MFA — 2025 entry Acting

In this module students are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have been developing in other modules - Stage Acting, Voice Technique and Movement Technique - to the practical work of rehearsal and performance of theatre scripts. An initial in-class presentation of a rehearsed play ('Bridge' project) models the actor-director relationship, and leads to a public-facing production of a play led by a visiting professional director. In this module students will also work with a visiting director on research and development towards the new writing project for the stage which they will create in the Year 2 module 'New Work for Stage and Film'. Thus, the module provides a platform for students to further refine their grasp of fundamental principles of actor training as well as the more advanced, sophisticated technical, creative and collaborative requirements placed upon the professional stage performer.

This module is designed to explore and enhance the student's capacity to meet the expressive physical demands placed upon the professional actor. The classwork is underpinned by an understanding of anatomy and incorporates a somatic focus upon bodily wellbeing as well as conditioning. A secure physical technique is developed and extended to integrate techniques drawn from influential practitioners of creative movement in order to enhance the student's bodily expressiveness and ability to delineate a dramatic character through non-verbal means.

This module is designed to inculcate in the student advanced knowledge and skills in acting techniques for the stage. Through class exercises, students engage with principles of stagecraft and the creation of a dramatic character in the theatre. A range of perspectives and approaches is employed over the module to ground students in acting as a cultural practice with an evolving history of styles and genres. Students will develop a coherent personal approach to their acting out of the practical classroom exercises.

This module is designed to inculcate in the student advanced knowledge and skills in acting techniques for the screen. Through class exercises, students engage with techniques of screen acting in the creation and performance of a dramatic character. A range of scripts offer the students an opportunity to explore screen genres and approaches. Students will develop a coherent personal approach to acting for the screen out of the practical classroom exercises. Students will also learn technical fundamentals of scripting, shooting and editing a film, and these skills will be deployed in the final part of the module on self-generated projects for either professional showreel (MA Acting) or a short fiction film showcasing students¿ technical understanding of film-making as well as acting skills.

This module will provide the student with a firm grounding in principles and techniques of the use of the voice in acting. Practical classroom exercises will combine knowledge of vocal anatomy with development of breath, resonance and articulation, and will make use of texts selected for the purposes of practising students¿ technical facility, expressive range, musicality and creative flexibility relevant to a broad range of professional contexts.

GSA will cast and direct students for a performance chosen by the school. The ensemble will comprise both MFA Actors and MFA Musical Theatre students, and the selection of the performance piece will be based on the skills and dynamics of the student groups. The piece will be chosen with an awareness of the continually developing global perspective within the industry. The rehearsal period will span four to five weeks of full-time rehearsals, followed by a performance week of dress rehearsals and shows. Throughout the course of rehearsals, a production creative team of professionals will continuously provide feedback on student progress. The directors and production staff will be selected from members of the faculty, production courses, and a pool of professional working directors and technicians.

This module introduces students to key principles, skills and techniques required to facilitate actor training in a variety of teaching and learning contexts, including, but not limited to schools, community groups, professional training, education outreach activities and online learning, across diverse communities. Learning and Teaching processes will be examined through the lenses of acting, voice and movement.

This module has two main components: a Showcase and a Sustained Independent Project (SIP). The professional showcase is a significant opportunity for students to demonstrate their acting abilities to industry professionals. It is streamed online. The SIP allows students to delve deeply into a chosen area of interest, and author and present either a 10-minute short film or a 30-minute one-person show. This project encourages students to develop and showcase their creativity and ability to produce professional-level work. In addition to the professional showcase and SIP, the module also includes a continuous skills development component that enables students to maintain their skills in, film-making, voice and movement skills., ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and techniques demanded by the industry.

This module is planned in two parts: a new writing project and a collaborative project in film. The module design ensures industry-level performance skills and evidence of original practice and research. It brings together the technical performance skills acquired in the previous compulsory modules. The content covered will reflect both the interests of the student group and the broader global community. The project allows us to produce performances for a wide demographic that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. New Writing Project This project enables students to deepen and extend techniques in practical rehearsal work, but this time on a new text. Students will collaborate with a writer in a research and development week before the writing phase. The students will then start to work on the new script with a director and occasional visits from the writer to make amendments where necessary. The project will culminate in a black box production, which will perform in rep with or alongside the New Musical project for MFA Musical Theatre as part of a season of new writing. Film Project This element enables students to collaborate on an original or adapted screen performance project. Students will be given practical instruction in filmmaking techniques and work in small groups to create, document, shoot and eventually show their work in a screening for an invited audience. The module will engage with the specific disciplines of genre and style, will be delivered via committed ensemble practice, and will develop the acquisition of a structured and effective rehearsal technique underpinned by practice-based and academic research. Students will learn to analyse and interrogate dramatic text and identify, evaluate, and process character information within the chosen genre. They will integrate vocal and physical skills commensurate with the performance space. The module also develops the student¿s expertise in research, preparation and contextual discussion¿building on the theories, practices and processes regarding character creation. This module and its bibliography may be adapted to reflect the interests of the current cohort and the wider global community. Students will continue the practice of keeping a rehearsal logbook, including annotated scripts that will be produced in the course of the training.