Musical Theatre BA (Hons)

What you'll study

Programme overview

The key objectives are to enable you to view yourself as a potential principal artist, and to develop professional sensibilities and collaborative skills through a process of training. The training integrates the rigorous technical skills that are necessary to competitively succeed in all aspects of musical theatre performance.

Throughout your training, you are guided towards the development of a clear set of individual technical skills, as well as important critical and evaluative skills. You have specific practical skills-based classes in group and individual singing, ballet, jazz, tap and other forms of dance, voice, acting, stage combat and contextual studies. Your skills are further developed through integration exercises, scene work and project rehearsals. Classes in dance and singing are highly prioritised alongside acting classes and projects, which enable the GSA Musical Theatre performer to be multi-skilled and therefore highly versatile, ensuring their appeal to the industry at large.

Preparation for entry to the industry commences with repertoire and presentation classes from the first year onwards, which explore specific genres and styles of musical theatre and lay the foundations of your repertoire portfolio.

Professional development classes and workshops with guest speakers and practitioners drawn from the contemporary musical theatre industry ensure currency within your chosen field and enable you to maximise all employment opportunities. There are further opportunities to engage in new projects and practices in the vanguard of contemporary industry developments.

Professional jury opportunities, together with a final showcase presentation in a West End theatre to invited agents and industry guests, complete your transition from musical theatre student to professional performer.

The result of the training is a highly disciplined, individual and versatile performer who has both artistic integrity and the ability to work in collaboration with others.

Professional recognition

Accredited by Drama UK.

Graduate prospects

Guildford School of Acting attracts students from all over the world, many of whom go on to achieve success in theatre, film and television. Our very distinguished alumni include performers such as Brenda Blethyn OBE, Michael Ball, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie and Justin Fletcher MBE.Graduate destinations include:

Theatre, West End:

• The Mousetrap, St Martin’s Theatre
• Six Degrees of Separation, The Old Vic
• The Tempest, The Old Vic
• Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Gielgud Theatre
• Warhorse, New London Theatre
• 39 Steps, Criterion Theatre

Film:

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Working Title
• Bend it Like Beckham, BILB Productions
• Les Misérables, Working Title
• 28 Days Later, 20th Century Fox

Television:

• The Railway Children, ITV
• The Royal, ITV
• In the Line of Beauty, BBC
• Holby City, BBC
• Spooks, BBC
• Ashes to Ashes, BBC
• Waking the Dead, BBC
• Murphy’s Law, Tiger Aspect Productions

• Come to an Open Day
• Visit the GSA website

Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like.

find out more