The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is due to expand its musical theatre offering with the launch of a new course under its dramatic umbrella, intended to nurture and develop “the complete musical theatre performer”, it has been announced. Whilst the institution’s dramatic courses are already held in high regard, it is assumed that the musical theatre courses to be offered will also be of prestigious nature.
The five week musical theatre course will begin in September this year, and will be aimed at performers who already have some training in acting, singing or dance, but who want to build on their skills. The course will be taught by experienced industry professionals including choreographers, directors and musical directors, much like other musical theatre courses in the capital and around the country. Currently, singing is at the core of RADA training, and is regarded as integral to actors’ training; the short course will cover all musical theatre skills with an emphasis on acting.
The course has been developed to offer performers the opportunity to “complete” their training, building on RADA’s current week long summer course in musical theatre, which will continue alongside the new offering. The first part of the course will be spent developing musical theatre skills but will also include training in stage combat and clowning, as well as offering guidance on audition technique. In the final two weeks, students will work towards the performance of an abridged musical, performed for an invited audience.
RADA makes a meaningful point in maintaining that it would be difficult to secure the best teachers throughout the whole year for the course, however it’s musical theatre faculty will take a five week block off working in the West End or on productions in order to teach for RADA. This then implicitly implies its teachers are top of their league, still working and keeping up with the industry, perhaps unlike full time staff of other institutions.