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BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Cabaret)

Become a specialist in musical theatre, stage entertainment and performance

Become a specialist in musical theatre, stage entertainment and performance

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WW4C
3 years Full Time
Bishop Otter Campus (Chichester)
  • Train in musical theatre with specialist options in stage entertainment and performance
  • Build you professional network through our industry partnerships with Talent Artistic Group (TAG) and Sonic Artists
  • Spotlight accredited
  • Star in our professional showcase and perform throughout your degree
  • Learn from our expert and industry-active teaching staff
Musical Theatre Guys and Dolls on stage

37th

UK University

The Guardian University Guide 2023

7th

in the UK for teaching quality

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022

Top 10

for student satisfaction

Complete University Guide 2023

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Overview

Combine traditional musical theatre training with specialist stage entertainment and performance practice

The only course of its kind in the UK, our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Cabaret) degree provides you with a traditional training in Musical Theatre with additional preparation for a career in cruises, holiday resorts, and stage entertainment.

Gain highly-practical musical theatre training with a focus on stage performance

You will receive traditional training in every aspect of Musical Theatre (singing, acting and dance) alongside a specialist focus on developing specifical techniques and skills from a wide range of stage entertainment and performance options.

Throughout your degree, you will study a very generous amount of dance (jazz, ballet, tap, commercial, body conditioning) and singing, plus ensemble, stage acting and recording studio techniques.

Study a variety of stage entertainment and performance disciplines, including:

  • Acting through song
  • Spoken voice
  • Tap
  • Jazz
  • Comedy
  • Magic
  • ...and many more!

Guaranteed roles in fully-staged productions

This high-contact course guarantees you performance roles in our productions, in collaboration with professional production teams in regional theatres alongside cruise-styled, fully-staged, cabaret floor shows.

Star in your professional showcase and kickstart your career

You will also perform at a graduate showcase for agents, bookers, and industry professionals, which is also professionally recorded. This means that you will graduate with a professional showreel, headshots and a vocal rep folder, giving you everything you need to start your career within the performance industry.

Seize networking opportunities with our industry partners

You will have regular visits from industry professionals and partners throughout the course and work with them to develop your performance skills.

The course is unique in the UK as being the only Musical Theatre (Cabaret) course in the country, being partnered with leading international show producers TAGlive, based in the USA and the UK, (TUI, cruises, and resorts worldwide) bringing the profession into the classroom.

Andy Mills-Brown

CEO, TAGlive
“We are extremely passionate about cultivating a younger generation and nurturing them to become confident performers. Partnering with the University of Chichester Conservatoire Cabaret degree Programmes is perfect as we can provide first-hand and real-world industry advice whilst having the first opportunity to offer contracts to talented performers”.

Jon Perry

Director, Sonic Artists
"Sonic Artists have a wide range of opportunities for musicians and performers in the cruise, leisure and holiday industries ideal for Jazz, Musical Theatre, Songwriting and Cabaret Performance. We are committed to helping the University of Chichester develop this talent and eventually guide them into the job market."

Spotlight accredited

Our Spotlight accreditation offers you discounted graduate membership to largest casting resource in the United Kingdom, inclusion in a dedicated ‘graduate’ section of their website, access to their dedicated one-to-one career advice sessions, and much more.

Spotlight logo

The Course

Develop specialist technical and performance skills across acting, dancing and singing

This highly-practical degree provides with comprehensive training in the three key areas of musical theatre (acting, dancing, and singing) and encourages you to develop your own individual combination of skills through our various optional study options in stage entertainment and performance.

Darcey

BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Cabaret)
"One of the things that makes the course stand out is the variety of skills we have the opportunity to learn such as magic, comedy, guitar and pole dancing. We are treated as unique individual performers and encouraged to believe in ourselves and our abilities, providing the support and confidence to move out of our comfort zones."

Create your own pathway

You will be encouraged to develop your own individual combination of skills.

You will access vocal masterclasses, one-to-one singing lessons, ensemble, singing and acting through song. Dance will include tap, jazz, ballet, with options in pole, aerial, and silk. Your acting and stage classes will cover physical theatre, dialect, script work, with options in magic, comedy and guitar and ukulele performance.

Year One

During your first year you will study singing, acting, dance, recording studio techniques, spoken voice and entertainment skills and take part in fully staged cabaret floor shows working with musical theatre industry experts.

Year Two

In the second year you will continue to develop your acting, singing and dance in regular classes and have the choice to be assessed in singing or dance as your primary study.

In addition to being featured in the Cabaret Performance Company floor shows, you will also audition for our fully staged Musical Theatre shows which take place in leading regional theatres including Alexander Theatre, Bognor Regis and the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth produced by leading industry creative teams.

Year Three

In the third year you will appear in our fully staged Musical Theatre shows at leading regional theatres, in Cabaret Performance Company shows, in an Agents Showcase and create an industry Showreel, with regular visits from agents and industry professionals.

This list is indicative and subject to future change.

Select a year

Cabaret Skills

This year long programme of study is focused on preparation, developing the different disciplines and practices needed for cabaret performance skills.

In addition, the module focuses on developing a good sense of performance context.

You will be challenged creatively, physically, and intellectually under the direction of specialist teachers, preparing them for your professional career.

History of Cabaret

To develop an individual voice as a cabaret performer, it is important to understand the traditions of entertainment from which the role derives.

This module allows you to understand and learn from the key figures in the history of cabaret entertaining either with a view to working within a particular chosen style, or breaking away from the tradition from an informed position.

This module looks at the evolution of the role and changes in the way cabaret has been consumed from the 19th century and earlier through to more current models.

Musical Theatre Development 1

This module develops your performance and communication skills in the musical theatre disciplines of acting, singing and dance, and introduces a more developed sense of performance context.

You will develop your current repertoire, your exploration of new work under the direction of specialist acting, dance and vocal teachers, and your skill in preparing for performance.

Performance Development

This includes your 1 to 1 tuition in your selected instrumental or vocal study.

Professional Resilience

This module will explore a range of different strategies designed to offer support to the emerging arts practitioner and will introduce you to a number of different models of successful self-development.

Professional Skills

Supporting the Cabaret Skills module, this year long programme of study is focused on professional practice, developing the different skills needed for cabaret performance, as well as developing a good sense of technical knowledge.

As part of this, you will work under the direction of specialist teachers, preparing them towards professional careers.

Cabaret Skills

This year long programme of study is focused on preparation, developing the different disciplines and practices needed for cabaret performance skills.

In addition, the module focuses on developing a good sense of performance context.

You will be challenged creatively, physically, and intellectually under the direction of specialist teachers, preparing them for your professional career.

Ensemble

You will produce a professional standard performance, demonstrating confidence within your chosen repertoire(s) and technical and expressive maturity. You will need an appropriate balance in programming and the ability to lean towards either a supporting or leadership role and develop your skills in hosting events and presenting the work to others.

Musical Theatre Development 2

This module develops your performance and communication skills in the musical theatre disciplines of acting, singing and dance, and introduces a more developed sense of performance context.

You will develop your current repertoire, your exploration of new work under the direction of specialist acting, dance and vocal teachers, and your skill in preparing for performance.

Musicals On Screen

This module explores the diverse cultural, social and historical contexts in which the movie musical has developed and currently operates. In addition, you will focus on the exploration of different filmmaking techniques, technologies and creative methodologies, using real world movie musicals as examples.

Performance Development

This includes your 1 to 1 tuition in your selected instrumental or vocal study.

Professional Skills

Supporting the Cabaret Skills module, this year long programme of study is focused on professional practice, developing the different skills needed for cabaret performance, as well as developing a good sense of technical knowledge.

As part of this, you will work under the direction of specialist teachers, preparing them towards professional careers.

Self-Employment, Employment and Visualising Success

This module explores the local and national marketplace and will introduce you to a number of different models of successful positioning within it.

A successful career as a music professional needs to be informed, alongside musical and communication skills, by an understanding of the nature of self-employment in business.

This module will seek to develop this, and to encourage a confident approach to the world beyond university, enabling a tailored financial and business planning which encourages an awareness of local markets and circumstances.

Cabaret Performance Showreel

This large all-year module incorporates a huge array of classes specific to your specialisms, including:

  • instrumentals studies
  • sight-reading
  • vocal rep
  • musical direction
  • spoken voice/entertainment skills
  • video and audio editing
  • plus your chosen option (comedy song, guitar or magic) to create your own Industry Showreel at the conclusion of the course.

Working with a wide range of tutors, this module will encourage you to look at how to present your own work on camera, how you market your skillset in the profession and help you to reflect on positioning yourself to a professional standard to agents and bookers.

Cabaret Skills

This year long programme of study is focused on preparation, developing the different disciplines and practices needed for cabaret performance skills.

In addition, the module focuses on developing a good sense of performance context.

You will be challenged creatively, physically, and intellectually under the direction of specialist teachers, preparing them for your professional career.

Create Your Own Show (Personal Study)

This module allows you to select an area or areas of study of their choice, in singing, instrumental study, dance (including choreography), acting, comedy, magic, and to develop this over an extended period into a self-devised show.

This provides an opportunity to develop an individual repertoire, and to present a longer and more challenging programme of work centred around your individual skill set.

Ensemble

You will produce a professional standard performance, demonstrating confidence within your chosen repertoire(s) and technical and expressive maturity. You will need an appropriate balance in programming and the ability to lean towards either a supporting or leadership role and develop your skills in hosting events and presenting the work to others.

Musical Theatre Development 3

This module develops your performance and communication skills in the musical theatre disciplines of acting, singing and dance, and introduces a more developed sense of performance context.

As part of this, you will develop your current repertoire, your exploration of new work under the direction of specialist acting, dance and vocal teachers, and your skill in preparing for performance.

Performance Development

This includes your 1 to 1 tuition in your selected instrumental or vocal study.

Personal Study (Recital)

This module sees you select an area of study in performance and develop it over an extended period.

For performers, this is an opportunity to present a longer and more challenging programme of work.

Personal Study (Written)

This module provides you with an opportunity to select an area of study of your choice, to research it and present your findings in written form, and to develop this over an extended period.

The MT Swing

This module gives you an insight to the role of a ‘swing’ within a musical theatre performance context. This is where you will be asked to learn all the parts of a particular production to be ready to fill any role.

You will develop an exploration of performance styles in practical work and a willingness to approach new and more complex learning strategies.

A more professional approach to rehearsal will be encouraged and you will keep a ‘swing bible’ (written log) of all information needed to effectively take part in the performance, in any given role.

Venues and Organisations

In this module, you will conduct self-analysis in your knowledge of and skills in accompaniment, clowning, magic and comedy, as you discuss with confidence aspects of practice relevant to their individual choice of or combination of discipline development.

Teaching and Assessment

Feel the support of our expert and experienced staff

Our expert and experienced musical theatre practitioners get to know you as individual so you can feel more confident to develop your technical skills and explore your creative ideas in a supportive environment.

Typical study weeks include:

  • Performance technique classes
  • Supplemental training classes
  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Studio-based workshops
  • Application of practice classes

Outside of scheduled classes you will complete independent study including developing repertoire, researching texts, individual solo practise, completing individual or group tasks and working on your assignments.

Experience

Discover industry-standard spaces and equipment to support you learning

Stay updated

Follow UoC Cabaret on Instagram or see our Facebook page to find our latest updates or browse through our video collection on the Musical Theatre (Cabaret) YouTube channel.

Study Abroad

Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad

As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.

Students who have undertaken this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience to broaden their horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse themselves within a new culture.

You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure that you can get the best out of your time studying abroad.

Careers

Prepare for a rewarding career within the performance industry

The highly-practical nature of our BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (Cabaret) degree supports specialist dancers, singers, and entertainers who wish to pursue a career in musical theatre, cruises, hotels, and international resorts.

High-contact hours with industry experts, focus on performance skills and experience, and strong professional links with the sector help prepare you for your future career, as you develop a broad range of skills to enhance your CV and your employability.

As performers, alumni have gone into work in:

  • West End productions
  • Major touring productions throughout Europe
  • Major cruise ships including Disney
  • UK and International touring theatre
  • ​Film and TV in both the UK and US
  • Warner Leisure Hotels
  • Edinburgh Festival
  • Cabaret
  • Stage and arts management in the UK and around the world

Many past graduates are now working in some of the principal producing houses. Visit our alumni group on Facebook to see what our students do after finishing their studies.

Further Study

You could choose to continue your studies at postgraduate level.

Study options at the University of Chichester include:

  • MA Music Performance
  • MA Performance: Theatre
  • MA Screen Acting
  • MA Music Teaching
  • PGCE
  • PhD/MPhil

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

Course Costs

Course Fees 2024/25

UK fee
£9,250
International fee
£15,840

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.

Entry Requirements

Typical offers (individual offers may vary):

UCAS
104-120
tariff points from A levels or combination with AS / EPQ / BTEC/ Cambridge Technical.
A Levels
BBC
BTEC
DDD-DMM
IB
28 points
IELTS
6.0
with no element lower than 5.5.

Auditions

You will need to demonstrate your ability in dance, acting and singing in a performance audition. Applicants with high levels of performance skills may be considered for a lower academic offer. For more information on this process see below – Audition Details and FAQs.

Interviews and Auditions

Auditions and interviews usually run from January until March/April.

We aim to offer you a genuine dialogue during your application process. This gives you a sense of worth and achievement from the audition process itself; a sense of ownership for you during the process and, ultimately, is an opportunity for us to get a clear understanding of who you are, what you need, and how we can best prepare you for your degree.

We judge you on your skills, your potential, and your personality, not your background.

Booking Your Audition

If you are invited to audition you will receive an email asking you to book your audition date on ChiView. If you are unsuccessful we will email you to let you know.

You can usually choose between multiple days on ChiView at one time. If none of the current dates suit you please contact admissions@chi.ac.uk.

Once you have booked your audition, you will be able to access the audition guidance document on ChiView – just log into the ChiView portal, click on ‘Events schedule’ and then ‘View details’ to access the document, which will tell you how to prepare for your audition, what to expect on the day, etc.

If your situation changes and you can no longer attend your audition date, you should cancel your booking in ChiView by visiting your ‘Event Schedule’ and clicking ‘Cancel Attendance’. You also need to inform the admissions team by emailing admissions@chi.ac.uk, so we can send you a new audition invitation.

 

Using ChiView 

Sometimes if you are viewing your ChiView portal on a phone you will not be able to see the page correctly. If this happens you should try again on another device.

You may need to clear your browser history. 

If you are still unable to see the ‘View details’ button, please check that you have successfully booked your audition by clicking ‘respond to interview invitation’.

If all else fails please email admissions@chi.ac.uk with your query and applicant number.

After Your Audition

After your audition, the panel will discuss your performance and pass our decision onto the admissions team, who will update UCAS and email you with the outcome, whatever it might be.

  • We make bespoke offers: Your offer is specifically for you. If we offer less than your predicted grades, this will reflect the potential and quality of your audition and we’d like to take a bit of pressure off of you heading into your exams.
  • We don’t do unconditional offers: Unless you already have your grades (you are a mature student), we will always insist on certain grade achievements because we want you to succeed in all aspects of your academic life including your A levels, BTEC, etc.
  • If you do not get the grades you wanted: Don’t panic. You received an offer because you were good enough for the department at audition. On Results Day, just ring us on the clearing hotline, so we can discuss things with you.
  • We may offer you a different course: We may offer you a place on an alternative, relevant course within the department, rather than offer you the course you applied for. If this is the case, we will state this in your offer letter/email and update your course on UCAS. We will explain our reasoning, which will revolve around placing you on the most appropriate course where we think you will thrive.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply?

Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.

What are UCAS tariff points?

Many qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value. The score depends on the qualification, and the grade you achieved.

How do I know what my UCAS tariff points are?

Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.

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