Year 2 Year 2 Performance Module

Module MT6: UK Credits: ECTS: Level:

Year 2 Performance

35 17.5 HE5

Outline

You will further develop performance experience in a variety of projects and workshops.

Overall Aims

To enable you to gain further experience of: • sustaining a role in front of an audience • combining the disciplines of dance, singing and acting in one artistic whole • performing a variety of roles in musicals of differing styles • working with a variety of professional directors, musical directors and choreographers in a professional theatre environment

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this module, you will be expected to be able to: Skills • work in a professional way in rehearsal and performance • work with a variety of professional directors, musical directors and choreographers • use technique in performance • extend your skills, imagination and understanding • work on sustained pieces involving acting, dance and singing Knowledge and Understanding • develop your understanding of different theatrical forms and periods

Projects

Tutors Guest and in-house directors, choreographers and musical directors Tutor led Hours 8 hours x 17 weeks + 10 hours = 146

Aims

To develop your ability to: • work to a professional standard in rehearsal • perform with freedom, commitment and flexibility • apply technique to performance • meet the demands of more challenging, and a wider range of, dramatic texts and musical and choreographic styles

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this component, you will be expected to be able to:

Skills • apply singing, dance and acting techniques to performance • sustain a role as an actor, singer and dancer • structure your independent study • keep a working journal Knowledge and Understanding • understand how to work effectively and collaboratively in a group • understand how to work collaboratively and creatively with a variety of professional practitioners Values and Attitudes • demonstrate an excellent level of professional discipline and courtesy • appreciate and accept constructive criticism

How will I learn?

You will take part in three in-house performance projects in your second year: a singing project focusing on solo and ensemble singing, using excerpts from musicals or operettas with challenging scores (recent projects include Candide, Jerry Springer the Opera); a devised dance project, choreographed around a single theme and using contemporary or 20th century music (recent projects include Back to Black/Amy Winehouse and Movin’ Out/Billy Joel); and an acting project using excerpts from an early 20th Century comedy such as those by Noël Coward or Terence Rattigan (recent projects include Private Lives and Hay Fever). Projects rehearse on two afternoons a week for six weeks culminating in a single performance. The performance may take place in a rehearsal studio or in the School’s theatre, in front of an audience of students and staff. There are no sets or lighting, and costume and props are kept to a minimum.

Performance Class/Audition Technique

Tutors Jonathan O’Boyle, Rohan Tickell and Chris Whitehead Tutor led Hours 1 hour x 30 weeks = 30 hours

Aims

To enable you to develop technical and performance skills in the performance of songs.

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this component, you will be expected to be able to: Skills • give exact instructions to an audition pianist • perform a wide range of songs in a variety of styles with confidence and professionalism in front of an audience • perform with confidence and competence in audition situations Knowledge and Understanding • offer a repertoire of songs for all types of audition

How will I learn?

You will take part in a sequence of workshop classes in which you will perform songs accompanied and guided by a musical director in front of an audience consisting of your year group and tutors. You receive feedback on your performance from the tutors at the end of the class. The class develops into a ‘mock’ audition in the Spring & Summer terms.

Song & Dance

Tutors Various in-house and guest choreographers and musical directors. Tutor led Hours 1.25 hours x 10 weeks = 12.5 hours

Aims

To enable you to continue to develop your technical and performance skills in the performance of musical theatre chorus numbers.

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this component, you will be expected to be able to demonstrate: Skills • further development of technical ability in all three disciplines • increased ease of style and performance • the ability to communicate character and motivation, to a professional level, in a variety of dance and vocal styles • further development of stamina Knowledge and Understanding • ability to learn and retain more complex routines

How will I learn?

You will participate in a sequence of workshop classes which further develop the skills you learned in the first year, integrating dance with ensemble singing. Each half term you will rehearse a different musical theatre number under the guidance of a choreographer and a musical director and will perform it in front of an audience of tutors and fellow students. Examples of musicals used: ‘Kiss Me Kate’, ‘Smokey Joe’s Café’, ‘The Life’. You will keep a written research and development diary to be submitted at the end of the first song and dance project.

Song Workshop

Tutors Guest directors, singers and musical directors. Tutor led Hours 1.25 hours x 13 weeks = 16.25 hours

Aims

To enable you to perform a wider variety of songs with increased individuality, clarity, truthfulness and intensity.

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this component, you will be expected – to the level required by professional musical theatre – to be able to: Skills • discover the subtext of a song and make an effective personal response to the lyrics of a song • sustain the narrative of a song effectively and communicate the song clearly • sustain the audience’s interest by increased control of modulation Knowledge andUnderstanding • make appropriate choices of songs for audition

How will I learn?

You will take part in a sequence of practical classes in which you perform songs to an audience of your tutor group and receive analysis and guidance from the tutors.

CV and Photograph Workshops

Tutors tbc

Tutor led Hours 10

Timetable workshops will be delivered in Tutorial time

Aims

To ensure that you develop the personal management skills needed to introduce you to the profession, to obtain employment and maintain employability, and to understand the contractual and legal obligations relevant to professional employment.

What will I be expected to achieve?

On successful completion of this component, you will be expected to be able to: Skills • write competent letters seeking work and representation • choose photographs which accurately reveal casting potential • prepare clear and concise CVs that are accurate and relevant Knowledge and Understanding • have an understanding of the contractual and legal requirements of standard theatrical contracts • have a clear understanding of the contractual obligations governing the relationship between a performer and their agent

How will I learn?

You will be helped, in individual tutorials, to prepare CVs, write letters to agents and casting directors, and to select photos appropriate to your casting potential.

MODULE TEACHING PATTERN

Teaching Component Dance Project Acting Project Singing Project Performance Class/Audition Tech. Song & Dance Song Workshop CV and Photograph Workshop

Type Rehearsal and Performance Rehearsal and Performance Rehearsal and Performance Workshop class Workshop class Workshop class Tutorials

Total

Contact Hours Self Directed Study Hours

Total Student Learning Hours 49 18 67

49 18 67

48 18 66

30 60 90 12.5 12.5 25 16.25 8.75 25 10 10

214.75 135.25 350

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed on your rehearsal process and your standard of performance in each of the three projects. You will be assessed immediately after the performance of each project by the production team on your rehearsal process and by Heads of Department on your standard of performance. Projects also provide an important focus for formative assessment and give subject tutors the opportunity to assess the progress of your ability to use technique in performance.

MODULE ASSESSMENT PATTERN

Assessment Component Assessment Type

Dance Project Singing Project Rehearsal 50% Performance 50% Rehearsal 50% Performance 50%

Acting Project Rehearsal 50% Performance 50%

Performance Class/Audition Tech. Classwork Song & Dance Song Workshop CV and Photograph Workshop Classwork Classwork Classwork

Weight ing

Pass Mark Pass/Fail av* 40% No av* 40% No av* 40% No

n/a n/a Yes n/a n/a Yes n/a n/a Yes n/a n/a Yes

What do I have to do to pass?

You must achieve a grade of 40% or above in all three projects and a pass in the other components. The assessment criteria for performance can be found at the back of this handbook. The overall grade for each project is weighted

50% for performance and 50% for process. Performance Class, Song and Dance, Song Workshop and CV and Photograph Workshop are marked pass/fail and do not carry any weighting in the calculation of the overall module mark. *The overall grade for the module will be calculated as an average of the three aggregate project marks.

How and when will I get feedback on my assessments?

You will be given verbal feedback (viva) immediately after the performance by the lead creative of the project together with another senior member of the faculty. You will also receive a written summary of the feedback, together with additional comments from the Course Director.

READING LIST

Reading lists and other research materials will be suggested appropriate to the style and genre of each of the projects.