Acting - Classical, MA

at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Indicative course content includes:
 

In the first term, the ensemble principle is nurtured through four weeks of practical work on the choruses of ancient Greek tragedy, neutral mask and intensive physical and vocal training. Texts may derive from adaptations of Greek plays from a variety of cultural traditions, and exercises from different experimental theatre methodologies; focus is on the physicality and musicality of dramatic text. Accompanying contextual seminars address the social and political histories and discourses of classical drama from antiquity to the present day, including those relating to identity, ownership, appropriation and colonialism.
 

For the subsequent ten weeks, practical classes in commedia dell’arte, clowning and stage combat accompany Shakespearean scene studies. You will work on narrative structure and storytelling, textual form, heightened realism, character analysis, gesture and movement psychology, animal study, and the actor’s relationship to the audience and to space. Vocal and physical training and contextual and theoretical seminars continue throughout the term. Practical assessments, showings and feedback panels take place at the end of term, and individual personal guidance from tutors is available throughout the year.
 

In the second term, the training focuses on the revolutionary Realist and Expressionist dramas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their contemporary legacy. Underpinning the work are the theories and practices of Stanislavsky and his Russian and American successors, and the psycho-physical methodologies of Rudolph Laban and Yat Malmgren. During the term students work on character preparation and transformation, developing one devised and one text-based character study, and undertaking a rehearsal exercise of scenes from a Chekhov or other realist play. Practical assessments, showings and feedback panels take place at the end of term.
 

The course’s outward-facing work begins after the mid-session break with an industry showcase, either filmed or in a professional theatre venue. Screen acting classes help to prepare you for auditions for TV and film.
 

The public productions season involves participation in two professionally-supported productions of classical plays either in Central’s theatres or external theatre spaces. One of these will usually be an early modern text; in recent years plays by Shakespeare, Aphra Behn, John Ford and Thomas Middleton have been produced. The other might be a play from the Realist, Expressionist, Greek, Restoration, Romantic or Modernist tradition; in recent years plays by Chekhov, Gorky, Schiller, Erdman, Whiting, Bond, Sophocles and Euripides have been produced. Both productions will be chosen and cast to suit the particular character of the cohort, and to both challenge and showcase the individual students.
 

Throughout the practical training, you will work on a Sustained Independent Project (SIP), which may take the form of either: a solo performance with a 4000-word critical reflection; or a 12000-word dissertation.

Applicants will normally have either undertaken conservatoire training, have professional acting experience, or have a degree in the broad field of performance and drama studies. Students from other disciplines may be considered if you have sufficient experience of theatre. An offer will normally only be made after audition and interview, and you may also be required to take part in a short practical workshop and/or submit a short piece of written work.

English Language Requirements

Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications. Applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible and more information can be found
 

Auditions

• We audition all applicants for MA Acting.
   

We will require you to submit a self-tape including the following elements:

• Two contrasting speeches of your own choice lasting no more than two minutes each. One of these must be from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play, the other a 20th or 21st century modern piece. 
• The process will also give you the opportunity to learn more about the course. 
• Selected candidates will be invited to attend a recall audition and interview at a later date, and may also be asked to submit a short piece of written work (again at a later date) to demonstrate their aptitude for the course.
   

All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their audition at a later date. We strongly recommend candidates ensure their first-round video link remains ‘live’ until they have received a final decision from Central (ie. an offer or unsuccessful decision) as the panel may wish to revisit this to make a decision.

The fees for Acting - Classical, MA  may vary from £25,000 to £35,000 annually for tuition fees. The fee's prices may get higher for International Students.

Both faculty and visiting lecturers have extensive professional practice and networks. In recent years, Classical students have participated in research symposia at Central, Kings College London and Shakespeare’s Globe; observed rehearsal and taken part in a focus group at the Almeida Theatre; worked on three Shakespeare films with Illuminations Media; worked on R&D for several new translations of European and Latin American plays; and performed at the Brighton Festival. In addition to the MA Acting showcase, students from Ireland and the USA have participated in showcases in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles.

Our alumni have worked at major theatres, and on screen, worldwide (see below); in addition six alumni have performed with Mischief Theatre, and eighteen alumni have appeared in various productions at Pop-Up Globe in New Zealand and Australia.
 

Our graduates have performed in leading theatre venues worldwide including national and international tours, West End and Broadway.  
 

UK: National Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, English National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, Almeida, Donmar, Royal Court, Old Vic, Young Vic, Stratford East, Bush, Gate, Finborough, Southwark Playhouse, Kiln, Arcola, Vaults, Theatre 503, Theatr Clwyd, Sheffield Crucible, Leeds Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman, Manchester Royal Exchange, Hull Truck, Northern Broadsides, Northern Stage, Sonia Friedman Productions, Mischief Theatre, Flute Theatre, HighTide, Paines Plough, The Factory, Secret Cinema.
 

International: National Theatre of Norway, National Theatre of Greece, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Rome National Theatre, National Theatre of Spain, National Classical Theatre of Spain, National Theatre of Catalonia, Festival de Almagro, Lincoln Center (New York); Goodman Theatre (Chicago), Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival (Canada), Cameri Theatre (Tel Aviv), Pop-up Globe, Sydney Theatre Company, Sport for Jove (Australia/NZ).
 

Screen includes major UK, US and international films, and TV productions by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, NBC, HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Sky, FX, Starz, ABC, S4C.
 

Graduates have also worked as writers, directors, designers, filmmakers, producers, agents, musicians, singers, scholars, comedians, acting teachers, acrobats and dancers.