Musical Theatre

Overview

Musical theatre is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. For over a century, it’s helped us to understand how the world works, generating stories of hope and optimism while considering the challenging issues at the heart of being human.

Develop vital stagecraft skills in movement, voice, acting, and devising on our Musical Theatre degree course and explore contemporary approaches to music and theatre. You’ll immerse yourself in all forms of practice, create new musicals. stage a full production in your first and final year, and produce a professional showreel for use in the industry.

You'll also examine musical theatre's significance in popular culture and society, exploring themes such as the representation of race, gender and politics on the local and global stage, and gain vital transferable skills for all kinds of career opportunities after you graduate.

Along the way, you’ll use specialist facilities, collaborate with students on other creative courses, work with professional composers, writers, and directors, and perform in many fantastic locations – in Portsmouth and beyond.

Course highlights

• Enhance your creative collaboration by working alongside peers and new writers to create shows

• Boost your professional profile by developing a showreel to perform in front of agents, producers, and casting directors as part of your final-year career preparations

• Develop career-enhancing skills in mixed- and multi-media arts, including live and virtual practices

• Gain valuable industry experience by taking an optional placement

• Take advantage of pioneering research by studying at the home of Studies in Musical Theatre – the UK’s only international academic journal dedicated to musical theatre

• Get current professional insight by attending guest lectures from leading actors, producers, and authors – past guests include actor Sheila Hancock, Randy Adams (Tony award-winning producer of Memphis the Musical), Lyn Darnley (former Head of Voice and Text, Royal Shakespeare Company), and Ken Cerniglia (Hadestown dramaturg and Disney Theatricals’ literary director)

Careers and opportunities

After this course, you'll have skills in production, technical theatre, stage management, directing, choreography, and other creative fields that can be applied to a variety of careers within and outside the theatre industry.

You can also start your own company, pursue a postgraduate degree, and engage in research.

Graduate areas

Past graduates have gone on to careers in areas including:

• theatre, arts and events management

• broadcasting

• the media industry

• teaching

• business

• project and team management

Graduate roles

Roles our graduates have taken on include:

• actor

• producer

• playwright

• theatre manager

• arts administrator

Our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry. After you the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.

Course Modules

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit the link to the course page.

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-musical-theatre#modules