Performances
Throughout both courses we balance our teaching with performances. The teaching in each department relates to the performance blocks in rehearsal.
At the beginning of the course all students work on a number of short two or three scene parts of contemporary scripts. On the one year programme we then move on to Chekhov, whilst two year students tackle Shakespeare’s first folio.
The one year students then join the second year students from the two year programme to perform three or four pantomimes which tour local schools.
The one years then move on to Restoration comedy and Shakespeare, before the Project block and graduation performance,
Meanwhile the two year group have a Commedia del’ Arte block, a mask project, and performances in Restoration and Chekhov. These are followed by fully staged 19th century plays, a film project and the 20th century performances before joining their colleagues on the one year course for the Graduation Productions playing at least one major role as close as possible to their likely casting in the profession.
Throughout the course there is the opportunity to hone talents which an actor may be called upon to use. There is an annual cabaret, singing concerts and a dance and singing performance.
As an acting school we focus on just that. As the courses progress we add more and more production values. At the start of each course, the performances are ‘bare bulb’ shows without sound or costume. These are added steadily by our directors and our in house technician and wardrobe mistress, until we reach the final public performances when we have a large crew of freelance technicians from all specialisms to mount full productions.
All our productions focus on performance.