In your first year as a Musical Theatre student, you'll work on building foundational skills in ensemble singing, acting technique, and ballet and Jazz dance. This will culminate in your first musical production in the Covent Garden Theatre.
In Year 2, you'll continue to develop technical skills to a more advanced level whilst preparing to take on a week of performances in a fully realised book musical in our Mumford Theatre. Alongside this, you'll work through in-class performance assessments.
You’ll take part in three full-scale musical productions and a first year skills showcase, culminating in a spectacular final year musical showcase.
You'll also learn advanced audition techniques, produce your own showreel, and receive feedback from agents, as well as having the chance to take part in our musical theatre choir and a professional singing competition judged by industry pros. Throughout all your studies you’ll gain confidence, emotional resilience, and the ability to work as part of a team.
Our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre course is distinguished by the expertise of our staff, with core members including Shaun Aquilina (author of Musical Theatre for the Female Voice: The Sensation, Sound, and Science of Singing, performer with companies including Opera Holland Park and Northern Ireland Opera) and Pippa Duffy (acting credits include the Only Fools and Horses musical, Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and Pete Versus Life).
We also engage industry professionals as lecturers or to deliver masterclasses including musical directors, actors, choreographers, agents and casting directors. Among our current associates are Nikki Trow (Choreographer for Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing, Little Mix, Ed Sheeran), Dr Stuart Morley (Musical Director for Les Misérables, Only Fools and Horses), Charlotte Wakefield (Wendla in London’s Spring Awakening, The Great British Bake Off – The Musical), Vikki Lee Taylor (Mrs. Doubtfire - The Musical, Heathers (DVD), Matilda) and many others. These professionals not only share their extensive industry knowledge and skills but also inspire our students to strive for excellence.
Graduate ready for careers in musical theatre and a wide range of professions in the creative industries, the arts, and education.
As an ARU student, you can also get involved with the University of Cambridge's Footlights comedy events as a writer, performer or member of the production team.
The impact of our Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, and Film & Screen Studies research achieved 'world-leading' in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Course Leader: Ryan Murphy
