BA Drama (Musical Theatre) consists of six modules in musical theatre (a third of your degree) alongside an exciting range of Drama modules that will equip you with the skills to perform, make, explore and analyse a wide variety of performance work.

The course enables you to develop specialised musical theatre skills and knowledge through acting, singing, staging and contextual work, while also enjoying the benefits of a more broadly-based Drama degree, preparing you for a range of career destinations in the creative industries, teaching, and allied professions.

You'll engage with key ideas and movements in theatre history through the study of plays, musicals, practitioners and genres that have helped to shape contemporary theatre and performance, and through our three-fold focus on skills development, exploration, and performance.

You'll explore approaches to performance making including writing, directing and performing. Performance opportunities include workshop presentations in campus performance studios, workshops and performances in schools, and public performances at the University Theatre and local venues.

Work placements, industry links and internships

As a Drama student, you’ll benefit from our partnerships with local performance venues, schools and community groups as well as visits from industry professionals. Previous visitors have covered a range of specialisms including playwriting, directing, acting, television production, theatre in education, and children’s theatre.

Recent visiting professionals include:

• Baz Taylor - Television director (Bergerac, Eastenders, Shine on Harvey Moon, Lovejoy)
• Neil D’Souza - Actor and writer
• Kylie Walsh - Paper Birds Theatre Company
• Mark Wilson - Natural Theatre Company
• Geese Theatre Company - Internationally renowned applied theatre company
• Local professional theatre companies - The Misfits, Travelling Light Theatre Company, Up In Arms Theatre Company.

We equip you with creative, collaborative, writing, presentational and communication skills that are invaluable in many professional and vocational areas.

Many of our graduates pursue careers in the creative industries and teaching. Others use it as the basis for specialised postgraduate study - either academic or vocational training.

Recent graduates have won places at Central School of Speech and Drama, Yale Theatre School, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Guildford School of Acting and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.