"It’s hard to overstate the quality of GMT’s output: their fearless artistic choices and innovative ideas are supported by excellent execution" - Glasgow Theatre Blog
What sorts of shows do you do?
Our goal is to stage shows which are rarely performed by amateur companies due to cast size, difficulty or because they aren't well known. When we do perform popular shows, we cast them in the style of a West End or touring company, with a small ensemble supporting the principals so every cast member has loads to do and is treated like a principal.
How do you choose your shows?
It's a mixture of what we think our audience wants to see, what will challenge us, and what excites our creative teams. We love hearing suggestions from cast members and audiences for shows that they'd like to do and see. We try to make sure there's something for everyone within a season.
How do I join GMT?
You don't need to! We don't have membership. If you see us advertise a show you'd like to be in, just sign up to audition. You don't need to be a member of the company first or pay a membership fee, or do a new members' audition. Auditions are advertised on our website, on Facebook and in our e-newsletter which you can sign up for using the box above.
Why don't you have membership?
A lot of amateur groups will guarantee you a place on stage once you have been accepted into the group. In order to produce the variety of shows we do, we have to cast our shows from scratch every time and this means not everyone who wants a part will get into every show. Some people are primarily singers or dancers and therefore will be more suited to certain shows.
How much does it cost?
For our very small-scale shows we will sometimes ask for a £10 cast contribution from those who are successful. We also ask cast members to source certain costume items. We never charge an audition fee. We believe that if you give us your time to show us what you've got, you shouldn't have to pay for the privilege.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it expensive? How do I join? Am I good enough? We're asked these questions a lot, along with many others, so read on to find out the answers to everything you ever wanted to ask about GMT and how we work...
Do I have to sell a minimum number of tickets?
Absolutely not! We feel this sort of policy would penalise people new to Glasgow, or people whose friends don't like theatre. We ask everyone to commit to helping to sell the show in a variety of ways. People who struggle to sell tickets help with the marketing and press for the show instead.
What are your auditions like?
Really good fun! Or at least that's what we've been told. We usually hold an audition information evening which is an opportunity to learn more about the production, the parts and the auditions, to collect audition pieces, and sign up for an audition slot. This is a great opportunity to meet the production team, other potential members of the cast and ask questions about the audition material. Auditions for dance musicals are workshop style, which isn’t as scary as it sounds! We teach you a dance in a big group, and hear you sing in groups and on your own. You work on dialogue you’ve prepared in pairs/groups and we swap you around to hear you read different parts. The auditions last about 3 hours and we make sure you leave that audition room feeling like you've been given the opportunity to do your best. Small-scale shows will often be the more traditional style of preparing songs and dialogue for a first round audition with a workshop-style callback.
What are your rehearsals like?
Really hard work! For a dance musical we will do intensive warmups and corner work at the start of rehearsals to develop technique before the choreography even starts. Music rehearsals require tremendous concentration to stay focused on complex part singing. Rehearsals are fast-paced and we expect you to spend time away from rehearsals practising songs and dances and we help with this by providing mp3s of vocal lines and videos of the choreography.
I don't think I'm good enough to get in.
Have a go! You might surprise yourself. Our production teams are interested in finding the right person for the part and developing potential talent. They don't care about loyalty to GMT, ticket sales potential, or previous roles. It's a popular misconception that people who don't get the part they want "weren't good enough" when it's usually because they didn't suit a part.
I can sing, but I can't dance.
Not all shows we do require everyone to dance, but if you would like to improve your dancing in preparation for GMT auditions then get along to our partner dance school Dance Glasgow, run by choreographer Marion Baird, and try out some classes in Jazz technique or Broadway.
I can dance, but I can't sing.
You're probably better than you think you are. Very few people are "tone-deaf". Most people just need confidence and a bit of training, which we offer as part of the rehearsal process. Over the years a couple of people have asked to drop out of GMT shows because they found the singing so difficult. But with encouragement and support from the production team, they stuck it out and became stronger singers belting out harmonies with good technique and confidence.
I'm a dancer/singer, but I've never really done any acting.
We take the term "triple-threat" very seriously at GMT. We place just as much emphasis on developing characterisation as we do on singing and dancing. GMT is a very supportive environment to develop as an actor. Time and attention is given to each individual character, so that performers can create, explore and develop with the help of experienced and trained actors within the company.
I'm only interested in principal roles. Will that affect my chances?
Definitely not. We know there are a lot of opportunities to perform in shows in Glasgow and we want people to be happy working on our shows so if you don't want to be considered for the ensemble, just say and we won't hold it against you. We'd encourage you to really consider it though. Our casts are so small that there's never any sitting around and the ensemble will often have the most to do. In terms of developing your dancing or harmony singing, there's no better place than the ensemble.
There are lots of amateur companies in Glasgow. What's so special about GMT?
The main difference between GMT and other amateur companies is the training offered as part of the rehearsal process. We work towards developing long-term technique in the company. Anyone who is struggling, or just wants to improve can have one-to-one sessions with the production team to work on dance technique or to have individual singing lessons. Anyone involved in a GMT show receives a discount at our partner dance school, Dance Glasgow so you can get into training in advance of auditions and build on your technique away from rehearsals.
