MA Actor Training and Coaching

The course offers specialists of appropriate disciplines (actors or other performers, movement or voice teachers, directors or emerging directors in film, theatre and television) the opportunity to diversify by following a specialised study in the education and support of professional actors.

More Detail

Course Detail

This unique course is for performance specialists interested in studying the synergy of advanced skills that are crucial to the work of the contemporary actor. The course joins Central’s MA Voice Studies and MA Movement Studies to create a cluster of postgraduate programmes aimed at high-level training practices for theatre and performance. Please note the course does not train you to be an actor, but enables you to work more effectively as an educator, coach or director of actors.

You will be introduced to the principles and practices behind the training, education and support of actors. The course addresses various practice and theory interfaces of contemporary acting and brings a variety of methods into creative fusion. You may expect to encounter work associated with, for example, Michael Chekhov, Lecoq, Grotowski, Meisner, Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Suzuki, and Viewpoints. You will explore ways of developing aptitude in the fundamentals of performance and relate these to a range of production contexts.

Teaching methods include tutorials, group seminars and workshops. Practical sessions are designed to enhance your understanding of acting processes and your skills in pedagogy, together with associated study of acting techniques and issues of performance including theatre, film and television.

You will develop: advanced interpersonal, facilitation and coaching skills; pedagogy skills, including how to research, plan and deliver courses; knowledge of a wide-range of acting methodologies and practices, as well as some movement and voice; education and support of actors; research skills –both as an individual and through group research; presentation skills; and an ability to plan, conduct and critically reflect on your own practice as an actor trainer.

Placements

Students undertake a teaching/coaching placement whilst on the course, as well as placements to engage with different acting and production contexts. The duration ranges from eight hours to three months. Placements are a vital part of the course and enable students to develop pedagogic experience and hone their skills as an educator. Students have benefitted from working both on other courses (undergraduate and postgraduate) at Central and in other outside institutions including Central Film School, London Film Academy, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Arts Education, East 15, Guildford School of Acting, Drama Centre, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Rose Bruford College, Kingston University, Royal Holloway University of London, Bangkok University, London Metropolitan University, Hampstead Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, Clean Break Theatre Company, Theatre Venture, Yellow Earth Theatre Company, the Roundhouse, the Actors Centre, and London Bubble Theatre Company.

Assessment:

This includes practical assignments, essay, and presentation and the submission of a Practitioner Portfolio addressing your own specialist development and understanding, or a dissertation.

Professional Focus

Graduate Destinations:

Graduates employment includes: Acting Tutor, Arts Educational, Central, Mountview Theatre School, Rose Bruford, Kingston University, London Film Academy, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, East 15, National Theatre Education, Drama Centre, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, National Film and Television School, Actors Centre, Bristol Old Vic, Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, London Film Academy, Method Studio, Bangkok University, Film and Television, Toronto University as well as other institutions in USA, Malaysia, Korea, Albania and Greece. Actor, National Theatre, Watermill Theatre and other regional theatres, London Fringe and West End. Some have gone on to study Reasearch Degrees at Exeter University, Kent University, Queen Mary’s, Kingston, Central School of Speech & Drama and Oxford University. Others have set up their own companies and acting studios to work as freelance actor trainers and coaches.

Recent Visiting Staff:

Various specialists are invited to teach on the course. Most recently this has included Phillip Zarilli, Ali Hodge, Lorna Marshall, Ally Cologna, Mike Alfreds, Laurence Boswell, Bella Merlin, John Wright and Scott Williams, Deirdre McLaughlin, Miriam Kerbavcic, Sam Stephenson, Lucinka Eisler, Marlon Rouse Tavares, James Palm.

Admission

Entry Requirements:

You will normally have a degree or an equivalent qualification in a subject that includes an element of theatre or performance practice; or have a degree and can provide evidence of previous training and experience with performance disciplines; or have a strong acting or actor training background and at least two years’ professional experience in the acting industry. An offer will normally only be made after audition and interview.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications. Applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible.

Application Details:

If you are selected for an interview for a place on the MA Actor Training and Coaching course, we will require you to undertake the following:

work with one or more actors and/or acting students on a series of short exercises determined by the assessors. You may also be required to participate in directing other students at the audition and lead a basic warm up;
hand in a short piece of writing (300 words) that evaluates your own working process as a practitioner;
participate in a short interview in order to discuss your experience in relation to acting/actor training (including your perceived strengths and needs), your understanding of issues relating to acting and performance and your preparedness for the course.

The interview process will also give you an opportunity to find out more about the course and the School.

International Auditions/Interviews

Central considers applicants for this course at its international auditions.

Distance Auditions/Interviews

Central does allow applicants to undertake a distance interview for this course. If you live abroad and are unable to attend an interview in person you may, at the discretion of the Admissions Tutor, be offered the opportunity of a distance interview. If you are selected for interview in this manner you will be contacted (normally by email) in order to arrange a suitable time for an interview. This will be conducted on Skype, telephone or by ‘live’ email exchange and will normally be based upon material you will have been asked to submit in advance. The interview will be conducted by the Admissions Tutor in liaison with a colleague who will have sight of your submitted materials.

For further information see the How to Apply section.

Course Specification: