Contemporary Drama

Overview of the course:

The RADA Contemporary Drama Summer School is a two-week course that gives you the opportunity to work on modern or contemporary texts chosen to suit your particular requirements. This means that not only would you form a deep, practical appreciation of one or two authors, but gain a taste of what life in a leading drama school is like for students on a full-time acting course.

The course is aimed at those with an interest in contemporary drama and who have some experience of performing.

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

A script will be allocated to you by the Course Director approximately one week before the course begins detailing which monologue you will need to prepare. This monologue will provide the backbone of your time on the course.

Initially, you will workshop your monologue with your acting tutor/director, before refining it in tutorials with movement and voice tutors, and, finally, presenting it publicly at the end of the course.

Mid-course, further texts will be assigned for you to work on a scene(s) with another actor(s) under the guidance of your acting tutor.

While the monologues are chosen with your own needs uppermost, the development of them and the scenes will take place in a continuous, interactive process with other students. You may indicate if there is a particular type of contemporary drama you would like to explore or if there are plays you know well and that you would like to avoid. Participants work in groups of approximately fourteen led by a director, with support from a voice and a movement instructor. Tutors are drawn from the Academy’s senior staff and directors along with distinguished guest teachers from the profession.

In special evening sessions, playwrights will talk about their work and describe their experiences of working with actors and what they expect from them. These discussions will be preceded by RADA graduates performing excerpts from the guest writer’s plays.

You will be able to question the writers and actors during and after the events.

A certificate, stating the minimum number of contact hours, is awarded on successful completion of the course.

HOURS OF WORK

Classes generally take place between 10.00am and 6.00pm from Monday to Friday; some sessions each week may end later than this.

Classes are not optional; you are expected to treat these as professional rehearsal calls. Punctuality is essential; records are kept of class attendance and are taken into account when the RADA certificate is issued at the end of the course.

WHAT TO BRING

• A script will be allocated to you by the Course Director approximately one week before the course begins detailing which monologue you will need to prepare.

• Clothing suitable for movement work.