Our BA Theatre & Performance course is designed to inspire your theatrical creativity and provide you with outlets to express it.
You will begin by studying theatre from a range of cultures and historical periods, then focus more intensively on theatre of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the work of international and British playwrights and performance makers such as Samuel Beckett, Sarah Kane, Complicité, Caryl Churchill and Katie Mitchell.
The course investigates a range of contemporary global practices from verbatim to immersive, from site-specific work to examples of digital technologies in live performance. You will see performances ranging from west end theatre to the latest practitioners of 'intermedial' theatre and performance art. Throughout your degree, you will explore how directors, designers, writers and other theatre artists respond to and shape our rapidly changing world. You will learn practical skills from the first year, with opportunities to create performances in the final two years. You will also have the option of following a critical-only route.
You will explore histories and techniques of devising, producing, designing and directing, and learn how theatre works as an expression of real-world issues. Students studying BA Theatre & Performance at the University of Reading enjoy the best of both worlds, developing critical and creative skills in a dynamic environment.
We finish off the summer with a West End Week, welcoming guest performers from some brilliant shows to teach songs and choreography. Every day young people explore different material with a guest teacher. Over the last three years, students have worked with guest friends from the west end shows 'Heathers', 'Six', 'Bring It On', 'Dreamgirl's, '& Juliet', 'Hamilton', 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie', 'Wicked', 'We Will Rock You', 'Les MIserables', 'Hairspray', 'Be More Chill', 'Come From Away' and 'Six'. We will confirm this year's guest teachers later in the year.
Musical theatre is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. For over a century, it’s helped us to understand how the world works, generating stories of hope and optimism while considering the challenging issues at the heart of being human.
Develop vital stagecraft skills in movement, voice, acting, and devising on our Musical Theatre degree course and explore contemporary approaches to music and theatre. You’ll immerse yourself in all forms of practice, create new musicals. stage a full production in your first and final year, and produce a professional showreel for use in the industry.
You'll also examine musical theatre's significance in popular culture and society, exploring themes such as the representation of race, gender and politics on the local and global stage, and gain vital transferable skills for all kinds of career opportunities after you graduate.
Along the way, you’ll use specialist facilities, collaborate with students on other creative courses, work with professional composers, writers, and directors, and perform in many fantastic locations – in Portsmouth and beyond.
Course highlights:
- Enhance your creative collaboration by working alongside peers and new writers to create shows
- Boost your professional profile by developing a showreel to perform in front of agents, producers, and casting directors as part of your final-year career preparations
- Develop career-enhancing skills in mixed- and multi-media arts, including live and virtual practices
- Gain valuable industry experience by taking an optional placement
- Take advantage of pioneering research by studying at the home of Studies in Musical Theatre – the UK’s only international academic journal dedicated to musical theatre
- Get current professional insight by attending guest lectures from leading actors, producers, and authors – past guests include actor Sheila Hancock, Randy Adams (Tony award-winning producer of Memphis the Musical), Lyn Darnley (former Head of Voice and Text, Royal Shakespeare Company), and Ken Cerniglia (Hadestown dramaturg and Disney Theatricals’ literary director)
Accredited by Pearson
A two year course offering a qualification equivalent to 3 A-Levels, allowing progression to University or Drama School.
Over thirty tutor-led hours of training every week, leading to assessments and performance opportunities relating to your chosen pathway: Classical, Contemporary, Devised, Physical Theatre or full musicals. Highly qualified teachers deliver excellent training in purpose built premises.
This is a fully funded opportunity for committed and talented young people looking to develop their talent and creative potential.
The Extended Diploma in Performing Arts allows you to choose a unique pathway which is tailored to your existing skills and those you wish to develop further. This course will appeal to talented and versatile performers who wish to study on a flexible study programme to suit their own individual requirements.
This is a highly practical programme which allows for study over a variety of disciplines.
The course includes:
Acting units will focus on works by different practitioners, including Brecht, Stanislavski, Berkoff, and Shakespeare, as well as the application of techniques such as physical theatre, voice-over acting, devising and interpreting texts, commedia dellÕarte, and character development. You will also train in directing performances, for those who wish to create their own company.
This course offers the chance to study all aspects of the performing arts from specific training in performance styles to front-of-house operations as part of the BoxedUp Theatre Company. As a company member you will study musical theatre, acting techniques, dance and singing in a range of styles and participate in numerous performances throughout the year.
Your classes will take place in the College’s dedicated performance studios and theatre, where you will explore a wide variety of approaches to becoming a performer in the professional world of performing arts. Workshops will also be provided by visiting performing arts professionals.
We will help you to develop your performance skills including voice and speech, singing, movement and musical theatre. Workshops will also be provided by visiting performing arts professionals.
You will have many opportunities to get involved in productions and to see professional stage shows, both locally and in London.
Are you a creative person who is passionate about performing drama, dance and music? If so, you will definitely feel at home studying this Performing Arts Extended Diploma.
As a student you will benefit from a wide range of practical opportunities to create, develop and perform your work. You will also learn and develop skills through a variety of approaches, projects and productions.
From day one you will be encouraged to apply yourself to projects with motivation and a sense of ownership.
Although largely practical, this course contains a coursework element through which you will explore contemporary and classical performance.
