BA HONS (top-up) – 1 Year

This one-year programme, validated by the University of Portsmouth, has been designed to enhance the skill set of students who have undertaken vocational training by encouraging them to find inspiration in research as they develop a critical vocabulary to think, plan and talk about musical theatre in depth. Students are encouraged to embark upon adventures in musical theatre by investigating the roles of Producers and Creative teams in the early stages of production. The insight gained here is used to evaluate existing musical theatre production. These skills ultimately culminate to inform students’ professional practice, allowing them to find solutions to the challenges posed by the ever-changing musical theatre scene.

Our aim is to increase confidence in artistic criticism and creative risk-taking whilst encouraging students to remain true to their artistry. We believe that students discover by doing; by experimenting, by learning through trial and error and by reading, listening, and watching in order to build a practice that is founded in research in the widest sense.

“Our ethos is to instill confidence in our students so that they can enter the industry and make their individual contribution to society and the economy; confidence that they can seize the opportunity and work to the highest ethical standards, and confidence that they are specialists in the field; meaning they possess a vocabulary through which they can articulate ideas to a range of people – whether that be investors, producers, directors, choreographers, casting directors, other performers, or audiences. The combination of this ensures our graduates can create a career that gives them the greatest sense of fulfillment.”

Andrew Hudson, Course Leader

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OVERVIEW

The course programme is flexible and adaptable to accommodate a variety of personal situations.

The course operates across two semesters:

Semester 1: September to December (15 weeks)
Semester 2: January to April (15 weeks)View our provisional course calendar for 2022-2023: click here

What we provide

Induction Week
- This takes place in early September and provides a foundation for the year ahead. Content is delivered through workshops, seminars and lectures.
Campus Study Days
- Take place on-site and occur monthly from October to April. These are designed to give you information, provide teaching, develop skills and provide guidance relevant to your work on the course. Various guest tutors join us throughout the year.
Writing Seminars
- For a number of our students it has been a while since they were required to complete any formal writing therefore these seminars are there to build confidence in your writing. Seminars happen fortnightly and typically take place on Zoom.
Tutorials
- Students are allocated a personal tutor whilst studying, the tutor is available for 1-2-1 support on a weekly basis. These may be conducted in-person or online, depending on availability.
Rehearsal Week
- Prior to practical assessments in April all studios on-site are fully available to degree students for rehearsals.

Example Course Content

History of musical theatre
Academic writing and referencing
Learning tools for higher education
Theory-focused sessions; feminism, queer theory, semiotics
Group research tasks and presentations
Case studies; Gypsy, Kinky Boots, Hamilton, Billy Elliot
Economics of musical theatre
Script analysis
Budgeting a show on various scales
How to fund a production
Creative team / technical workshops
Set design workshop
Practitioners of western theatre
Creating safe spaces
Choreographic plagiarism

Resources

Student Services. Our in-house team are available for a range of learning support.
Students have access to the Academic Skills Unit (ASK) at University of Portsmouth. The ASK team can help with developing your writing, managing assessments, and approaching academic tasks.
We have a dedicated selection of books on-site reserved for degree students. These are available for on-campus reference or short-term borrowing.
Studio spaces can be booked by students throughout the year
As a registered student at the University of Portsmouth, you will be given access to a range of online resources, including its extensive collection of musical theatre e-books, e-journals, archival and audio-visual databases. Students also have in-person access to University of Portsmouth’s library

Fees

2024 – 2025
Course fee: £9,250 per academic year
Current student fees: £4,960 per academic year

2025 – 2026
Course fee: £9,250 per academic year
Current student fees: £5,209 per academic year

Please note, once enrolled there are no fee increases for the duration of your chosen course of study. Fees are inclusive of VAT.

Fee payment plans are available, allowing for monthly or quarterly payments.

Before you can access student finance, Laine Theatre Arts must be registered with the regulator for higher education in England, the Office for Students (OfS).

Laine is applying to register with the OfS but is not currently registered and you will only be able to access student finance if our application is successful.

We will write to confirm the outcome of our application as soon as we hear from the OfS. To find out more about student finance and registering with the OfS, visit: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/studentfinance/

COURSE GUIDE / MODULES

All degree students follow the same course of study, comprising of the following four modules.

Module 1: Mounting a Musical Theatre Production (20 credits)

This module is designed to give you a sound working understanding of the business of producing musical theatre. Areas to be covered will typically include: contracting with venues; budgeting a range of theatrical scales; company structures; pay scales; funding. Emphasis will be placed on your ability to produce your own work. You will identify a small to medium-sized venue on which to base your planning, and decide on a suitable musical to stage there.

Assessment: Business Plan (2,500 words)

Module 2: Creating a Musical Theatre Production (20 credits)

This module builds on Module 1 and requires you to develop a reasoned, original, practicable artistic proposal for your chosen musical.

Assessment: Portfolio (2,000 words) and Presentation (10 mins)

Module 3: Critical Analysis of Musical Theatre in Production (20 credits)

In this module, you will identify an area of research interest and produce an in-depth, critical analysis of a chosen musical. You will analyse the concept and style of the production; the contribution of performances, choreography and direction to the nature of the production, and the production values including consideration of the influence of venue, performance, and set, lighting and costume design on the audience experience.

Module 4: Production in Musical Theatre Practice (60 credits)

This dissertation module accounts for 50% of your final grade. It enables you to bring together practical, theoretical and critical skills, working collaboratively to stage an extract from a musical to a professional standard. You will elect to be assessed as a performer, director or choreographer, and compile a production notebook which will encourage you to reflect critically on your process. Styles of musical theatre performance and the ways in which performers, directors and choreographers work together in service of theatrical ‘truth’ in the musical theatre context will be considered. Techniques of performance, direction or choreography will be investigated for ways in which creative challenges may be approached and solved.

The Musical Theatre Landscape

This area of study runs across the entire degree and encourages students to broaden their understanding of the industry. Tasks are completed on a weekly basis and do not contribute to the final degree mark.

GRADUATE SUCCESS

“I have gained huge insight into the inner workings of the arts industry and I hope to utilise this as a performer going forward. The combination of academic work and musical theatre has ignited a new outlook on my craft that can only aid me in my career. Prior to this course, I had never considered a creative role within musical theatre, however, thanks to the demands of the degree course, my eyes have been opened to the plethora of possibilities available in such a field.”

Erin Chapman
Erin graduates into the international tour of CATS

“The degree course has been challenging and pushed me to develop new skills and gain a wealth of knowledge as a businesswoman, creative and performer. The course content has inspired me to develop my capability in areas such as creative thinking and choreography. I now have variation in short and long – term career options and without the help from the course leaders, I would not have had the courage to discover such a diverse range of creative paths.”

Claudia Bahrani
Erin graduates into the international tour of Mamma Mia!

“This course has allowed me to explore all aspects of the musical theatre industry, from the financial to the creative perspective. It has allowed me to understand how productions are constructed and what it means to be
part of a creative team. Throughout the process, I have found passion for choreographing, directing and costume designing as much as performing.”

Konstatinos Karappitas
Konstantinos will be joining the cast of performers at Disneyland Paris

“As a performer you cannot always predict what the future holds. Having gained an insight and appreciation for the entertainment industry as a whole, the degree program has set myself up for a more certain and long term future in the world of entertainment that I love. By broadening my understanding of all the elements within the performance arts industry, it has sparked a passion for the entrepreneurial and choreographic side of theatre which I am truly grateful for.”

Charlie Shae-Waddell
Charlie graduates into the production of Cabaret, at the Lido2Paris.
(Dir: Taylor Walker)

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Prior to starting the course, you must hold one of the following:

Level 5 (or above) Trinity College London diploma
Higher National Diploma
A relevant qualification awarded at Level 5
Experienced, professional musical theatre practitioner

For students studying on the three-year Level 6 Diploma at Laine, the Level 5 Trinity College London diploma is awarded at the end of the student’s second year of training. The majority of students study on the degree course alongside completing the third year of their diploma study. Each year, we also welcome students to study with us at degree level whilst completing their diplomas at other colleges as well as those who have completed training.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

FAQ

I am about to start my final year of study on a Level 6 Trinity London Diploma at another college, can I continue diploma study at my current college and enrol on the degree course at Laine?

Yes. Each year a number of students complete the final year of their Trinity London Diploma, whether at Laine or at another college, whilst also studying on the one-year top up degree. If you are in this situation, you must let your current college know your plans in order to secure their understanding and support.

Is it difficult to complete the third year of my diploma alongside the degree?

Diploma study, whether at Laine or elsewhere, typically operates Monday-Friday during the day. In order to allow for diploma study and degree study, we have structured all contact time around evenings, weekends or typical school holidays. It is an intensive year of study, but you should find course content stimulating and enriching.

Is there a minimum age for the course?

No, but you must meet our application requirements.

Is this a full-time course?

Yes, the course is full-time. We do not follow conventional working hours, meaning there is flexibility around when you study. The Course requires that you spend between 200 (modules 1-3) and 600 (module 4) learning hours on each module. A large portion of this is independent study, which may include your own practice; whether you are a working practitioner or studying on a vocational programme.

Is the course suitable for those already working in the industry?

Each year we welcome students who are already working in the industry. These individuals sometimes want to enhance their current skills or explore new ones. The structure of our modules allows students to delve into the parts of the industry that interest them most, this can be beneficial to anyone considering switching career paths.

Does the course involve a lot of writing? And how much of the course is practical?

There are a variety of assessment types, including portfolio, essay, presentation, performance, and viva. This range of assessments gives students maximum opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of the programmes learning. The first three modules will require sitting down to conduct research and submitting written work (although in Module 2 you also get to give a presentation). In Module 4 (Feb-April) you will also work practically in order to stage an extract from a musical.

At application stage, what do you look for in the statement of intent?

We are looking for honesty. We are keen to know where you are coming from, what you want to learn and where you want to go. You should dedicate significant time to writing your statement, perhaps over the course of a week.

What do you look for in the interview?

The interview is a chance for us to get to know you. This is a chance for you to make sure this is something you definitely want to do and ask any questions about the course.

I have a pantomime contract in December, can I get an approved absence for the Campus Study Day I will miss?

We are unable to approve absences. Students are expected to take ownership of their learning throughout the year and catch-up on any content they have missed. Attendance is recorded and you will receive attendance reports throughout the year.

How many students study the degree each year?

Our average cohort size is 40 students.

Will I take acting / dance / singing classes as part of the degree?

On the degree we do not teach you performance skills, it is a pre-requisite that you come onto the course with these skills. We work in a way that enhances your current skillset and encourages you to develop your performance skills through independent learning and discovery.