On Course: Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

HM: Can you summarise the course for us?

VC: The course is three years’ comprehensive Musical Theatre training; everything that you would expect in terms of modules in acting, singing, all the forms of dance and movement, spoken voice and professional studies.

The programme is couched in the department of Acting, which has its own established reputation. We have students all over the BBC, Netflix, theatres around the country and, indeed, world. I am really proud that we are able to deliver the same calibre of acting training to our musical theatre students.

Excitingly, we've got a new module called Creative Process, where students work directly with writers, composers, production companies; we're going to be examining the reasons why we make theatre at all and who our audiences are. What are we making it for? Are we making it for ourselves, our audiences, or is it a response to what's going on culturally and socially? Do we have a social responsibility or a responsibility to the community?

HM: That does sound exciting, particularly with new musicals coming through.

VC: It really is. New writing is the lifeblood of everything we do. Everybody's Talking About Jamie was a workshop not very long ago. Hamilton was a workshop not much longer before that. Everything started off as new writing and so for the students to be in touch at the grassroots level and really examining who those audiences are and the purposes of theatre, I think is going to be an enormously valuable and distinctive part of our programme.

It is particularly interesting at the moment that we are looking at an industry that's necessarily changing in front of our eyes. We intend to work with these students in a very creative way and encourage their contributions to the future of the industry. They will be changing along with the industry as we are working with people from the industry along the course of the programme.

So, when they graduate at the end of three years, they'll be ready for the changed industry. They will have a lateral skill set, being creative contributors to the future of the industry, not just people who are able to interpret other people's work.

HM: What are you looking for in prospective candidates?

VC: We want people who are willing to grow and people who are comfortable with themselves, who have a presence, who have a connection with their material and who are really interested in the industry which they are entering. People who understand why they want to come into the industry, knowing that they have to work and that it's not always going to be nice. Also, most importantly, we want people with a generosity of work ethic, as Musical Theatre is fundamentally an ensemble skill. They must be the sort of people not only who we want to work with, but who want to work with us; who the professionals we bring in will also want to work with – not just in college, but hopefully in the future.

HM: What performance opportunities will there be for the students on the programme?

VC: All students in the third year become part of the Richard Burton Company where we run a series of productions. There are two musicals, one showcase and a wealth of cabaret and concert opportunities that are peppered throughout the year. Our stage management, designers and musicians are all in the college, so it's a really innovative, collaborative, creative environment. Our Agents and Industry Showcase will take place in Cardiff, and in a theatre in London. For our North American students, we also do a New York showcase.

At the end of the second year, students will do what we call a Bridge Project. It's exactly the same as the main show, only we don't have a public audience. We get as many runs as possible to a professional level, so when we do get the public in, we can be assured of the standard of our productions.

HM: Why should prospective students apply?

VC: Cardiff is a lovely place in which to study. We are in the middle of a huge country park and the student accommodation is three minutes away.

However, the ethos of our training is working with individuals and finding out what they have to offer. What are they going to bring to the party, and eventually, therefore, the industry?

The college does have a really nice vibe. It's a really constructive, positive and warm place to be. Students report a sense of community and belonging. It's interesting to me to develop the person who's in front of us rather than shape them into a mould that we think they should conform to. We very much hope to draw out people's own individual potential and skills.

Notes from RWCMD for teachers

• Applications can be made through UCAS and UCAS Conservatoires, which gives students a total of eleven choices.
• Auditions are currently online and include one musical theatre song, a monologue (classical or contemporary) and a dance.
• For the dance element, students don't have to be the best dancers. We want to know that they are willing to move.
• When recording their own pieces, encourage students to avoid being in ‘selfie’ mode.
• Further details about how to apply and the audition requirements can be found at www.rwcmd.ac.uk/study/courses/ba-musical-theatre/how-apply.
• The Musical Theatre department has successfully delivered Covid-secure face-to-face training from September 2020 and aims to continue to provide this in 2021.

For more information about BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and other courses at RWCMD, visit www.rwcmd.ac.uk