BA (Hons) Acting and Performance

Your training on the BA Acting and Performance begins with weekly vocal and movement technique classes throughout your first year, developing your skills ready to apply these to professionally directed productions in years 2 and 3. Our company voice coach is an Estill trained teacher who works with you in this exciting method of vocal training being widely adopted by the conservatoire.

Year 1

In your first year you will have a foundational training in:

• Systems of rehearsal
  A module running throughout the year focusing on exploring and applying key rehearsal techniques and methods from practitioners such as Meisner, Chekhov, Stanislavski and Laban.
• Scene study
  This module applies the techniques learned in Systems of Rehearsal and Voice and Movement Studies in the context of a traditional conservatoire-style scene study where you develop expressive characterisation and interpretative skills applied to a classic or contemporary text.
• Play in production
  You will rehearse and perform in your first practitioner directed production, applying the skills and techniques learned in the Voice, Movement and Scene Study modules.
• Solo performance
  In this module you will encounter the creative strategies essential to your individual artistic practice and developing your understanding of your own potential as a creator, maker and performer.
• Ensemble performance
  In this module you will study a range of physical theatre practices from around the world focusing on how the performer’s body creates dynamic, impactful performance work.

Year 2

In your second year you will take part in a series of industry directed residencies and production.

• Professional production
  You will work as an ensemble company in an externally facing production directed by an experienced professional theatre director.
• Company in residence
  Take part in an intensive artistic residency with a theatre company such as Frantic Assembly leading to a performance of your work.

You can also choose optional modules in:

• Acting and dramaturgy
  Extend the acting techniques encountered in the first year by applying them to character creation, improvisation and development of performance material
• Writing and dramaturgy
  Learn how to analyse and evaluate playscripts as well as beginning to work on your own dramatic writing.
• Participatory performance
  This module focuses on the contemporary practice of many theatre makers of engaging audiences directly in performance.
• Verbatim theatre
  Allows you to explore the trend for this form of documentary theatre using personal testimony to create performance material.
• Acting for screen 1
  this module introduces students to the specific skills required for acting to camera including rehearsing key techniques such as MCUs, master-shots and POVs using industry TV and film scripts.
• Advanced acting study
  Further develop and enhance your acting technique by working on challenging, heightened and non-naturalistic texts.
• Body and performance
  Developing advanced movement and physical theatre skills and knowledge of specialised, Grotowski-based training practices for actors.
• Directing actors
  Assist a practitioner director on a play in production and develop your understanding of how to run a rehearsal room and work with actors to build a safe, creative environment. (Not available to all students).
• Immersive performance
  You will be introduced to key concepts and practical tools for making immersive performance focusing on the practice of specific artists and companies such as Punchdrunk and Dream Think Speak.
• Multimedia performance
  Explore the impact of new, digital technologies on live and mediated performance and create your own piece of multimedia theatre.

Year 3

In your final year of study you will focus on developing your portfolio and refining your craft and artistic practice.

• Professional toolkit
  This core module equips you with the practical, employability skills you will need to enter the professional world on graduating.  It provides you with a personal ‘toolkit’ for a working life in the creative industries.

You can then take options in:

• Classical acting
  Extend and further develop your acting technique by developing skills in delivering classical verse drama and preparing a professional audition piece.
• Acting for screen 2
  Develop the skills from Acting for Screen I by focusing on professional and industry-led studio performance in our fully-equipped green screen Film Studio. Learn the art of self-taping and develop an industry focused show-reel.
• Directing project
  This module will be available to a small number of students who have sufficient previous experience and are focused on pursuing directing as a career.
• The practice of adaptation
  Extend your creative devising and compositional skills learning methodologies for adapting a classic text for contemporary performance
• Small-scale performance
  Add this essential tool to your skills portfolio and learn how to make performance for one or two performers based on autobiography, reminiscence and lived experiences. 
• Interactive technologies
  Extend the practice you explored in Multimedia Performance by applying digital immersive technologies for performance, installation and art to your own, original theatre project.

Your final semester will be focused entirely on developing your showcase project in acting, directing, writing or multimedia, immersive or physical theatre performance. This project will be supervised by a member of the academic team with their own industry practice and will allow you to prepare a significant piece of work to launch you into the industry on graduation.

Voice training

Over the three years you spend at LSBU you will learn the full content of the renowned Estill Voice Training™ Level 1 and Level 2 courses. There will also be an option in final year to focus on attaining an Estill Figure Proficiency certificate which, if you choose to, can be used as the first step towards teaching Estill technique to others.  The Estill method of voice training is internationally recognised and is increasingly taught in UK drama schools.

Level 1: Figures for Voice™ teaches the tools of the craft to add strength, clarity and stamina to your voice. Students will learn to control the 13 vocal structures that influence voice quality.

Level 2: Figure Combinations for Six Voice Qualities used for both the speaking and singing voice and offer a clear understanding of the voice’s limitless possibilities, along with how to keep it vibrant and healthy.