MA Musical Theatre Performance or Musical Directing

Introduction

Performance

The performance pathway offers an intensive blend of high-level vocational education and creative opportunities for students. The programme requires a related degree and/or related performance experience and marries together project-based learning experiences with focused skills classes in acting, voice, singing and dance.

This is a high-contact programme which includes individual singing tutorials, rep sessions and project mentoring. As a Masters student, your practice will be underpinned by the RCS’ principles of Critical Artistry; ensuring that through practice-based research you will develop a deeper understanding of your craft, the industry and your place in the world as a creative artist.

You will work with our highly experienced programme staff as well as a number of visiting industry practitioners and creatives. Our diverse range of performance projects will provide opportunities for you to explore and share your practice within a wide array of settings. These will include in-depth work on acting projects, solo cabarets, new musical development and commercial performance skills.

A full season of work featuring our Masters students is produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each year.

Musical Directing

Full fee waiver applies

The Musical Directing pathway is designed to support the development of skills and creative thought for musicians with a passion for theatre. As a Masters student, you will study the musical landscape, engage in practice-based-research and explore your own potential as a contributor to the future of the art form.

The programme is closely linked with the industry and this ensures that you acquire the practical skills to support a sustained and varied career. Through specialised and focused conservatoire-level training, specific attention will be paid to:

Keyboard skills
Conducting skills
Scoring and arranging techniques
Vocal technique and repertoire coaching, Programming and Sound

These one-to-one classes are designed to build your skill and experience as a musical director in the varying areas relevant to the form. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects matched to your specific interests and goals. Projects could include:

Musical Director, arranger and orchestrator of the RCS Christmas Concert
Musical Director of our BA Musical Theatre Glasgow and London Showcases
Musical Director on the development of new and commissioned work
Assistant Musical Director across fully produced BA Musical Theatre and Actor Muso shows
Musical Director of a Cabaret season, Musical Directing roles on a season of work produced for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Choreography

Subject to validation

This choreography degree is the only one of its kind in the UK. Taught within a conservatoire environment, you will build on existing dance skills while developing your craft in choreography and movement direction. You will have the opportunity to work with students on projects and productions within both the BA and MA Musical Theatre programmes, as well as with staff and industry professionals on productions across the Conservatoire. This specialist and personalised training will include:

Skills-based modules to enable you to develop and refine your creative and technical choreography skills
Exposure to a diverse range of stylistic material, to enhance versatility
Project work and Industry connections
Wide range of learning environments and opportunities, e.g shadowing industry professionals, assistant/associate choreographer roles, autonomous choreographic practice and working as part of the creative team on our Edinburgh Festival Fringe productions

Programme structure

Performance

Skills classes in acting, voice, dance and performance
1-2-1 singing & rep sessions
New musical development
Acting scene studies – classical & contemporary text
Musical Theatre scene studies and performance opportunities
Public performances include Big Band concert in conjunction with the RCS Big Band, solo cabaret or devised performance and a full season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; including a fully produced main stage musical theatre production and the performances of two brand new musical works

Musical Directing

Skills classes in keyboard skills, conducting and rehearsal techniques, scoring and arranging, keyboard programming and vocal technique
Students will be mentored through a series of projects
New musical development
Assistant Musical Director and mentorship through three fully produced BA Musical Theatre shows including a book musical, a contemporary musical and an actor-musician project
Fully produced public Big Band concert in conjunction with the RCS Big Band
Musical Theatre scene study and performance
Public performance of solo cabaret
Full season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; including a fully produced main stage musical theatre production and performances of a brand new work developed through the course of the year

Choreography

Subject to validation

Skills classes in choreography, movement direction and staging, dance technique, partnering, physical theatre and devised movement
Students will be mentored through a series of choreographic projects, which may include New Musical Development, Book Musicals, Contemporary Musicals, Actor-Musicianship projects, Big Band Concerts and Edinburgh Fringe productions
Choreographic/Movement Direction placements within other Dance & Drama programmes across the Conservatoire will also be supported

Why choose us?

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is in the World Top 10 for performing arts education 2016, 2017 and 2018 (QS World Rankings)

Full year of intensive training, supported by an experienced team of in-house and external industry professionals
Small class sizes with high contact time. One-to-one lessons in singing, repertoire and mentor sessions
Programme design that prioritises experiential learning and self-determined pathways
Collaborative and inter-disciplinary opportunities, such as can only be found within the particular conservatoire environment we provide
New musical development with industry creatives and collaborative partners
Full season of performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Regular contact with industry professionals and mentors
Showcases in Glasgow and London
New York Industry Week for North American students
94% of performance graduate respondents are in employment or further study (HESA, 2017/18)
100% of musical direction graduate responses are in employment or further study (HESA, 2017/18)

Teaching staff

Head of MA Musical Theatre and Lecturer (Acting)

Jane Hensey

Teaching Staff

Gordon Adams – Programme Coordinator, MA Musical Theatre Lecturer, Voice and Singing
David Higham – Associate Head of BA Musical Theatre, Lecturer, Musical Direction
Emily Reutlinger – Head of BA Musical Theatre, Lecturer, Artist in Development
Ruth Mills – Lecturer, Dance
Rowan MacGregor, Courtney Bailey Allan, Freya Jeffs, Dr Lucy Weir – Lecturers, Dance
Jean Sangster – Head of Voice and the Centre for Voice in Performance
Bill Wright, Hilary Jones, Melanie Drake – Lecturers, Voice
Scott Harrison, Caroline Hurst, Arlene Rolph, Claire Thomas, Emma Trow, Marjory Watson – Lecturers, Singing

Facilities

Classes take place across the two Royal Conservatoire of Scotland buildings. Core classes take place in our purpose built dance studios and drama/voice rooms at either Renfrew Street or the award-winning Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks. Research, reflective practice and professional practice subjects are taught in a fully equipped student IT suite and supported by one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of performance materials for dance, drama, music, production and screen in the Whittaker Library.

The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks has been developed to include eight purpose built multi-functional dance and drama rehearsal spaces which will be utilized for all major productions – allowing a fully integrated professional rehearsal process with onsite production and technical team involvement.

External venues used by the programme have included Oran Mor, Cottiers Theatre, Tron Theatre and Scottish Youth Theatre.

Students have successfully auditioned for and worked with Dundee Theatre, MacRobert Arts Centre and The Citizens Theatre as part of their student placement programmes.

Class of 2018

Graduate destinations

All of our training is geared towards preparing you for a sustainable and long lasting professional career. Graduates of the programme are working around the world; in London’s West End, on Broadway, on international tours, and for renowned companies including the National Theatre of Scotland.

Some recent graduates include:

Performance

Eu Jin Hwang The King and I (National tour)
George Arvidson Evita (West End) and Carousel (Pitlochry Festival Theatre)
Rebecca Faulkenberry Rock of Ages, Spiderman and High School Musical (Broadway)
Keisha Fraser Colour Purple and Book of Mormon (West End)
Scott Garnham Les Misérables, I Can’t Sing (West End), Billy Elliot (national tour)
Aaron Lee Lambert Shrek, Urinetown (West End), Sister Act (National tour)
Tom Mackley Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End)
John McLarnon We Will Rock You, The Commitments (West End), Apologia and Outlander

Musical Directing

Alan Bukowiecki The Book of Mormon (Broadway), Chicago and Hair (US National tour)
Andrea Grody The Band’s List (Broadway)
James Simpson Lion King (Singapore), Aladdin (Australia)
Amy Shackcloth Company (West End), Pinocchio and Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (NTS and National Theatre), Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK and National tours)
Claire McKenzie Award-winning composer and co-founder of Noisemaker
Tamara Saringer Vanities the Musical, the Life (West End), Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre)

Testimonials

Images and video

Christmas at the Conservatoire

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Legacy: A Mother’s Song

Legacy: Book of Names

Fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for academic year 2019-20

UK/EU Students – £13,095
International (Non EU) – £20,561

Scottish/EU students

New Scottish and EU domiciled students may be eligible for a Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan. All eligible students will be able to apply directly to Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for a non-means tested loan of up to £3,400. See the SAAS website for further details of the PSAS scheme.

Scottish domiciled postgraduate students on eligible courses can also apply for a Postgraduate Living Cost Loan up to £4,500 towards living expenses. This is in addition to the existing loan available towards the cost of their tuition fees.

Scholarships

Any potential student who auditions for a place at the Royal Conservatoire will automatically be considered for a scholarship. They are awarded on a combination of talent, potential and financial need. More information about Scholarships, as well as alternative funding sources and bursaries, is available on our Fees and Funding page.

The Conservatoire’s International and Student Experience team are available to advise and assist applicants and current students in respect of queries about funding your studies at the Conservatoire. Please email or phone +44 (0)141 270 8281/ +44 (0)141 270 8223 for further information.

Entry requirements

Our admissions processes are designed to be fair, transparent and efficient. The audition/interview approach serves the dual nature of allowing the panel to assess first-hand an applicant’s suitability for their chosen programme and it also affords the applicant the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the nature of that programme and the opportunities offered by the RCS.

In arriving at its recommendation, the audition/interview panel will take account of all aspects of the applicant’s profile i.e.:

General Academic entrance requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold an appropriate undergraduate degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.

Language of Study

The language of study is English. Applicants who first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. We accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Level 7.5 (with a score of 7.5 in speaking) is required.

Non-standard Entry

We welcome applications from individuals whose academic qualifications or English language qualifications do not match (in terms of equivalence) or fall short of the normal entrance requirements, where specified*. Having satisfied the Audition Panel that they meet the selection criteria and demonstrated that they have the capacity to pursue the proposed course of study, such applicants will be considered through examination of contextualised data provided in accordance with the Non-Standard Entry Policy. The appropriate Head of Department/ Programme will make a case in support of the applicant for consideration by the Directors of the Schools and Convener of the Quality and Standards Committee.

*Note that UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) imposes minimum English Language qualifications in respect of international (non-EU) applicants who require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK.

Mature Students

RCS welcomes applications from mature students, i.e. students over the age of 21 at entry to the programme. Whilst the selection procedures will still be applied, consideration will be given to appropriate artistic experience not normally expected in school leavers, which is deemed to compensate for any lack of traditional entrance qualifications. Successful mature applicants, as for all other applicants, must convince auditioning panels that they have the ability and potential to cope with the demands of the programme. Their progress, especially in the early stages of the programme, will be closely monitored and appropriate advice and support given.

Auditions

Applicants are asked to prepare the following for their audition

MA Musical Theatre (Performance)

Dance/movement

The first element of the audition process is a dance call. No preparation is required for this section; applicants will be led through a group class/workshop on the day. Please wear fitted dance clothing for this part of the audition.

Singing

For this section, applicants are required to prepare four songs: two up-tempo and two ballads of varying stylistic demands

music should be prepared clearly for the pianist and should be in the correct key
no recorded backing will be permitted and you may not accompany yourself for this element of the audition
three songs should be musical theatre and one should be from another genre (e.g. pop, rock, blues, jazz)
it is unlikely that the panel will listen to all four complete songs; we will hear what we need to get an overall impression of range, technique and potential

Acting

For this section, applicants are required to prepare one Shakespeare monologue and one contemporary monologue to contrast.

Both should be between one–three minutes in length. Applicants are required to prepare and learn their monologues thoroughly in advance and ensure that they have an understanding of the entire play, not just the monologue, as the panel may ask you to discuss choices or respond to direction.

Devised piece

Applicants will be given two minutes to present a piece of their own devising; this can include sections of text combined, an entirely original piece, a movement piece, a devised character piece or a devised/self-written song. The key for applicants is to ensure that the devised material expresses something significant for them with the panel examining both composition and performance.

MA Musical Theatre (Musical Directing)

For the interview process, candidates should prepare the following:

Portfolio of work

Indicative content would be a CV, production reviews, past arrangements by the candidate, CD of recorded work etc. This material should be provided at least one week prior to the interview.

Set arrangement

This will be issued to the candidate with the email confirming interview date. Clear instructions will be given as to what is required and this arrangement may be discussed during the interview.

Workshop (condensed rehearsal)

Candidates will be asked to lead a 30-minute workshop to a group of Musical Theatre students which should include:

a short warm-up
elements of vocal technique
the start point of teaching a section of ensemble repertoire of the candidate’s choosing
elements of style and interpretation

Consultation lesson

The candidate will be given a 30-minute consultation piano lesson working through varying pieces of prepared repertoire.

This session will explore the range of keyboard skills and understanding of stylistic interpretation through a one-to-one workshop. Please bring a small selection of song accompaniments for this session. The following sections need no formal preparation:

Sight-reading

Candidates will be asked to accompany one or two solo singers. Sheet music will only be seen at the point of the interview.

Formal interview

We will be looking for clear communicators who have a strong sense of purpose and show the drive to succeed in a highly competitive industry.

Recordings

If you are auditioning via video recording, please read the following information before sending us your material.

Prior to submitting a recorded audition, you must apply via UCAS Conservatoires. Recorded auditions can be easily submitted online using Acceptd. You will need to create an account before uploading the recordings you wish to be considered. Recordings will not be considered until a UCAS Conservatoires application has been submitted.

Once you have completed the UCAS Conservatoires application, you should proceed to Acceptd to submit your video recording. Please check individual requirements above for what to prepare for your audition.

MA Musical Theatre (Choreography)

We are looking to assess your skills in dance and movement, both technically and creatively. In practical sessions, we are looking at leadership qualities, elements of unique style and interpretation, together with creative and choreographic skill. Your practical audition will be in two parts.

Workshop

You will be asked to lead a one-hour workshop to a group of musical theatre students which should include a short warm-up, a short self-choreographed routine which should be taught to the students (who will be of mixed ability), and elements of style and interpretation that represents your creative voice.

Group dance call

A technique class led by a conservatoire dance lecturer to assess your experience and technical skill level. This is usually a mixture of ballet, contemporary and jazz styles. Workshop – You will be asked to lead a one hour workshop with a group of Musical Theatre students. As a guideline, this should include, a short warm up and a short self-choreographed routine which you will teach to students. This group will be of mixed ability.

Interview

For your interview, you should prepare a portfolio of work. Including, CV, Showreel of choreographic work (DVD, MPEG file or web link), any production reviews.

Audition preparation

We also offer musical theatre audition preparation courses through our Centre for Lifelong Learning. There are four courses to choose from:

Where	When
New York	TBC
Chicago	TBC
Toronto	TBC

Last decision by	Your reply date is
4 January 2019	30 January 2019
16 March 2019	16 April 2019
16 July 2019	30 July 2019
6 August 2019	9 September 2019
After 6 August 2019	25 September 2019

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Performance

Musical Directing

Choreography

Performance

Musical Directing

Choreography

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is in the World Top 10 for performing arts education 2016, 2017 and 2018 (QS World Rankings)

Head of MA Musical Theatre and Lecturer (Acting)

Teaching Staff

Performance

Musical Directing

Testimonials

Christmas at the Conservatoire

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Legacy: A Mother’s Song

Legacy: Book of Names

Tuition fees for academic year 2019-20

Scottish/EU students

Scholarships

Recordings

Audition preparation

Application deadline date

Audition fee