Musical Theatre Practice

To introduce students to a range of theories and approaches to musical theatre performance, including aspects of sung and spoken voice and movement/dance To establish a shared sense of ensemble and the codes of conduct and professional work ethic expected of musical theatre actors; To link practical work to an understanding of the social and historical roots and evolving processes of the musical theatre actor; To introduce students to a constructive vocabulary and method of observing and evaluating both their own practice and that of others; To introduce students to the use of formative feedback as means of developing practice To provide opportunities for students to synthesise their work in a range of in-class performing exercises.A year-long skills development module which is practically based, emphasising developing process and building vocabularies and skills rather than performance Students are expected to wear suitable rehearsal clothing and footwear as outlined in the Drama Department Handbook, and to equip themselves with personal recording equipment for musical and voice work.

This module introduces you to the professional working vocabularies surrounding different aspects of production and technical activities in making performance, and the origins and development of key roles in these areas. You will also be introduced to the theatres of Liverpool and their respective infrastructures/operational bases, including funding. You will be offered the opportunity to undertake roles in both stage management and front-of-house as contribution to public and in-house production work.

To introduce the principles of play and spontaneity as they relate to the processes of musical theatre performing, and the work of relevant practitioners; To encourage students to develop a level of freedom of imagination and body/voice expressivity through the use of theatre games; To introduce methods of using play/improvisation both as a rehearsal tool and as a way of creating performance material.An exploration of the use of play and the concept of spontaneity as part of working process and in performance. Students are expected to wear suitable rehearsal clothing and footwear as outlined in the Drama Department Handbook, and to equip themselves with personal recording equipment for musical and voice work.

To introduce students to a range of models of analysing theatre musical theatre texts, both as script (libretto, score, etc) and performance; To provide opportunities for students to assess and develop their skill in writing and presenting academic papers/essays.A combination of lectures and practical seminar/workshop which explores modes of theoretical and practical analysis through discussion allied to work on the rehearsal floor.

To introduce students to a range of contemporary and historical theoretical perspectives on musical theatre performance and repertoire To extend students' critical and theoretical vocabularies To offer opportunities for exploration of theory as a practical rehearsal tool; To offer students the opportunity to present argument in an appropriate and scholarly mannerA lecture based module, which allows for exploration of key concepts through discussion and where appropriate practical work on the studio floor.

To provide opportunity for students to consolidate and nurture musical theatre performance and acting skills through research, rehearsal and performance To identify practical and cognitive strategies for performing a text To recognise the provenance of an extant text within a cultural/historical contextThis is a practical, workshop-based module, which is led by a staff director, musical director and choreographer as appropriate. It will culminate in a workshop production of extant material – usually, but not necessarily, from a single show - focusing on building and consolidating rehearsal process and musical theatre acting skills, rather than fully realised production values. Students will perform selected scenes/numbers and receive feedback on their skillsets in tutorial and rehearsal contexts. Student should wear appropriate rehearsal clothing as advised by their project director.

To expand understanding of musical theatre making by introducing students to the background and crafts of the director and other creative personnel. To further develop collaborative working practices in a creative and interpretive context To develop students' ability to develop and present creative ideas in oral presentation.The module introduces further creative skills in the making of performance in terms of creative personnel and processes, usually through a series of directed exercises.

To introduce students to a range of contemporary performance forms and practitioners To expand and enhance the students' level of conceptual understanding associated with critical approaches to performance. To develop students' ability to write coherently about contemporary performance with appropriate academic presentationA series of lecture/seminars that examines and deconstructs contemporary examples of practice and offers a range of critical frameworks for analysis.

To engage students in the techniques and processes associated with presenting work for the stage from in a popular theatre context To offer the opportunity for students to work collaboratively in producing theatrical performance that engages directly with its audienceThis is a practical, workshop-based module which will be directed by a staff director, musical director and choreographer as appropriate. It will culminate in a presentation of musical theatre material focused upon the direct relationship between performer and audience. Students will receive feedback on their skillsets in both tutorial and rehearsal contexts. Students should wear appropriate rehearsal clothing as advised by their project director.

To offer opportunity for students to develop advanced ensemble skills in musical theatre performance, through rehearsing and presenting work that includes complex vocal and movement/dance sequences. To develop theoretical understanding of the place of ensemble/chorus in musical theatre in terms of musico-dramatic function, theatrical convention and working practice.A workshop module where students develop further more specialist skills leading to a sharing of material explored in an appropriate format.

To enhance students ability to deal with advanced concepts, philosophies and critical frameworks appropriate to musical theatre practice research; To equip students with appropriate enhanced skills in use of supporting technologies in designing and proposing a piece of focused academic research. To make students aware of all ethical and academic propriety issues and practices connected to LJMU research. To enable students to develop their independent ideas for a final written dissertation.This module marries conceptual thinking with practical methodologies for research into performance, and though the assessment word count for the summative assessment submission is relatively limited at this level it aims to promote clarity of thought and determine the ability to synthesise both strands of the work into a focused research proposal.

To engage students in the techniques and processes associated with producing a piece of musical theatre that is created from researching and putting together extant, new musical theatre and non-musical theatre texts around a central idea or theme. To offer the opportunity for students to work collaboratively and self-direct in producing musical theatre that aims to be both informative and entertaining To enhance students' capacity for peer and self-evaluation of self-directed work.A project module focusing on specific context and function of performance. Material will be drawn from a range of sources as appropriate.

To offer students an opportunity to extend independent preparation and practice and develop advanced skills in a selected musical theatre role (or roles, if appropriate – i.e. director and actor; musical director and composer) To enable students to realise musical theatre that will be useful as part of professional portfolio or in accessing further advanced skills training; To further consolidate understanding of developing personal musical theatre practice in a wider context.It should be noted that this module, together with the work of the other two L6 modules in this semester provide not only development of advanced musical theatre skills and/or knowledge which relates to employability, but also feeds into the two new modules in Semester 2. They are Advanced Musical Theatre Practice 2, which culminates in the presentation of a season of work under the LJMU Drama Festival Banner, and Musical Theatre Portfolio, which allows students to draw together examples of work as a living CV and linked to part of their website for self-marketing purposes.

To further develop students understanding of production and company infrastructures and base of operation To develop conceptual and practical considerations of the freelance musical theatre artist To further enhance students' ability to work independently and collectivelyThis module further offers students the opportunity to develop either a festival event pitch or a personal company business plan as a means of enhancing potential future employability. Where appropriate the module will invite alumni who have real world experience of founding and running their own companies, or who have run festivals or similar events, to contribute to delivery.

To offer opportunity for students to share their personal interest in a chosen aspect of drama or theatre practice; To develop advanced skills at researching, planning and delivering effective presentationsStudents may choose to approach any subject related to musical theatre –(this to be agreed with the tutor) - and they should aim to engage, inform, entertain and inspire their audience.   Length to be agreed with the tutor – clarity and concise design and delivery is encouraged, appropriate to the nature of the event.

To enable students to present an extended written analysis of a topic of their choosingThe module forms the cumulative element of critical scholarship in the programme. Its 20 credit weighting parallels that of the BA Drama programme and also places it in equal balance with Advanced Musical Theatre Practice 2, reflecting the equal and symbiotic nature of theory and practice of the programme. There is no requirement to link the work of the two modules but students may do so in agreement with tutors if appropriate.

To provide students with a variety of practical and administrative skills associated with a range of Musical Theatre workplaces to enhance and support their career aspirations. To increase students' understanding of a range of musical theatre-related, vocational contexts. To help students enhance their skills in self-presentation and self-reflection in drama-related, vocational contextsThe module enables students to develop materials appropriate to self-marketing in relation to future employability, and may draw upon recorded material from previous modules.

To provide students with the opportunity to make a significant contribution, by means of a specific function, to a creative ensemble in the production of works of theatre To consolidate students' artistic, technical and administrative abilities and skills in the context of a public festival of theatre To facilitate and consolidate students' ability to wok autonomously as theatre practitionersThe module is the cumulative point of application of skills and creative practice developed during the course, and provides a public platform for showing work.