Musical Theatre Diploma

Term 1:

Acting Fundamentals

You will develop the precursors to acting: relaxation; trust; exuberance; discipline; response to criticism; a playful attitude; and the ability to work as part of an ensemble. You will learn the fundamentals of acting, including: concentration; pursuing an objective with actions; listening and responding; and working from moment-to-moment, using both improvised and scripted scenes.

Voice

Through physical and vocal exercises, you will begin to release your voice from habitual tensions and develop breath connection, support and stamina. You will begin to learn how to project your voice without strain, using the principles of general and specific resonance and develop vocal range. Articulation work will enable you to approach text and lyrics with greater specificity, accuracy and muscularity.

Singing

You will work on group singing exploring harmonies and how your voice sits in ensemble settings. You will sing in ensemble groups and as a soloist within an ensemble. A brief overview of Kodály practice will be explored to aid pitching and then you will explore solo singing.

Movement

This module emphasies the important role the body plays in expression. You will be introduced to a preparatory body-centred methods of training including Chekhov, Laban and Viewpoints. You will learn exercises that can be practiced independently in order to develop your skills further.

Term 2

The Actor and The Text

This module will allow you to apply your acquired skills from Acting Fundamentals to script work. You will learn a clear process, including active and textual analysis, which will allow you to explore and realise monologues, duologues and scenes effectively.

Dance

You will look at jazz dance technique and be introduced to ballroom dance including Waltz, Foxtrot and Swing. You should expect to take part in structured dance classes, working on flexibility, strength, stamina and ability to learn choreography. You will also work with songs to explore combining singing and dance.

Acting through Song

You will align fundamental acting strategies to acting through song. You will learn to analyse a song in order to make clear and specific acting choices. You will explore a range of techniques that can be applied to acting through song. You will work one-to-one in a masterclass setting on acting through song and general delivery.

Term 3

Performance Project: Rehearse and Perform extracts from Musicals

This unit culminates in the rehearsal and performance of extracts from musicals. The use of your acting, voice and movement skills will be evaluated in both the rehearsal process and final performance. You will be cast in extracts from musicals and have an intensive rehearsal schedule. You will be expected to attend all rehearsal and also work in your own time. You will apply systems of rehearsal to your work, learn choreography and songs and be expected to take and adapt well to direction. You will perform the show in front of an invited audience.