


Acting BA(Hons)
Master the skills to succeed as a reflective, contemporary performer.
Course overview
This Acting degree provides in-depth training in practical techniques for stage, screen and recorded media, with access to outstanding facilities. Based in a vibrant, creative and collaborative community, you’ll work with industry professionals who will nurture your individuality and, through a supportive, risk-taking environment, will encourage ownership over your preparation for a career within the acting industry.
You will:
- Learn, develop and apply acting techniques and approaches as you are prepared for a professional career
- Engage with working professional practitioners through practical sessions and intensive performance projects
- Collaborate with students within AMATA as well as those specialising in film, television and games, gaining industry-relevant training
- Showcase your work through live and digital performances
- Benefit from being located in a working performance venue offering a year-round programme, which has attracted world-class artists and performers. Previous events have included Anne McNulty, Gecko Theatre, Michael Grandage Company, Prodigal Theatre and Wildworks
- Have access to a host of resources including green screen and motion-capture facilities
Photo credit (above): Steve Tanner
This course is an accredited degree with Spotlight and Equity. Graduates are eligible to join Spotlight in the first term of their final year. Inclusive of their membership, they have a wealth of support, content and events tailored explicitly towards this membership group from Spotlight.
Course details
On this Acting degree, you'll have the opportunity to gain a BA(Hons) degree over three years or study Acting BA(Hons) with a professional placement year option.
Focusing on practical skills, you'll learn from working industry professionals while studying voice and speech, textual analysis, physical expression and behaviour, and imaginative and real interactions with space, set and design.
You'll also study collaborative and ensemble approaches to creative acting and performing.
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 professional placement 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 employability team.
Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying.
How you’ll study during your professional placement
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.
The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.
From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details:
How you'll learn & be assessed
This acting degree has a strong focus on practical work, so you'll perform from the first year onwards. You'll gain first-hand experience from workshops with international practitioners, cross-departmental collaborations with film, TV and games courses, and regular residencies and performances from new and established companies, ensembles and performers. Core vocal and physical training, approaches to acting, and intensive production projects will help you explore and grow as an actor and performer.
You'll spend an average of 15-18 hours per week in study and in contact with staff, with extended hours during productions, and extra time dedicated to student-led rehearsals. And you'll share lectures and group seminars on acting and performance theories and practices with BA(Hons) Theatre & Performance.
At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.
Assessment methods
How you’ll be assessed:
Your assessments will be coursework and practical exams.
Practical assessment includes:
- Showings
- Performances
- Workshops
- Studio-based practice
- Showreels
- Voicereels
- Final-year major performance showcase
Written assessment includes:
- Literature reviews
- Essays
- Portfolios
- Final-year dissertation (extended essay) on a research or practice-based topic of choice

" ... lecturers are approachable, committed and come from a variety of backgrounds within the industry so they all know what they're talking about. "
Staff
You'll be trained, developed and supported by leading actors, directors and scholars, learning from their experience working in the UK industry, as well as in America, Asia, Australasia and throughout Europe.

Matthew Morgan-Stevens
Course Leader, BA Acting
Matthew trained at East 15 Acting School on the Foundation Course in Acting followed by the BA Actin...

Agnieszka Blonska
Senior Lecturer in Acting and Theatre & Performance
Agnieszka Blonska is a theatre director and performer based in the UK since 2003. For the last 20 ye...

Dr Misri Dey
Senior Lecturer, Theatre and Acting
I am a highly experienced practitioner-scholar-lecturer in creative theatre making and acting, solo ...

Gareth Farr
Senior Lecturer
Gareth trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to work at...

David Greeves
AL Movement
Background; born in Redruth, Cornwall, April 1966, working worldwide in Opera, Bollywood, large scal...

Klaus Kruse
Senior Lecturer, Theatre
Klaus Kruse is a director, scenographer, performer, poet and songwriter based in the UK since 2002 a...

Caroline Jeffries
Senior Lecturer
Caroline trained as an actor and worked in the UK, Europe and Australia before joining the BBC Drama...

Ciaran Clarke
Lecturer
Ciaran began as a Lecturer at Falmouth whilst studying his for his PhD in 2018, teaching across Acti...

Paul Joines
Technical Tutor
Since graduating in ‘Broadcast Studies’ from Falmouth College of Arts in 1996, Paul has spent ov...

Terrie Fender
Associate Lecturer
Terrie trained as an actress at the Drama Centre, London, and spent ten years working in the theatre...

Alister O'Loughlin
Associate Lecturer
Alister trained as an actor in the UK and spent two years with an Eastern European laboratory theatr...

Gemma Wright
Lecturer in Voice
Gemma joined Falmouth University in 2017. Previous to working at Falmouth, Gemma taught voice and ac...

Amanda Collins
Lecturer
Amanda is a theatre director and actor trainer. She trained as a director at Rose Bruford College an...

Naomi Schulke
Associate Lecturer of Singing
Naomi is a Singing Teacher, Writer and Interview Coach. She began life as a classical singer, before...
Some members of staff only teach on specific modules, and your course might not feature every staff member who teaches on the course.
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Above: a selection of images from workshops delivered by:
- Natural Theatre Company
- Michael Grandage CBE
- Prodigal Theatre
- Stage Combat Training
Facilities
- 11 high-specification performance and rehearsal studios.
- Two large, flexible theatres with state-of-the-art lighting and sound resources.
- Smaller rehearsal studios.
- Three dance studios with Harlequin sprung floors.
- Recording studio complex.
- Technical resource store.
- Professional theatre venue hosting visiting companies and artistes.

Performance Facilities
The Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) is a purpose-built live venue housing an assembly of f...

Library Facilities
Offering extensive collections, our two libraries provide a wealth of digital resources, magazines, ...

Sports Centre
Our Sports Centre, on Penryn Campus, includes a spacious gym with up to 90 of the latest, new statio...
Careers
Employability and next steps:
- Graduates are eligible to join Spotlight Casting Directory and Equity, the Actor's Union.
- Graduates have gone on to perform nationally and pursue careers as actors on stage and on screen
- Graduates have become creators of touring shows at venues and as part of theatre festivals
- Graduates have gone on to study MA's at leading institutions in specialist subjects

You could become a professional actor, a freelance artist or performer, or you may inspire others by working as a teacher or by running workshops as a community arts practitioner.
How to apply
Ready to join us? You can apply for September 2023 through Clearing or for September 2024 through UCAS Apply and Track. You'll need to reference the course and University code (F33).
Course route | UCAS code |
---|---|
Acting BA(Hons) three year degree | W410 |
Acting BA(Hons) with professional placement | PY01 |

Application advice & interview information
Go to ToolkitWe consider all applications on their own individual merit and potential. We invite all applicants to an interview day or audition to give them the opportunity to demonstrate this along with what inspires and motivates them in their field. Applicants will also be able to show their portfolio or give a performance depending on the course. We welcome applications from all subject backgrounds, whether you’ve specialised in STEM, the arts or humanities.
Course route | Entry requirements |
---|---|
BA/BSc(Hons) three year degree | 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points |
BA/BSc(Hons) four year degree with professional placement | 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points |
Check the title of your course to see if it's a BA or BSc award. UCAS Tariff points will primarily be from Level 3 qualifications such as but not limited to A-levels, T Levels, a BTEC/UAL Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma.
For applicants whose first language is English we require you to have or be working towards GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent.
If English is not your first language you will need to meet the same standard which is equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. We accept a range of in country equivalencies and approved tests.
If you need a student visa to study in the UK, you may need to take a recognised language test. You can read our English Language Requirements for more information.
For starting your studies in 2023
UK applications: 25 January 2023 (for equal consideration)
Applications after the 25 January will be considered on a first-come, first-served as long as there are places available. Apply for this course now.
International fee payers
International fee payers can apply throughout the year. But we recommend applying as early as possible, to make time for visa and travel arrangements.
What we're looking for
We want someone who:
- Can vocalise text, vary tone, and respond to material.
- Physically engages with their environment.
- Is lively and responsive.
- Thinks independently.
Fees, costs & funding
Tuition fees
Annual tuition fee | Student |
---|---|
£9,250 per year | Full-time UK |
£17,460 per year | Full-time EU/international |
£1,850 per professional placement year | Full-Time UK and EU/international |
Annual tuition fee | Student |
---|---|
£9,250 per year | Full-time UK |
£17,950 per year | Full-time EU/international |
£1,850 per professional placement year | Full-Time UK and EU/international |
£1,385 per study abroad year | Full-Time UK and EU/international |
Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.
The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs
Typical course costs
- Public Programme season tickets (student rate) costs found: AMATA Live Pass
- Students must come prepared with suitable loose warm clothing appropriate for all practical classes, a non-shatter water bottle for practical sessions, a yoga mat for movement classes and a reusable metal straw for voice classes. Approx £100/year
- General Materials, such as scripts or books. Approx £125/year
- Optional costs: tickets to FIAfest (Falmouth International Arts Fest)
If you need to bring equipment or materials with you, these will be outlined in your Welcome Letter.
Funding
For information about funding available, please visit our student funding pages.
Ask a student
What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students?
From course details and academic support, to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.
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