MA Acting

Master

In London

£ 12,100 + VAT

Description

  • Type

    Master

  • Location

    London

  • Duration

    15 Months

To enable graduates and others with relevant experience to quickly acquire and develop the practical skills necessary to sustain a career in theatre, television, film and radio. You will need substantial reserves of stamina and resourcefulness to take advantage of this highly intensive training. Suitable for: You must be at least 21 years old at the start of the course, although there is no upper age limit.

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
See map
John Archer Way, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, SW18 3SX

Start date

On request

About this course

Selection is made on the basis of audition. Normal entry requirements also include a degree or equivalent qualification. However, we may also consider applicants aged 21 or over with an exceptional level of practical ability.

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Subjects

  • Voice
  • Acting
  • Drama
  • Theatre
  • Radio
  • Project
  • Text
  • Movement
  • Audition Practice
  • Film acting

Teachers and trainers (1)

Aly Spiro

Aly Spiro

Lead Acting Tutor

Course programme

Postgraduate Acting Course

A newly designed 15 month course to prepare students for a career in the stage and screen industries

Programme Director: Clive Duncan

Programme Length: 15 Months - full time

Application: Applications made directly to ALRA

Accreditation: National Council for Drama Training (NCDT)

Qualifications: MA Professional Acting & the National Certificate in Professional Acting.

Course Overview

From September 2010 this programme will be extended to 15 months (five terms). Following 3 taught terms, where the focus is firmly on the core areas of acting, voice and movement, you will spend a further two terms applying your developing techniques to live and recorded performances; working on two theatre productions, a short film, a West End Showcase and a short performance piece created by you.

The programme is supported with regular tutorials, workshops with practising professionals and industry lectures.

Course Content:

The taught content are structured over three full terms:

  • Acting and Performance Studies:
    • Scene Study
    • Improvisation
    • Acting Technique
    • Acting for Radio
    • Acting for Camera.
  • Voice Studies:
    • Voicing Text
    • Technical Voice
    • Articulation and RP
    • Singing.
  • Movement Studies:
    • Movement Fundamentals
    • Creative MovementSocial Dance.
  • Contextual Studies:
    • Script Adaptation
    • Character Development
    • Research Skills
    • Professional Preparation.

Term 1:

The first term of this intensive course sets a precedent of the year, ensuring a concentration on the core areas required for use in all media a professional actor may work in through their career. You begin to discover your vocal and physical potential through regular classes in Voice and Movement, Singing and Dance. Whilst in Acting you explore and release your creativity in the first major project of the year - a devised piece of work growing from an adaptation of a short story. You are given a methodology to work with scripts, questioning, analysing and researching to transform the written world into the imaginative visual world of the play. These techniques are put into practice in a research specific text project. Work in the TV studio begins with improvisation and builds up to using text.

Term 2:

A use of classical texts in the second term ensures the focus is placed on applying your emerging technical skills in Voice, Movement and Acting. You work on two plays; C19th and early C20th Realism (Chekov, Ibsen, Shaw) and Shakespeare. Acting for Radio is added to the programme in this term and you continue to develop both technical and artistic skills in front of the camera.

Term 3:

More time is given to the rehearsal process in this term as you work on Stylised Text (Moliere, Lorca, Wilde, Greek) and Contemporary Text, and this is continued to be supported by classes in Voice, Movement and Acting. With guidance from tutors you will chose and begin work on your individual research topic using and developing the skills and knowledge acquired over the programme; this culminates in a short live or recorded piece of work written and performed by you and presented at the end of Term 5. Professional Preparation classes prepare you for the business side of the industry.

Term 4:

Working with a professional TV director and DoP, you rehearse and record a short film which is edited to DVD for you to use as a showreel. The film receives a public showing and is streamed on the ALRA website. In collaboration with a professional theatre company, you rehearse scripts specially written for young people which are performed on a two week tour.

Term 5:

In this final term you work with a professional director on a fully realised production in the ALRA theatre. You prepare and rehearse short pieces which are showcased in a West End Theatre to an invited audience of Casting Directors, Agents and Directors. The term finishes with the presentation of your practical research project performed or broadcast in the ALRA theatre.

Other Activities:

  • Carlton Hobbs Competition: Further to the study of Radio Technique, a team of third year students is selected to be entered for the Carlton Hobbs BBC Radio Competition, the winners of which are offered a six-month contract with the BBC Radio Drama Company.
  • Sam Wanamaker Festival: In the third year you also have an opportunity to audition for the Sam Wanamaker Festival. This is an annual festival organised by the Conference of Drama Schools (CDS) in association with Globe Education which offers selected students from Britain's leading drama schools the chance to perform scenes from Elizabethan and Jacobean drama at a major London theatre.
  • Christmas Cabaret: this is an annual event organised in-house and open to all students.
  • Stand-Up Night: This is an annual event organised in-house and open to all students.
  • The Five Minute Play Festival: A yearly play writing competition performed at ALRA and open to all students.
  • Verse Speaking Competition: Open to Acting students in years one and two.
  • Student Summer Ball: to celebrate the end of another academic year.
  • Short Film Project: A collaboration between second year Acting students, Film Directing students from the London College of Communication and ALRA technical students.
  • Workshops and seminars.
  • Theatre Trips.

Teaching

You are taught mainly by practical methods, such as technique classes, workshops, exercises, rehearsal and informal presentations. You participate in group discussions, seminars, lectures, as well as tutor feedback and review. All tutors and directors involved in the delivery of the course are practising professionals.

We require constant attendance at all timetabled classes, rehearsals, seminars and other events.

Qualifications

Upon successful completion of the course you are awarded:

  • The National Certificate in Professional Acting (validated by Trinity College London)
  • An MA in Acting (validated by University of Greenwich).

In addition to this, you gain full Equity membership through NCDT accreditation.

MA Acting

£ 12,100 + VAT