Acting BA (Hons) module details
Year one
Block 1: The Playful Body
This module guides you through developing knowledge and competencies in a rich field of physical theatre practices. You will explore the fundamental principles of training the body including balance, energy, space, precision and clarity in movement. Through practical workshops, you will engage in a process of play and experimentation and to you’ll create an original performance work. You will also undertake regular physical and vocal skills sessions and attend weekly seminars to discuss contextual understandings of professional theatre practices. In addition, you will have regular classes in technical stage production that will introduce you to digital sound editing skills which will be explored in tandem with live performance practice.
Assessment: Performance 70%, Portfolio 30%
Block 2: Actors Toolkit 1
In Actor’s Toolkit 1, you will engage in intensive actor skill development in the areas of voice, movement, and textual analysis/interpretation. Attention will be paid to proper conditioning and use of the physical body as a means of embodying a character and communicating with the audience. In addition, you will learn how to read a play through close textual engagement, identifying key moments, phrases, or directions that help guide the development and portrayal of a character. You will also be introduced to lighting practice, understanding how lighting works in different performance settings, including different spaces, performance types, and audience types, as well as how to make conscious choices.
Assessment: Performance 70%, Viva Voce 30%
Block 3: Vocal Points
This module practically explores a range of approaches to incorporating musicality as a story telling device within devised theatre practices. You will be encouraged to engage with new ways of combining music and theatre through a study of a wide range of music theatre practices and taught techniques that include song, voice, instruments, objects, bodies and live music mixing. In co-creating an original performance work with musicality at the core, you may incorporate skills in instrument playing and singing as well as considering original creative writing that may be performed as rhythmic storytelling methods such as beatbox, rap, performance poetry and beyond. You will also learn skills in video editing which will feed into the development of a promotional trailer for your performance work.
Assessment: Performance 70%, Video trailer 30%
Block 4: Performance Festival 1
In small groups you will generate a final performance work to be shared for public viewing as part of the end of year festival. The work will be a realisation of a performance project with a tutor-given context and creative brief. You will employ skills and techniques of performance practices that you have already examined on the programme such as: the role of play and creative structures in performance making; collaboration and ensemble; layering of multiple performance elements; the relationship between performance and audience and the role of text, body and voice. You will also engage with professional practice through the development of suitable marketing materials such as video trailers, images and posters alongside a programme for the event.
Assessment: Performance 80%, Portfolio 20%
Year two
Block 1: From Grave to Stage
In this module you will be introduced to more traditional acting styles. Focusing on understanding, contextualising, and interpreting historical and classic texts before bringing the text to life, you will gain a detailed understanding of the changing expectations of the actor throughout performance history, influenced by changes such as technical stage developments, audience tastes, playwright intentions, and the access and popularity of theatre. You will also develop skills in microphone use to aid an exploration of audio drama.
Assessment: Audio Drama 60%, Staged reading 40%
Block 2: Acting in Digital Worlds
This module will introduce you to a range of digital practices that examine how the acting body is used in live and the virtual/digitised environments. You will learn a range of techniques and creative approaches for the use of media and technology within the performing arts, underpinned by skills in performing for the camera. You will also gain an insight into industry practices that employ the acting body in digitised realms. This will develop further creative approaches to performance making in solo, partner and ensemble work alongside a knowledge of employment prospects of acting for digital settings.
Assessment: Performance 60%, Portfolio 40%
Block 3: Actors Toolkit 2
In this module you will focus on developing an exciting range of skills which will enhance your employability through attention to specialist movement and vocal details including Stage Combat, Dance for Stage and Accent and Dialogue. You will explore the fundamental principles of these physical and tonal expertise through practical classes that build on your learning from your first and second year of study such as: breath control, tonality, annunciation, stage presence and physical theatre practices. Proficiencies in these areas will aid an articulation of a flexible and specialised performer.
Assessment: Performance Portfolio 60%, Viva Voce 40%
Block 4: Performance Festival 2
In Performance Festival 2, you will work in small groups to generate a final performance work to be shared for public viewing as part of the end of year festival. The work will be a realisation of a performance project with a student-led creative brief developed in consultation with the tutor and should be envisaged, created and presented at an appropriate standard for external festival submission (e.g., Edinburgh or Brighton Fringe). You will further engage with professional practice through the development of relevant editing skills that support the promotion of individual artists and productions.
Assessment: Performance 80%, Portfolio 20%
Year three
Block 1: Going Solo
On this module you will be introduced to a range of performance practices that examine how the actor can explore solo theatrical practice. You will focus on developing skills in self-reflection; exploring concepts of identity, biography and autobiography and how the solo body in performance can create unique experiences for audiences. Through the module, you will be encouraged to research and reflect on issues such as gender, sexuality, race as well as familial and cultural identity. Your final performance work will draw from the skills developed in the first and second year of study such as: storytelling, digital skills such as performing for the camera, microphone and recording skills.
Assessment: Performance 80%, Portfolio 20%
Block 2: Collective Encounters
Throughout the Collective Encounters module, you will consider different modes of group performance making, such as genres, audiences, and spaces, highlighting the need for a range of performance making skills. The final ensemble performance will pay specific attention to creating work for different spaces and audiences and will draw form skills and knowledge from the first and second year of study such as engagement with political, social and educational understandings.
Assessment: Performance 80%, Viva Voce 20%
Block 3 and 4: Performance Festival and Showcase
During this double module, you will have two exciting performance opportunities. Working with a professional director over a period of 14 weeks, you will rehearse and realise two performances which will be presented to a public and industry audience. The module will consolidate your learning of what professional rehearsal discipline is. This will require engagement in a collaborative process from research phase to final production through which understanding, and experience of theatre making will be applied and developed. One performance will take the form of a full-scale production of a classic or contemporary text. The other performance will take the form of a showcase in which students will perform a series of short monologues and scenes to demonstrate the range of their talents and ability.
Assessment: Group Performance 50%, Showcase 50%