European Classical Acting

Content

Classical theatre continues to form a significant part of contemporary culture and is a rewarding route to the general training of actors, offering a solid grounding in acting technique. The techniques developed to address the acting challenges posed by the great European classics form a key component of the theatre traditions of England and Russia, considered to be the foremost exponents of the art of the actor. This acting course focuses on acting challenges posed by the two towering figures of European dramatic literature: Shakespeare and Chekhov; examining in depth proven acting approaches to the work of the two masters and placing them in their context - late Renaissance and the emergence of modern realism. The course seeks to establish challenging connections between the two from a post-modern perspective, adjusted to the needs of today's professional actor. The course is delivered in London and Moscow in collaboration with Shakespeare's Globe and the Vakhtangov Institute.

Structure

On this acting course, students attend classes at Shakespeare's Globe in and are later in Moscow. You will be expected to commit a minimum of 35 hours per week to taught classes, rehearsals and lectures, with additional time spent preparing either by yourself or with fellow students. An extended unit dedicated to the skills of the actor lays a thorough foundation for your future study. You gain practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of English and Russian acting techniques as they apply to classical text.

Classes are offered in Acting, Scene Study, Voice, Movement and the History of Classical Theatre in Britain and Russia. A section on the great masters of the European Renaissance enables you to engage with material drawn from the Spanish Theatre of the Golden Age and the Neo-Classical Theatre of France. Having prepared for its challenges, you then spend six weeks exclusively at Shakespeare's Globe, attending classes in acting, voice and movement. You work on a number of scenes and monologues, thus accumulating material from which a selection is made for a presentation at the end of the unit, to an invited audience, which takes place on the stage of the Globe. During eight weeks of study at the Vakhtangov Institute in Moscow you receive an intensive training in Russian classical acting methods, with particular emphasis on the tradition of 'fantastic realism' and the strenuous physical work required to achieve it. You attend classes in acting, voice, movement (including acrobatics and dance) and the history of Russian theatre and at the end of your Moscow study you perform scenes on the stage of the Vakhtangov Institute in front of an invited audience. The final ten weeks of the course are spent back at the Drama Centre, integrating your learning experience at the three institutions, and focus on late 19th and early 20th century European drama.

Entry Requirements

An honours degree in acting, drama, directing, theatre studies, dance, or a relevant art and design discipline; a level 3 Diploma from a recognised professional drama or dance school (e.g. those which are members of The Conference of Drama Schools or The Council for Dance Education and Training); a degree at Honours level in a discipline other than those listed above plus demonstrable performance-related experience; either professionally or within an amateur or student context; or at least three years appropriate professional experience as a performer.

All classes are conducted in English, so you will be required to have a fluent understanding of the language. If English is not your first language you will be asked to provide evidence of your English language ability. We strongly advise international applicants to take an IELTS test as soon as they consider studying in the UK. Minimum scores for entry on courses at the Drama Centre are as follows:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 7.5
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): hand written test: 588-637, computer based test: 241-270