On Course: The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2019)

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is part of the University of London, and is one of the UK's most respected drama schools. Known to many just as ‘Central’, they tell us about their varied course offering

Students in performance at Central
Students in performance at Central

© PATRICK BALDWIN

Courses offered

Under three broad headings, 16 degree courses are offered:

  • BA (Hons) ActingActing/Musical Theatre/Collaborative and Devised Theatre
  • BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance PracticeDrama, Applied Theatre and Education/Performance Arts/Writing for Performance
  • BA (Hons) Theatre PracticeCostume Construction/Design for the Stage/Production Lighting/Prop Making/Scenic Art/Scenic Construction/Stage Management/Technical and Production Management/Theatre Lighting Design/Theatre Sound.

 

Course content overview

All of Central's courses benefit from exceptionally high contact hours with a typical week on the BA (Hons) Acting courses being 8:30am–6pm Mon–Fri.

Students will be taught by some of the industry's leading professionals and academics, supported by an extensive roster of visiting lecturers including lighting designers, directors, stage combat specialists, playwrights and applied theatre practitioners all working in the industry.

A lot of the training offered is heavily focussed on learning by doing, allowing students to put their newfound knowledge and skills into practice through practical projects, industry placements and public productions. Opportunities for students to undertake placements occurs on all of the courses except the BA (Hons) Acting. Recent placements have occurred at the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe and Pinewood Studios as well as other international companies, and are often tailored to the individual's interests.

Fees, bursaries, and other finance information

Central's fees for home/EU students at undergraduate level are in line with that of other universities (£9,250 per year for 2019 entry). Eligible students are entitled to a loan from Student Finance England (SFE) which will cover the cost of tuition, and maintenance loans are available but means-tested. There are also a number of scholarships and bursaries available to all students ranging from £1000 to £10,000.

Accommodation options

As part of the University of London, Central is allocated a small number of rooms within their intercollegiate halls, however the majority of students will privately rent from the first year with support from our Student Advice Service (SAS). The SAS run onsite sharers' days as well as an online accommodation page which current students and offer holders have access to. As Central is a small and specialist institution, our SAS team are able to be very supportive in helping our students find places to live.

Entry requirements:

  • BA (Hons) Acting – 64 UCAS Points and selection through audition.
  • BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice – 120 UCAS Points and selection through interview.
  • BA (Hons) Theatre Practice – 64 to 120 UCAS Points and selection through interview with portfolio.

All applicants will be invited to interview/audition.

Application method:

Applications are all made through UCAS between September and January. Those who apply for the BA (Hons) Acting will be required to pay £55 for their audition which covers all stages of the audition process, there is no interview fee for the other courses. Students who engage with our Outreach department or applicants based in England who may face barriers in accessing drama school training may be entitled to a free audition. Last year, Central awarded over 1,200 free audition vouchers. More information about free auditions can be found at: www.cssd.ac.uk/undergraduate-applications/audition-fee-waivers

Audition process/preparation required

Everyone who makes an application to Central will be invited to audition/interview depending on the course that they are interested in.

For the BA (Hons) Acting audition, students will audition for all three courses and will have to prepare a series of monologues and songs. Auditionees will also take part in assessed workshops.

Please note that our audition process is subject to change, therefore please do double check our requirements before preparing for your audition.

Those interested in the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice courses will be invited in for an interview and be asked to bring in a portfolio of previous work, and those applying for the BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice courses will also be invited to attend an interview day. More information about our selection process can be found through our website.

All audition/interview days allow applicants to learn more about the school and courses and undertake a tour.

Any other information

Central is a collaborative environment where students across the school will work together on public facing shows and projects either in external theatres/companies or within our professional standard theatres and facilities.

We host open days throughout the year for both the BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice and BA (Hons) Theatre Practice courses, however we are unfortunately unable to offer open days for the BA (Hons) Acting courses: instead the audition day will double up as an open day. You can also come and see any of our third year BA (Hons) Acting shows at Central which will take place in one of our three theatres.

Contact

www.cssd.ac.uk

openevents@cssd.ac.uk