BA (Hons) Theatre guidance

Our workshop and interview day is an opportunity for you to get an idea of what is involved in our BA Theatre course and to experience the way you would work in this area at the University of Portsmouth.

As part of our effort to inform prospective students of our unique offer, we prefer applicants to attend one of these afternoons before we'll make an offer.

We'll provide an overview of the course, then break into a short workshop. After the workshop, you'll have a short interview.

If you are unable to attend an in-person workshop, we can accept a video submission instead

What to expect

What to expect:

Workshop preparation

If you're interested in studying Drama, Musical Theatre or Production with us, please note the following guidance to prepare for the workshop:

Students will begin with a talk from the academic staff outlining the BA (Hons) Theatre and its pathways in Drama, Musical Theatre and Production.
After the talk, students will be led by teaching staff in a 45-minute workshop that incorporates all three pathways (no preparation necessary).
After the workshop students will perform individually and privately for the teaching team. Please come prepared to perform a song, short monologue, piece of movement or a combination of all. The speech can be from any play or musical. If student intentions are to pursue the musical theatre pathway please ensure your individual performance reflects at least two of the three elements of the genre (singing, dancing, acting). For students interested in the drama pathway we encourage you to think beyond traditional dramatic literature and choose a different kind of text to perform (passages from interviews, pop culture, road signs; there are many things that can be considered a text). For students interested in the production pathway, please bring a portfolio of production work (images, storyboards, collages etc.) If you do not have a specific production portfolio, please bring a portfolio with any artwork, photography, graphics or costume design that demonstrates experience in a relevant area.
Do a little library/Internet research around your chosen text, and come prepared to talk informally about your research.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
We’re a very accessible course so let us know in advance about any accessibility issues that may affect your participation and we can make adjustments.

Interview information

After your individual performance we will have a short interview in which we will:

Give you an opportunity to explain why you are well suited to the study of drama, musical theatre or production
Briefly answer your specific questions about the course

Please record yourself answering the following questions, along with the performance of a two-minute monologue/scene and upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo so that we can get to know you better in considering your application to join one of our courses. If student intentions are to pursue the musical theatre pathway please ensure your individual performance reflects at least two of the three elements of the genre (singing, dancing, acting).

Keep in mind that there are no “right” answers; we just want to get a sense of how you think and feel about theatre.

Questions

Why do you want to study drama, musical theatre or production?
Why study at the University of Portsmouth? Tell us what aspects of the course appeal to you and why. Try relating this to your future goals, current interests and areas, which will be a new challenge for you.
We have three pathways for you to choose from on this course: drama, musical theatre, and production. Which of these are you interested in most?
Analyse a recent theatre production you have seen. What themes did the show explore?

Monologue/Song/Production (choose one)

Your two-minute monologue/scene should be from a play text written in the 21st Century (for example, plays by Debbie Tucker Green, Caryl Churchill, Mark Ravenhill, Laura Wade, Ella Hickson or Bryony Lavery).
Your song should be from the musical theatre canon (for example: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloydd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Robert Brown, Jeanine Tesori, John Kander, Lynn Ahrens or their contemporaries. Please feel free to add movement, physicality or a dance break if desire (not required).
Please talk through two examples of your design or technical work such as stage management, lighting, sound, set design, costume, etc. Show images of your work if you are able to.

Submit your video

Once you've recorded your video, please upload a word document with the url to your applicant view. If you have any issues, you can email the link to admissions@port.ac.uk (please include your name, UCAS ID and course).

The production value of the video doesn't need to be a professional standard. But you need to ensure the video resolution is high enough to be viewed on a PC and the sound quality is of a suitable standard. Please ensure the video is no longer than 10 minutes. Please remember to take your time and relax. We're looking for detailed answers to your questions rather than speedy replies.