Music Theatre is an intensive programme in which you take classes with a cohort of around ten to fourteen fellow students each year. You specialise in voice, instrument or composition. Many classes are group-based, while music tuition is one-to-one. The Music Theatre programme is divided into two phases: years one and two, and years three and four. In your first two years you learn the fundamental techniques of music and theatre. You apply these skills straight away in work you create yourself.
From the start, the programme teaches you how to develop an initial idea into a theatre production, performance or installation. You also learn to articulate what you want to make and why. The projects you undertake in the second half of the programme are very diverse: from classical Greek drama to video opera, from site-specific music theatre to a music-theatre performance in a black box theatre — everything is covered.
In the first two years, the main focus is on learning the fundamental techniques of music theatre. This includes subjects such as acting, movement, singing, dramaturgy and learning to play instruments. Your first year studies are focused on performance, and you learn how to improve your performance in music, acting and dance.
In the second year, you will continue developing your performance skills, with creation added to the mix. You learn the basics of making music theatre.
You will largely shape the second half of your studies yourself. In these years, the focus is on your development as an independently minded artistic creator. The third year is dedicated to deepening your practice. You will explore more possibilities in music theatre and how you can shape the field.
The fourth and final year gives you space for your own pathway and a first step into the professional field. You might do an internship or follow a programme at a theatre school abroad. Some students also take classes in other programmes. Together with a mentor, you will identify where you want to go. In this phase, you can create and present a fully self-produced production. You can also apply in your first year for the Honours Lab, as a supplement to the theoretical component of your own bachelor’s programme.