Drama and theatre studies 2026 personal statement guide

As well as cultural references and critiques, and a sense of who you are, admissions tutors want you to be clear about the type of course you're applying for (especially the balance of practice and theory) and to write a personal statement that flows logically and is as engaging as possible. And here's how to prepare that all-important audition piece.

General advice about writing your personal statement

What do admissions staff at universities, colleges, and conservatoires want to see?

Guidance and examples you can use

Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?  

This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities, colleges, and conservatoires why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions. 

Examples: 

• Professor Anna Furse, Head of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London, advises applicants for her course to avoid saying things like 'I simply love to perform and want to be a musical star'. 'It's fine to have a passion to perform', she says, 'but think also about why you want a university degree and tell us about this’.
• Admissions tutors also ask for ‘Genuine enthusiasm for drama, along with evidence that you've studied or read beyond the curriculum’. Whether you’ve enjoyed Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones, or the original one-woman play of Fleabag, think about plays you’ve seen or read and explain how they’ve ignited your passion for drama and theatre studies.
• If you can, articulate your career aspirations and how your degree will help you gain the experience, knowledge, and skills to help you prepare for it.
• Professor Furse also advises applicants to be clear about whether they’re looking for a course with a practice-theory ethos at an interdisciplinary university like hers, or a more practical course at a conservatoire or drama school. 'It’s fine to apply to both,' she says, 'but simply be aware and don’t write too generically’.

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject? 

This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area. 

Examples: 

• Focus on your most recent and relevant creative experiences. If you’re applying for a practical course, can you reference work you’ve done in your theatres studies or performing arts at school and the skills you picked up?
• Think how studying English or law, for example, has helped develop your analytical and critical skills, and how these will help you on your course.
• Talk about the skills gained from your critical and creative experiences, both within and outside your studies, or how you feel you’ve benefited from them. Think outside the box if you need to – giving presentations in any subject and receiving feedback can inform future acting work you do.
• Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest? 

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.

Examples:

• Think how any positions of authority, charity work, employment, hobbies or other relevant activities have benefited your development, or their relationship to drama and theatre studies.
• Talk about any amateur productions you’ve been involved in outside of school and what you learned from them, including the technical aspects of a production.
• Maybe you enjoy writing short stories or scripts, or you’ve sent an idea to a producer you love, and received a written reply. How can you show you have a flair for storytelling or the audacity to put yourself forward for things?
• Don’t forget about things like sports, school councils, or even coming from a large family – you can use all of these to demonstrate your teamwork and communications skills.

How to set yourself apart

The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?

For Professor Furse’s practice-based course at an inter-disciplinary university,, she’s interested in applicants who are looking for a broader education in the range of creative, technical, and intellectual skills that will prepare them for a wide range of careers in the performing arts. For any course you apply for, relate how your particular personality and experience is suited to it.

Think about your life experiences, how they’ve shaped you and what qualities you can therefore bring to your drama or theatre studies course. If you have cared for a parent or sibling, you’ll have a lot of empathy, which can be useful when taking on a character role. Maybe your background has made you very culturally aware and you feel this is something which will inform your drama work. Or maybe changes in your family or school circumstances have meant you’re very adaptable, a key skill for any theatre studies student.

Some more tips to consider

1. Structure: Your personal statement should be as engaging as possible, making the reader want to read on and show you can articulate your ideas in a succinct but interesting way. Check punctuation, grammar, spelling, and syntax carefully too.
2. Relate it to your skillset: Get the right balance between subject-specific material and outside interests, which Nick Strong suggests should ideally be 75% / 25%. 
3. Examples of your relevant skills: Describe situations where you’ve demonstrated relevant skills like good communication or teamwork, adaptability and creativity, character development or the technical aspects of theatre production.
4. Research the course: Why do you want to study drama and theatre studies, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply? 
5. Transferable skills: Whether through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience or a part-time job, you’ll have lots of skills that will be relevant to your course. If you’ve learned a musical instrument or gained a lifeguard qualification, these show you have commitment, self-motivation and good time management.

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