for our pianist!



Why do we have to pay for an audition?

People sometimes ask why we charge a £10 audition fee as in professional auditions, you should never pay. This is absolutely true that you shouldn't pay for a professional audition, but the answer here is: West End Calling isn't a professional audition. It is an opportunity for a realistic audition experience in a friednly and supportive setting. We give you the chance to have a replica audition where industry professionals can give you feedback on how you come across and what to work on. This means that when the time comes for you to do an actual audition, you won't make simple mistakes and you'll be able to give it your best shot!



How long should the song be for each round?

For the audition, you will need to cut down your song to about 1.30. In professional auditioins, panels only ask for this 'audition cut' as it is usually enough to hear what your voice is like and to see how you perform. It's good practice to be able to cut your music and our panel can help advice on choosing the best sections. For other rounds, we ask songs to be about 3.00 minutes long. *When cutting music, you want to mark on the music in pen or pencil where you want to cut from and to, and explain this to the pianist when you first get into the room!



Is the competition split into age categories?

YES! Every round is split into groups so you'll always be grouped with people similar to your age. We have 2 Grand Finals - The Junior Final and The Senior Final!