Acting

Three years full-time.

Stage one

This is a foundation year in which many of the basic techniques are taught, for example, vocal and physical skills, characterisation work and textual analysis. Students are involved in one main production and several small studio-based performance tasks. Talks and workshops will be given by directors and actors from Royal & Derngate Theatre.

Stage two

Students develop their performance range by learning more specialised skills such as acting for the camera, microphone techniques, site-specific work, and contemporary theatre practices. Students are involved in two large productions and several smaller studio productions. One of the large productions is directed by a professional director and typically performed in a venue off campus. Students may observe rehearsals at Royal & Derngate Theatre, and have the opportunity to audition for minor roles in some of the productions.

Stage three

Students begin to consider their transition from student to professional and prepare themselves for all aspects of employment. There are three main productions. One is an original piece of theatre created in conjunction with  professional artistic director, one is a text-based performance directed by a professional director and typically performed on the Royal stage and the third is where students form their own theatre companies and perform in a venue of their own choice.

• Four fully-equipped drama studios and a large flexible performance space where diverse staging can be explored
• Lecturers with professional experience as actors and/or directors
• Direct links to the prestigious Royal & Derngate who also audition students for their main house productions
• Theatre visits which typically include the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, London's West End productions and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London
• Student Equity card

• Voice and Text
• Actor's Body and Movement
• Acting Methodologies
• Actor and Text
• Working with a Director
  
• Industry Preparation
• Media Acting (screen and radio)
  

The course is mainly assessed through practical assignments, performances and presentations, but there is some written work in the form of journals and industry relevant tasks such as character studies and funding applications.

Graduates will be equipped with the skills they need to work in their own companies creating work for stage, screen or radio. They will also be able to work for directors who wish to engage creative actors able to devise material and work closely with text. Transferable skills equip them to be employed as workshop leaders, animateurs and development workers. Graduates wishing to develop a further specialised area of performance might wish to consider studying for an MA in The Arts.