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Theatre Production

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This is professional theatre training for a wide variety of backstage career opportuities . This exciting and vibrant programme is delivered in association with both  Theatre Royal Bath and Salisbury Playhouse. All lecturers are experienced professionals with extensive industry profiles. Industry practice is therefore at the very heart of your learning experience.  

This is professional theatre training for stage managers, technicians and designers. Work on public productions in a range of professional theatres, including the Theatre Royal Bath and Salisbury Playhouse, guarantees you graduate as a theatre production professional. 

         

Why study Theatre Production?

Do you want a career in the exciting and diverse world of Theatre Production?

This highly practical course gives you the chance to study in a professional environment, underpinned by strong links with some of the best in the industry.

Any subject area or skill you find backstage, is taught to the highest standards on this course. Subject areas include:

  • Stage lighting
  • Sound design and operation
  • Costume making
  • Stage management
  • Production management
  • Scenic design
  • Costume design
  • Scenic construction
  • Scenic art
  • Prop making

Ratio of applications to places

No. of applicants (2011): 85

No. of places (2011): 20

National student survey results

Overall student satisfaction with teaching for courses in this subject area (2011): 88%

Course structure

Emphasis is on project and production work, with students undertaking practical workshops, seminars and directed study. There are no exams!

All lecturers are specialist theatre production practitioners and deliver the course to the highest current industry standards.  

The strong interaction with the industry, culminates in a professional placement of four weeks at theatres like Salisbury Playhouse and Theatre Royal Bath.

  • Course Leader Michael Budmani is a Stage and Production Manager with extensive experience at the RSC, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Opera.
  • Lecturer Rob Sayer is a highly experienced and respected Lighting practitioner, and author and editor of On Stage Lighting – the leading article website bringing the reality of professional stage lighting in the 21st century.
  • Lecturer Chris Britton is a scenic design and construction specialist, whose credits include work for Bristol Old Vic, Cosgrove Hall Films and Richmond Theatre.

Modules

Year 1 (Skill Acquisition)

  • Stage Management & Production Process
  • An Introduction to Stage Lighting, Sound and AV
  • Stagecraft (Construction Methods & Practice)
  • An Introduction to Scenic & Costume Design
Year 1 will give you a grounding in all technical theatre and stage management disciplines. Some people know what career path they wish to follow upon graduation when they start Theatre Production. Many begin this journey of exploration in Year 1 as they discover new skills and areas of interest. Theatre Production is a collection of disciplines and departments that collaborate to create live performance. There is no "I" in Theatre Production, only "we", so an understanding of what each and every department is trying to achieve is crucial to success.

Year 2 (Working on Productions)

  • Stage Management
  • Lighting, Sound and AV
  • Construction (Scenic Construction / Costume Construction / Prop Construction)
Alongside a full lecture programme, you will undertake a variety of production-based roles. These can include Stage Manager (small-scale), Deputy Stage Manager, Lighting Designer (small-scale), Chief Electrician, Sound Technician, Prop Maker, Technical Stage Manager, Costume Technician and Head of Construction.

Year 3 (Industry Integration and Specialisation)

  • Advanced Production Practice
  • Research and Industry
  • Meeting Industry

Year 3 allows you the facility to focus your study, and to specialise in areas that you have discovered are your particular strengths and interests. You will assume "Head of Department" responsibility in production areas of your choosing. Production role opportunities include those of Costume Designer, Scenic Designer, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Stage Manager, Deputy Stage Manager, Head of Construction (Scenic or Costume), Scenic Artist and Production Manager. The 3-year interaction with industry culminates in a professional industry work placement of at least four weeks duration. A strong variety of varied placements are available at Salisbury Playhouse and Theatre Royal Bath, amongst many many more.

As important as all of this, you will learn about the world of work you are about to enter - how to find work, how to get work, how to keep work, how to create an industry standard CV and job application, and how to conduct yourself in a job interview. We believe these are vital skills. After all, you may be the worlds greatest stage technician, but if you can't prove that in a job interview scenario, nobody will ever find that out!

Course assessment

Assessment is by coursework including practical work, presentations, evaluations, group projects, individual reports and written assignments. There are no written exams on this course.

External Examiners Report 2010–2011:

“There is a feeling of a true team working to produce great student experience and with the new fee paying environment this cannot be understated.”

Our new state of the art "Theatre Production Centre" houses a scenic workshop, prop and costume making facilities and a CAD suite that is the envy of many professional theatre companies.

Our productions are mounted across a variety of venues, including Theatre Royal, Bath - one of the most important theatres in the UK outside London. There are opportunities to support production work across the three TRB venues - Main House, the Ustinov Studio and the egg,

On campus, our productions are mounted in our award-winning, modern and highly technically equipped University Theatre. We regularly mount shows in our city centre Arts Centre "Burdalls Yard" too!


BATH SPA LIVE

To manage the transition between study and work as an emerging professional, the Department of Performing Arts has created an innovative project: all Theatre Production students become members of a production company managed by the School’s promotional arm, Bath Spa Live. Acting students appear in three different productions including a range of devised pieces, plays, TV sit-coms, radio dramas and films. Theatre Production students provide professional production values throughout. Larger ensemble cast pieces tour to venues like Cornwall’s Minack Theatre; smaller cast pieces showcase individual students, and the year culminates in the Summer Festival Project. Emerging designers produce their work on stage, while managers and technicians 'run' productions. Guest professional practitioners lead many of the productions. The Festival provides opportunities for students to create their own companies and stage work at venues across the city as part of Bath’s Fringe Festival. As members of this graduate company, students will not only be fully equipped for a professional freelance career, but they will also have a product ready for the market upon graduation.

Teaching methods

Emphasis is on project and production work, with students undertaking practical workshops, seminars and directed study.

You will learn through lectures and practical workshops, and by working on professional productions, both internal and external.


External Examiners Report 2011-2012:

"I found the students understanding of their chosen discipline to be of a high standard which is comparable to courses in the field. The students have a good quality of knowledge and skills and the work on productions is of a high standard with the students demonstrating the ability to work autonomously at a professional standard."

"The knowledge of students displayed by staff is a great strength, as is the care and attention paid to the marking of assessments, and the quality of feedback provided is generally high."

"The course has very good industry links fully embedded into the programme and the students work experience and learning with outside organisations is reflected in the work that is produced."

"I noted the staff’s high degree of educational and pastoral awareness of their students."


External Examiners Report 2010–2011:

“Strengths are certainly links and partnerships with outside professional companies…”



Application method

All applications are through UCAS.

 

We invite successful applicants to a Theatre Production Applicant Open Day for out workshop/interview days. This day includes a chance to meet staff and current students, the opportunity to view our facilities, a micro-teaching session, and an interview. Students should bring any evidence of their interest (portfolios etc.) to show to staff at the interview.

2013 Interview Dates:

11,12,13,14,15 February (confirmed)

25 & 27 March (un-confirmed)

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or other enquiries, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

Entry requirements

Applicants must have 280-300 UCAS points and have a demonstrable interest in an area of Theatre Production.

Career opportunities

Production and / or technical careers either in theatre or the wider entertainment industry:

  • Lighting Design
  • Lighting Technician
  • Sound Design
  • Sound Technician
  • Stage Management
  • Events Management
  • Scenic Design
  • Costume Design
  • Scenic Construction
  • Prop Maker
  • Rigger
  • Production Management

Since 2011, employers such as The Savoy Theatre (Legally Blonde, The Musical), Aldwych Theatre (Top Hat), Salisbury Playhouse, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Watermill Theatre Newbury, Queens Theatre Hornchurch and the Theatre Royal Bath have recruited graduates from this course. Many graduates undertake freelance careers, with graduates to be found working as Scenic Designers, Wardrobe Technicians, Chief Theatre Technicians, Stage Managers, Theatre Electricians and Event Managers.

What students say...

"Just a quick email saying thanks for the last three years. Without your passion for the industry it would never have inspired me and given me the drive and determination to succeed! I'm extremely grateful for everything you have done. That belief you have in every student is a really uplifting and aided us as a year group to believe in ourselves a bit more, enabling u to push more boundaries and therefor creating some awesome pieces of work. What a three years! Have enjoyed every last minute of it."


"Your dedication and commitment to Theatre Production is forever there to see in the eyes of students and I cant thank you enough for giving me the opportunity that I have so thoroughly enjoyed since joining here in 2009."

"I just wanted to say thank you to you both for the last 3 years. They have really changed my life for the better and am so looking forward to the next chapter of my life. I really appreciate all the hard work you have put in for us all this year and I am so happy with my mark!"


"I have really enjoyed the past three years, and I know I will miss Theatre Production and everyone associated with the course terribly. The course has given me so much confidence and encouragement to get the job I want, and to do it really well! Thank you for all your support."

Listen to what our students have to say about the course by watching the video at the top of this page: