Program Overview

• Learn from a friendly and supportive teaching team who have been engaged in musical theatre, acting, singing and dance in professional contexts
• Rehearse and perform in our excellent Performing Arts Studios which provide six bespoke spaces and the latest technology for your productions
• Musical Theatre at Winchester achieved 95% overall satisfaction as rated by final-year undergraduate students in the 2020 National Student Survey
• Work on exciting collaborations with industry partners who make sure you are tuned in to the latest training for the contemporary performing arts
• Produce and perform a final full-scale production with fellow students in a large public venue

Musical theatre dazzles, inspires and entertains us. But it’s not all about singalongs and dancing in the aisles, there is business behind the show. Musicals exist as cultural artifacts that have been used to divert us from the pressures of the world and to confront social issues head-on using humour, passion, and pathos.

Your first year provides a foundation of skills training in acting, singing and dance, underpinned by contextual and industry studies. You will be given the opportunity to engage in projects exploring creative devising and extended scene studies from the musical theatre stage.

Year 2 continues to develop your technical skills in acting, singing and dance, supported by further industry studies and theoretical approaches to understanding musical theatre. If you are seeking alternative careers to performing, you may consider taking an optional module exploring the role of the director and the dramaturge in making musical theatre works, rather than studying dance. You will also have the opportunity to experience workshopping a piece of musical theatre in its early stages of development and staging another piece in its later stages of development in the New Musical Theatre projects. There are also opportunities to study abroad in America, to further enhance life and cultural experiences.

Year 3 is your chance to fly. You will continue to explore advanced technique and repertoire through the final year with the aim of building a showcase. Alongside this training you will also engage in a theatre company project, making threads from your study together with the intention to make your own work beyond the degree. The degree culminates in a fully staged musical theatre production. Students who may be wanting to pursue alternate careers to performing may opt to undertake an independent research project.