Acting BA(Hons)

During your first year, you'll study physical, vocal and textual techniques, develop character creation skills and storytelling, and learn acting and performance theories and practices. In this way, you'll prepare for studio-based and context-based acting rehearsals and technical instruction.

Modules

The Actor's Instrument

In this practice-based module you'll begin the process of understanding the use of your body and voice to challenge and develop your vocal and physical capabilities. You'll participate in regular vocal and physical/movement-based training to give you the foundation skills essential to an actor or performer.

Performance, Culture & Contexts

This module will introduce you to the role of theatre through the lens of national, European and international contexts and perspectives. Through a series of lectures and smaller seminar groups specific to the course, you’ll focus your study on the areas of the cultural agency of actors and theatre-makers. 

Acting & Story

You'll develop your understanding and the application of your practice as an actor, focusing on the composition and delivery of live narrative-based material in this practice-based module. You'll explore a range of storytelling exercises. employing the tools of body, voice, language and imagination. Central to this is an examination of how storytelling, processes and principles establish the actor-audience relationship.

The Expressive Actor

This module builds upon the skills developed in The Actor's Instrument module, and is delivered through two distinct training areas: 'voice and text' and 'movement skills'. You'll focus on developing your expressive vocal and physical delivery and with support studies in the Acting & Character module.

Contemporary Performance Practices & Concepts

You'll consider 20th and 21st-century approaches to acting and theatre-making in this module. This will include a range of practitioners beyond Stanislavski, to current modes of making and performing. Through a series of lectures and seminar groups specific to your course of study, you'll study the cultural agency of actors and theatre-makers.

Acting & Character

In this practice-based module, you'll develop your process through a range of acting classes and rehearsal projects. Your skills and approach to the text will lead to a focus on embodied characterisation. Rehearsal projects include selection, rehearsal and practical presentations of excerpts from plays within naturalism and psychological realism.

You'll improve your physical and vocal skills with practical acting training, and grow your conceptual and critical skills in research and performance theories. As well as working on a group production, you'll have the chance to learn skills for media, such as digital, radio and voiceover. Following this, you'll use film and television scripts to pursue advanced acting for camera techniques.

Modules

Performing in Recorded Media

Here, you'll focus on performing in recorded media with an emphasis on voice acting. Content may include: acting for radio, animation, games, audiobooks, podcasts and ADR & commercial voice over. Specific skill acquisition will focus on sight-reading, microphone technique, standard script layouts, vocal choices on microphone, continuity, finding your mark, out of sequence shooting and thought process.

Acting & Contemporary Performance

In this practice-based module, you'll explore contemporary theatre and performance-making vocabularies, both dramatic and post-dramatic, which will include a range of current practices together with work on play-texts from modern drama and new writing from contemporary playwrights. Textual material may also include verbatim text, new writing, found texts, material from non-dramatic sources and text derived from improvisation.

The Integrated Actor

This module encourages the development of the moving voice and speaking body. You'll focus on the development of a deeper and wider awareness of physical and vocal expressive qualities in acting. The module also seeks to explore the interconnection and integration of a body-mind continuum that will serve the psychophysically articulate actor/performer.

Acting & Classical Performance

You'll be developing and demonstrating your ownership of processes by which classical performances may be successfully realised for a contemporary audience. The focus will be on developing your understanding of the delivery of classical texts. Extracts of play texts will be selected, rehearsed and performed. As appropriate, research tasks will be set as part of practical sessions.

Screen Acting Skills

In this module you'll explore the principles and acting techniques pertinent to screen media. You'll work with material such as film and TV scripts and improvised story beats, acting out of sequence, continuity and working with framing. You'll also receive technical inductions to suit the requirements of the specific areas you're working on. These may include skills in camera operating and editing to enable students to self-shoot and to collate and arrange filmed material.

Acting and the Audience: Production 1

Here, you'll work with a director within a mid-scale theatre production. You'll be given directorial, dramaturgical and technical support for this process. As part of the module, you may be engaged with one or several of the following projects: a contemporary text-based play, a participatory performance, immersive theatre or a situated/site-specific performance.

You can choose to take an optional placement year after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the RealWORKS employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your placement year 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

Tackling a full-scale screen-acting project, you'll produce high-production-value material for your showreel. You'll turn research and core techniques into a solo performance project, and put on a full-scale public performance to be shown at the Academy of Music & Theatre Arts (AMATA) festival.

Using your knowledge of both practice and theory, you'll produce an essay about your acting and performance interests. You'll also grow your industry knowledge through masterclasses, guest speakers and practitioners.

Modules

Screen Acting Project

This module will further advance your practical acting skills for film and TV. You'll experience working in industry-standard contexts and environments, culminating in a finished piece of recorded work of high production value. You'll select, rehearse and shoot – in on-site and off-site locations – material from screenplays and TV scripts to generate footage to be used in your professional showreel.

Show in a Bag: Solo Performance Project

In this module, you'll continue to develop your creative independence through the generation of solo performance material. The module aims to create circumstances where you'll nurture your creative solo acting, presented as a 'scratch' performance. The performance work can take any form, for example stand-up comedy, text-based monologue, verbatim theatre or a performance lecture and may include multi-media and interdisciplinary working.

The Thinking Practitioner: Student-Led Research

This independent research project provides an opportunity for you to carry out in-depth research and critical analysis on a topic relevant to the ambition, direction and development of your practice. The module also provides an opportunity for you to develop advanced skills in planning, methodology, structuring, academic protocols and conventions associated with effective academic and discursive writing.

Professional Preparation

The Professional Preparation module is all about student employability and providing you with a detailed understanding of professional contexts, ensuring you're well-equipped for life after university. This module may also include an introduction to equity membership, tax and personal finance, employment law and contracts, audition preparation and etiquette, reviewing and updating promotional material, choice of headshots, CV layout, professional work applications, professional website, arts funding applications and workshops with professional practitioners and potential employers.

Acting and the Audience: Production 2

This practice-based module will facilitate the development of your working processes as an actor within a full-scale public theatre production of a professional standard. You'll work in an intensive rehearsal environment as part of a theatre company and collaborate with a director and creative team to rehearse and perform to the public. This production is a culmination of all the skills gained and developed during the Acting degree.