Course overview
This is the capstone course for the Bachelor of Music Theatre. The course, which is in two parts, will focus on the rehearsal and performance of a major musical for a public audience and an industry showcase targeting agents, producers and directors. Casting of the musical will be by audition and based on excellence. The showcase will feature every student.
Graduation Musical: Students will be required to apply skills learnt in other courses to the rehearsal and performance of a complete work, and to integrate skills of singing, dancing and acting to support the story, text and interpretation. A key focus will be to learn more about, and investigate through practice, the relationship between the actor and the director. Subject areas could include language structure, text and score analysis, performance history and research, integrating analysis into stage delivery, applying stagecraft, taking direction, working with design, costume and props, singing, dance and understanding the technical rehearsal.
Industry Showcase: To study specific repertoire from a variety of music theatre genres within the form of song and dance, accent and text. Following this, working with permanent and guest lecturers, performers will develop their work in acting, song and dance to an appropriate standard for presentation to industry representatives. Students will learn to prepare audition material, practice and prioritise verbal and physical skills, refine and engage with a personal connection to theatrical material in a professional setting, perform autonomously and focus on collaboration and preparation with discipline. Performers will develop an approach to launching themselves in the industry, managing the generation of headshots, CVs and other marketing tools.
Course learning outcomes
- Utilise skills of observation, imitation, communication, and visual, aural and spatial awareness in ensemble performance
- Demonstrate a range of performance techniques from acting, singing and/or dancing in performance
- Demonstrate a developing connection to text and the nuances of language and meaning
- Distinguish the qualities of text and music, and apply an artistic and technical process to both in the creation of a role for performance
- Utilise an imaginative and expressive response in the creation of a role for performance
- Define the commitment and discipline required of the professional actor and apply teamwork as part of a collaborative creative ensemble
- Work constructively with other performers, directors, writers, technicians and designers.