Lights, camera, showbiz! Two local theatre kids are jetting off to the UK to fulfil their dreams of becoming professional actors after after countless hours of preparations, flights up to the UK, hard work and determination. But, before they do that, they’ll be sharing everything they’ve prepared during a night of musical numbers that will have you bouncing in your seat.

Meet Yandrick Agius and Martina Cuschieri, two students who have a passion for theatre and one common goal: to audition abroad and get into a prestigious musical theatre university. I sat down with Yandrick and Martina to learn more about their experience and what lead them here.

“Auditioning is a hectic process with a lot of preparation involved,” they say. Yandrick and Martina have auditioned for various schools abroad and have both been accepted to their desired schools. #YAS. But before the celebrations began, they had to go through the daunting, yet thrilling aspect of auditioning abroad.

“Many schools aren’t looking for a finished product but for potential, someone who, with their training, can become a professional” Yandrick explains. “An audition is literally someone sat at a table with papers with all your details and things you’ve given in about yourself, essentially judging you and your abilities.”

He explains that each audition is different, some of which involve meeting the other auditionees and watching them work during their audition, while others would be just individual appointments, always showcasing what you’ve prepared. Quite the nerve-wracking situation!

“Auditioning involves a lot of emotion and planning,” they admit. “You’ve got the stress of preparing pieces, getting them organised and practicing them enough until your ultimate potential shines through.” It also involved planning logistics like flights, trains, accommodation and the works as well as balancing their current studies. “It’s a matter of focusing on one thing at a time.”

Their journey so far

“Whilst Malta is so great with so much going on, and offering different opportunities, there isn’t a cohesive way of honing all the skills of musical theatre,” Yandrick says. “It is possible to get to a professional level in Malta, but when it also involves prospectively branching into industries abroad, you need a full-time vocational training, which is not available yet.”

So, their decision to apply and audition abroad stemmed from there. They began piecing their schedules together, slotting in a dance class, or a singing or acting tutorial when they could, while also balancing academia. “We had the same tutors and attended the same dance classes, and each free hour we had we’d spend together, preparing for whatever we had next.”

The auditions

After so much preparation, it was time to fly to the UK. “You go in not knowing what to expect,” they say, this having been a first for both of them. “It was very much a situation of ‘what in the world do I do?” Yandrick says. Martina goes on to say that her first audition was really intimidating. “So many talented people were turned down and only a select few were recalled. However, it was a positive experience and I learnt a lot from it.”

The talented duo practically did everything together, even preparing for auditions. “We watched a billion and one videos of people talking about their audition process at the schools we were trying for, and we even wrote notes about them! The research was our safety net to know what to expect (roughly, obviously), as opposed to going in blind.”

A night of musicals

Yandrick and Martina prepared a number of musicals for their auditions that the walls of their bedrooms (and their tutor’s ears) are sick of hearing. So, they decided to organise a night of musicals showcasing what they’ve been practicing for over a year. The event ‘Side by Side’ is all about their audition journey and friendship. “We’ve done everything ‘side by side’ as cheesy as it sounds,” Yandrick says.

“The concert will be a performance of some of our auditions songs, as well as a number of stories that came along with the experiences. We’ve even thrown in a few of our favourite duets,” Martina teased. “We’d love to share our passion for musical theatre, as well as fundraising for the upcoming three years of studying and living in the UK that we’ve got ahead of us." The talented duo will also be accompanied by John Cutajar on piano for the evening.

Showcasing favourites such as songs from A Star is Born, Moulin Rouge, Waitress and more, Side By Side will be held on 17^th August at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta at 8.30pm. Tickets are being sold at just €10 and can be reserved on [email protected]. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.