Musical Theatre BA(Hons)

You’ll build core skills in all disciplines, developing your vocal capabilities and learning how you use your body as a tool to tell stories. 

You’ll also explore specific techniques to extend your range of skills in singing and dance alongside character development and text analysis. 

Modules

Movement & Singing: Foundational Techniques 

In this practice-based module, you’ll develop an understanding of how to challenge and develop your vocal and physical capabilities. You’ll participate in regular vocal and movement/dance classes to build the skills that are essential to the musical theatre performer.  

Histories & Contexts of Musical Theatre 

In this module, you’ll develop a foundational knowledge and understanding of musical theatre history. Through a series of lectures and seminars, you’ll be introduced to a range of seminal works and genres that are significant to the contextual and cultural development of musical theatre.  

Acting & Voice: Foundational Skills 

In this module, you’ll explore a range of story-telling modes and practices, which will enable you to deploy the practices of body, voice, language, imagination, live presence and, where appropriate, direct address, to create impactful performance for an audience. You’ll also consider the relationship of character to action and will develop narratives via a process of research, improvisation and rehearsal. 

Dance & Movement: Core Skills 

In this module, you’ll explore a range of dance and movement techniques that are essential to the musical theatre performer. Through classes including Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Body Conditioning, you’ll gain a fundamental understanding of posture, placement and strength and an awareness of musicality, style and performance techniques. You’ll also establish a critical understanding of key musical theatre contexts and practitioners.  

Singing & Voice: Core Skills 

In this module, you’ll work towards a grounded theoretical and practical knowledge of vocal functionality and voice production. The module will build upon the basic skills acquired in Movement & Singing: Foundational Techniques, developing your technique in breath use, resonance, placement and approach to text and vocal expression. Through individual tutorials and group classes, you’ll also establish the foundation of a confident and effective personal vocal technique. 

Acting & Text: Core Skills 

In this module, you’ll draw upon established rehearsal techniques to develop an organised, collaborative and structured approach to a rehearsal process and performance. You’ll learn the key principles and practices of building a character and analysing the action contained in a range of designated texts. The module will deepen your understanding of character-building strategies.  

In your second year, you’ll continue your development, deepening your knowledge and understanding of technique, while building your portfolio of repertoire. 

You’ll work on scene studies and broaden your detailed knowledge of specific genres within musical theatre, as well as latest industry practices. 

Finally, you’ll study a range of self-marketing tools for building a successful career in musical theatre such as developing your CV, personal websites, self-taping, building your online profile and professional audition techniques. 

Modules

Dance & Movement: Developing Techniques 

In this module, you’ll deepen your knowledge and experience of core dance styles in Musical Theatre. During your practical sessions, you’ll explore choreography, develop your knowledge of seminal practitioners and learn to communicate character, emotion and narrative through a confident and fluid use of your developing technique.  

Singing, Acting & Voice: Developing Techniques 

In this module, you’ll work towards developing your knowledge and understanding of spoken voice, technical singing, musicianship and text work within the context of musical theatre. Through individual tutorials and group classes, you’ll also advance your existing knowledge of vocal anatomy, singing and spoken production, character development and text work, and further refine and progress your technical skills. 

Musical Theatre Project 

Working as an ensemble cast, you’ll study, rehearse, perform and evaluate pieces from a varied repertoire of contrasting musical theatre content. This project will draw together all the skills you’ve developed in singing, dance and acting and will work towards a performance presentation. You’ll expand your understanding of the range of demands placed upon the performer, while integrating these skills in rehearsal towards a unified and collaborative approach to performance. 

Dance & Movement: Integrated Skills 

You’ll continue to develop all theoretical and practical aspects of your dance and movement practice, securing a sustainable and consistent physical technique appropriate for professional employment.  You’ll also advance your knowledge of key musical theatre dance styles by studying and performing routines, songs and scenes from iconic musicals.   

Practical classes in essential dance techniques will continue to advance and progress your practice by introducing more complex tasks and refining your personal technique.   

Singing, Acting & Voice: Integrated Skills 

Through an exploration of repertoire, you’ll be challenged to explore the emotional, physical and vocal responses to both music and text. This will result in an expanding personal portfolio of songs and repertoire together with an enhanced awareness of your personal potential and employability. Voice & text classes will focus on different styles of sung and spoken text and will explore the intersections between speaking and singing technique.   

Professional Preparation 

The module will form the foundation of your development from student to professional performer. Seminars, lectures and workshops will include theatre audition technique, visiting industry professionals and guest artist talks which will inform you of current industry practices. You’ll explore the importance of your personal profile, professionalism and self-promotion. 

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

You’ll really get to grips with what it means to be a professional performer and engage with the ways in which you can create opportunities and manage a sustainable career. You’ll get insights and insider knowledge via masterclasses, guest speakers and practitioner talks.  

You’ll consider current trends and possible futures of musical theatre, as well as engage in a full-scale musical theatre project and showcase. By the end of your final year, you’ll be an independent Musical Theatre performer with an excellent working knowledge of professional contexts, practices and opportunities.   

Modules

Professional Development & Employability 

Here, you’ll advance your skills and the application of your existing techniques through classes, masterclasses and workshops guided by staff, guest artists and industry professionals. Building on knowledge gained in Professional Preparation in Year Two, you’ll work on voice reel and showreel material that can be added to your personal promotional website. You’ll also learn the technique of self-taping and its importance as an auditioning tool within the industry.  

Musical Theatre Futures 

In this module, you’ll expand your creative potential both as a performer and maker. You’ll be encouraged to explore and develop existing, new and original work to consider and create new professional employment opportunities. You’ll use your skills to contribute to the creation of new musical theatre work, either by developing your own ideas and material and/or by working collaboratively to select and adapt resources already in existence from page to stage.  

Musical Theatre Public Performance 

In collaboration with a director, choreographer, musical director and production team, you’ll work towards a fully supported public performance. You'll work in an intensive rehearsal environment as part of a theatre company and fully integrate all your performance skills in the areas of dance, singing and acting. This production is the culmination of all the skills gained and developed during your degree.  

Musical Theatre Showcase 

In this module, you’ll work towards the selection and rehearsal of material for a live/digital showcase. You’ll follow a professional rehearsal model, working in collaboration with a Director, Musical Director and Choreographer and production/technical team. Your final piece(s) will showcase advanced integrated repertoire and demonstrate the culmination of all learned performance techniques. 

The course structure aims to nurture your physical, technical and critical capabilities through technique classes and performance training alongside workshops, lectures and seminars on histories, theories and contexts.  

You’re expected to work both as an individual and as part of a collaborative team, working together to share knowledge and develop an understanding of co-operative practice and teamwork inherent within professional practice. 

In addition to the teaching activities with staff, you’re expected to further your learning through guided independent study in response to taught sessions, tutorials, technical instruction workshops and briefs. Independent study time increases throughout the course as you begin to determine and pursue your individual interests within musical theatre.

You are assessed individually either through solo or ensemble performances, or practical tasks. When your work is being viewed within an ensemble performance, tutors take note of your personal demonstration of the skills being assessed by the learning outcomes, and you are given an individual mark.   

You’ll be assessed through a combination of written coursework, practical coursework and practical performance assessments.  

Assessment methods  

• Written coursework  
• Practical coursework  
• Practical performance assessments  
• Online submissions of websites, journals, self-tapes and showreels  
• Constant formative feedback from tutors in class   
• Formal verbal and some written feedback after assessments  

Assessments generally take place at the end of each module. Practical assessment performances receive formal verbal feedback and submissions receive written feedback.