The MA Musical Directing pathway is designed to support the development of skills and creative thought for musicians with a passion for theatre. As a Masters student, you will study the musical landscape, engage in practice-based-research and explore your own potential as a contributor to the future of the art form.
The programme is closely linked with the industry and this ensures that you acquire the practical skills to support a sustained and varied career. Through specialised and focused conservatoire-level training, specific attention will be paid to:
- Keyboard skills
- Conducting skills
- Scoring and arranging techniques
- Vocal technique and repertoire coaching, Programming and Sound
These one-to-one classes are designed to build your skill and experience as a musical director in the varying areas relevant to the form. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects matched to your specific interests and goals. Projects could include:
- Musical Director, arranger and orchestrator of the RCS Christmas Concert
- Musical Director of our BA Musical Theatre Glasgow and London Showcases
- Musical Director on the development of new and commissioned work
- Assistant Musical Director across fully produced BA Musical Theatre and Actor Muso shows
- Musical Director of a Cabaret season, Musical Directing roles on a season of work produced for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The BA Performance in British Sign Language and English is an undergraduate degree that teaches students to be both actors and makers of work.
If you identify as D/deaf or hard of hearing, and want to perform or create work on stage and screen, we want to meet you. You should be keen, curious and ready to work. Our students use BSL and/or spoken English. It is your choice. We look at how to create performance through both of these languages.
Choose to study with us and be part of a unique programme which is breaking down barriers in the industry and opening up theatre to new audiences. You are welcome to come and meet the team and observe our classes in advance of applying.
During the three year programme, you will benefit from the distinctive environment of RCS and study a rich blend of performance modules.
This course is designed around the learning and teaching needs of deaf performers and is the only course of its kind in Europe. The programme has been developed in association with Solar Bear Theatre Company with input from a range of theatre, education and deaf professionals.
The working languages of the programme are British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English. You will have fully-qualified BSL interpreters in class and in rehearsal.
The small class size ensures you will have the opportunity to work closely with our teaching staff and visiting professionals. You will also benefit from our many collaborative and professional partnerships including Solar Bear and National Theatre of Scotland.
You will develop skills in acting, movement, dance, signing on stage, improvisation and puppetry as well as explore highly visual and physical performance styles. We will teach you the skills you need to prepare you for a career in film, television, theatre and more.
The programme only recruits for students every 3 years and the next cohort is due to start in September 2022.
Acting BA (Hons) at Drama St Mary’s is a rigorous, full-time course that equips you for a career in acting.
- Drama St Mary's - unlike other drama schools - does not charge an audition fee
- Free pre-UCAS applications auditions and interviews with constructive feedback
- Central London showcases
- Drama School Training in a university context, offering personal support and tutorial supervision
Why study Acting?
This course helps you develop practical, holistic acting skills. Our new blended learning delivery model looks to maximise face-to-face contact, with the majority of work scheduled in our campus studios. Face-to-face teaching is supplemented with a full programme of online learning activity. We regularly review our offer to ensure that we can continue to work in a COVID-secure environment and students can expect in excess of 18 hours of scheduled classes each week.
Our Voice and Movement classes develop the core skills you will need as an actor. Acting classes hone your imagination, technique and stage and screen craft. In the Performance classes you can be playful, experimental, spontaneous and collaborative. The Contextual Studies stream investigates where your work fits into the wider world, both past and present.
In your first year you will build a firm base for your training. This serves as a base for developing your craft in year two through in-house productions and workshops. In your final year you begin your career with public productions, links to industry professionals and a graduate portfolio.
Become a multi-disciplinary artist with outstanding abilities in acting, singing, dance and music
The BA Musical Theatre programme is for exceptionally talented students who are dedicated to developing their skills in acting, singing, dance and music. We are looking for the next cohort of students who want to train with us alongside industry professionals, and who aspire towards a career in the competitive musical theatre industry.
Now more than ever, artists who can showcase musicianship as an integrated part of their acting, singing, and dancing are in demand both creatively and commercially.
This programme is distinctive in that it offers conservatoire-level tuition in acting, singing, dance and music. We want to work with the most talented and committed actors, so we ask that students are multi- disciplined in the performing arts.
Perform
Your education here will centre on performance and you will have numerous opportunities to perform on stage both within RCS and at external venues around Scotland. During your final year, you will participate in fully- produced musicals, including an actor-musician show, as well as perform in a final showcase. Our aim is that you will graduate from this programme as a confident, versatile artist ready to work in the profession.
Collaborate
RCS is the only conservatoire in Europe to offer programmes in dance, drama, music, production and film. We encourage collaboration between all art forms, therefore as a musical theatre student here, you could regularly work with your peers to create new and engaging work.
Opportunities for collaboration include Options modules and the annual Bridge Week festival, where students can come together from across the conservatoire to bid for project money to create new pieces of performance. You may also have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from industry professionals during your studies, benefiting from the Royal Conservatoire’s close relationships with Scotland’s national artistic companies.
Our graduates consistently gain industry representation and continue to work across the arts and entertainment sectors. Graduates can currently be seen performing in the West End, on Broadway, in national and international tours, with national companies, regional theatres, and in a variety of television and film projects.
The One Year Foundation Course at SLP College has been re-designed.
If you are 16+ you can now study for the UAL Level 3 Diploma in Performing & Production Arts.
Students on this exciting and challenging course will gain the skills, knowledge and understanding to progress to Conservatoire Training or Higher Education.
You will receive professional training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Commercial, Modern, Acting, and Singing preparing you for further training in musical theatre and dance. Dedicated Tutors and guest teachers from the industry will support you on your technical and creative journey.
The one year Level 3 course which carries a maximum of 84 UCAS points can also be increased to a two year, extended diploma which carries 168 UCAS points – the equivalent of 3 A Levels.
20+ contact hours per week will ensure that you are kept fit, busy and inspired to reach your full potential.
Entry requirements: five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above which must include English and Maths.
Entry by audition.
This intensive programme will prepare you for a career in theatre, screen and radio as you explore your individual creativity in acting, voice and movement.
The three year BA Acting Programme at RCS is one of the best professional actor training programmes in the UK. We accept 24 students with outstanding potential and commitment who are dedicated to a performing career from over 1,800 applicants each year. Graduates of the programme have progressed to work extensively in the industry and alumni includes household names such as Amy Conachan, Laura Donnelly, Sam Heughan, Katie Leung, Richard Madden and James McAvoy.
You will work intensively with our expert teaching staff on developing your skills in acting, voice and movement to equip you for a career in film, television and theatre.
Our movement specialists are trained in Lecoq technique, and will help you acquire some of the best movement for actors in UK actor training, facilitating everything from stagecraft to understanding techniques used in CGI and green screen. You will be working with the Centre for Voice in Performance (the national centre of excellence for teaching, practice, and research) using techniques developed by voice expert Nadine George.
We are the only UK conservatoire that offers training in all performance disciplines and you will have the opportunity to collaborate with your peers, formally and informally, in dance, music, production, and film. As an acting student you will have the opportunity to collaborate on film projects with students from the Film department.
