Assignment 1 - P.A.B (Drama Schools & Unis)

Drama Schools:

1) The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - Musical Theatre Course - Central
2) Arts Educational - Musical Theatre Course - Arts Ed
3) Mountview -  Musical Theatre Course - Mountview

Unis:

1) University of West London (London College of Music) - Musical Theatre Course - L.C.M
2) University of Surrey (Guilford) - Musical Theatre Course - Guilford
3) Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance - Musical Theatre Course - Trinity Laban



WHY?

• Reputation
• Location
• Course Content
• Showcases
• Alumni

The location of all my chosen drama schools and universities are in London, I am attracted to London because for many years and still today it is the central area for the performing arts industry. Being home to The West End is probably what attracts me most, as achieving a role in that type of theatre is my ultimate goal.

What are my priorities?

My main priorities are to recieve consistent and strong vocal training. I also wish to keep developing my acting skills. Lastly, I want to be capable of dancing in various styles (ballet, tap, contemporary and jazz) to a good standard. As a musical theatre student, I am not aiming to seek a solo career in the dance world.

• The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama - First of all, I found an article by The Stage. They describe the Central students to be 'outstandingly skilled and industry-ready.' Furthermore, they compliment the school in stating that the material they select is carefully chosen and is 'beautifully presented.' A guest of principal at Central's showing of Caberet also had positive things to say, such as that most students were 'pretty well on top of the triple threat.' Personally, this provides me with the fact that Central has an excellent reputation; all the information above convinces me that If I were to attend I will massively develop as a performer and be able to begin a successful career afterwards. Additionally, the mention of the material being carefully chosen shows that the staff must be concerned with making sure all students can get the best out of it. The course details are very thorough and appealing. One reason it is appealing is because of the wide range of theatre they cover - Greek theatre, contemporary American theatre, Shakespeare comedy and tragedy, Sondheim musical. Also, they do a range of dance classes - ballet, jazz and contemporary. I am determined to become a better dancer and believe I can if given the right guidance and a solid amount of practice and dedication is put in; I have past experience with all the dance styles listed. The course is fairly new at Central, however the alumni is still quite impressive, as the two people named are starring in big shows such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and War Horse. High profile alumni includes film star Andrew Garfield, actresses Dawn French and Judi Dench, and many more. All these performers have been incredibly successful which draws me to Central even more so.
• Arts Educational -  As one of my main priorities is my vocal training, the description of 'weekly one-to-one singing' immediately draws me in. British stage actor and singer - Oliver Tompsett - says Arts Ed stands out from the rest of the drama schools because 'they constantly update the training to what the industry requitres.' This reassures me because I don't wish to be stuck in the same routine day in and day out. I am keen to learn and ensure that I grow through drama school. I believe Oliver Tompsett's word is reliable because he has had a great amount of success, landing roles in Wicked and We Will Rock You, portraying the roles of Fiyero and Galileo. This musical theatre course also interests me because of the range of dance styles they cover, some of which I've never had experience in, i.e. pas de deux and classical.

• Mountview - The list of works is what really draws me into Mountview - Golden age of Broadway, modern British and American Standards, contemporary musicals, and the opportunity to create your own work. As an English student, creative writing is something I love doing and believe I could express that well in my own storyline and characters. Also, the school was the first to establish a specialist three-year course in Musical Theatre, starting in 1992. This reassures me that Mountview is a succesful school, having their students 'dominate the industry' throughout the years.The regular classes they offer interest me because they differ from other musical theatre courses - screen acting, actor & text, improvisation, music theory, sight reading. I particularly think regular classes in improvisation will help me be more prepared for future auditions. The more improvisation I do, the more confident I will become with doing things on the spot when/if asked to.

•  University of West London - The teaching of stage combat is an aspect which attracts me to the course. I attended a stage combat class when I was younger and quite enjoyed it, and would love to pick it up again. I think it will be a useful skill to have because it will allow me to apply for more roles - on stage and in television. Thomas Leak/Redgrave won Britain's Got Talent with his musical theatre band, Collabro. He is a graduate from the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre course at UWL. Not only did he win one of the world's most famous talent shows, he has had success previously, touring across Italy performing a rock version of the Shakespeare tragedy, Hamlet. Looking at the university's facilities, I was thoroughlly imprssed. The one-on-one teacher pods are laid out professionally, with the environment looking comfortable and not overly formal. I like that there is a mirror because I will be to analyse my movement and singing, and alter any faults quickly.

• University of Surrey - 'Arguably the world's most successful centre for musical-theatre training' How could you not want to go to GSA with a description like that? Overall, the description of the course comes across very supportive of students, which is something I like. Performing can be very stressful, and it's comforting to have members of staff which will help you through it and believe in you. 'Classes in dance and singing are highly prioritiesed' - as I've said above, singing is my number one priority, and I'd really love to become a stronger dancer, so this course seems to be perfect for me. The alumni for Guilford is by far the most impressive of all my options, with students landing roles in Wicked, Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera. Stand-out past students include Brenda Blethyn OBE and Michael Ball. Guildford students have also had massive achievements, like Winner of the Stephen Sondheim Student Performer of the Year, and winning Olivier Awards.
• Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance - The thing I like about the musical theatre course at Trinity is that the scale of work builds up over 3 years. I like this because I think I'll be able to fully notice my growth as a performer; starting small and working up to something big gives me the opportunity to really progress and be the best that I can be. Additionally, I love the idea of working alongside highly experienced industry professionals on occassions, I feel that I can learn so much from people who were once in our shoes and find out how they found success and what techniques they use as a performer.