Hello and welcome to Musical Theatre, part of Reigate College’s thriving Performing Arts Department!
My name is Zoe Dunkley and I’m the course leader for BTEC Performing Arts (Musical Theatre). I’m really excited you’ve chosen to study Musical Theatre at Reigate College and I’m looking forward to welcoming you to our friendly, close-knit department at the start of the academic year.
Before you join us, I’d like you to complete a series of tasks and activities over the coming months in preparation for the start of the course. These tasks should all be completed independently at home by the relevant date – and don’t forget, as well as these tasks, you should also be making the most of all the opportunities to watch and listen to the many fantastic performances of musical theatre currently available on-line.
The tasks are organised in three distinct steps and should all be completed by Choices Day on 27 August 2025. This is to give you the best insight into what the courses will be like and/or help prepare you for them.
Please note, some Course Leaders (for example for Music) may release their tasks earlier, as they may form part of the College’s audition process. If this applies to you, you’ll be notified separately.
New Starters Course Tasks and Activities
| Release date | Suggested Completion Dates | |
| Explore your Subject | 1 June | 1 July |
| Get Going | 1 June | 1 August |
| Aim High | 1 June | 1 September |
Welcome back to the Performing Arts Department!
Taking one of our Performing Arts courses here at Reigate College is a great way to start your journey towards your chosen career in performing arts. During your two years here, you’ll develop and improve your performance skills, as well as the skills and attributes needed to run a successful performing arts company.
For those who are thinking of a different career path, you’ll find that the confidence, creativity, team-working and presentation skills you’ll gain through studying Performing Arts will be hugely valuable whatever you do.
Get ready!
The world of Performing Arts is vast! The following are some activities you should be exploring now in preparation for studying any of our Performing Arts courses – in order to be successful, it’s important you stay up to date on how the industry is progressing, as well as having an understanding of its foundations.
Understanding live theatre today
To get an insight into theatre today, you should be reading newspaper articles and reviews as widely as possible.
When reading the newspapers and websites suggested below, you’ll find a lot of interesting material relating to issues that are affecting the Performing Arts, such as funding and royalties. Also look at jobs offered, openings, closings and training.
Become a theatre critic
For this activity, we would like you to consider 2 plays you’ve seen – and make some notes!
One should be a live play that you’ve seen.
The second one should be of a play that you’ve been in (this could be a piece of assessed performance work, or piece that you have done for fun or professionally.)
Please make notes on the shows covering the points below:
- Acting skills
- Genre
- Set design
Experience live theatre for yourself
In order to understand live theatre, there’s nothing like watching it for yourself! There are so many live stage performances available to watch through YouTube and elsewhere, so watch them – and as many as you can!
As you watch more performances in a variety of genres (plays, musicals, classical productions etc.), you should begin to build up an understanding of contrast in live theatre.
Here are some websites to get you started:
National theatre live: http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=live+theatre+performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8rvV1mXtOo&list=PLsa_IB3EW2g0W7u6Yx6hPefJyx9keQQ5M
Developing repertoire
Reading a play/musical/libretto is an important part of the understanding and development of performance. The text indicates the movement of the actors, their tone, position etc. which all adds an extra level of detail. It may also include the lighting and setting of the furniture, as well as the sound effects required for the full assessment of the play.
Task 1: Read three plays, one of which must be a musical. If you’re not sure what to choose, read the following article, which lists 25 plays all actors should read (some of which are available online as free e-texts):
Here are some tips to make the most out of reading a play:
- Read with a pencil in your hand so you can make notes if necessary
- Visualise the characters
- Contemplate the setting
- Research the historical context
- Sit in the director’s chair (can you find an equivalent chair at home to sit in?)
It’s also really important to read the play aloud:
- Plays are written to be heard
- If you can, ask your family to read it with you – reading in a group is more fun!
- Listen for how characters use language that sets them uniquely apart
Plays we’ve explored on Performing Arts courses include:
- DNA by Dennis Kelly
- Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter
- Spring Awakening by Steven Sater
- The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol
- The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht
- Blood Brothers by Willy Russell
You may like to take a look at the Performing Arts galleries section of the Reigate College website to see photos from some of these performances:
https://www.reigate.ac.uk/news-media/photo-galleries/?gallery-type=98
Task 2: For each of your three texts, spend some time researching the context in which they were written and then have a go at annotating a section of each one.
As well as completing these tasks, don’t forget to keep making the most of the many opportunities to watch plays and musicals online for free.
Learning a Monologue
Each year, our Performing Arts students put on an evening of solo performances in the College’s Dramatic Arts Studio Theatre. You can watch the highlights from this year’s performances at:
https://www.reigate.ac.uk/videos/headshotz-performing-arts-audition-pieces/
In preparation for the BTEC Level 3 course in Performing Arts: Musical Theatre, you will need to learn and perform a set monologue. This will improve your rehearsal, line knowledge and performance skills, which are all essential for the course.
TASK 1: Please learn the below monologue from Shakespeare’s As You Like It in preparation for a workshop lesson:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.
The following website will help you will the context and meaning:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_world%27s_a_stage
If it’s helpful, you may like to download and print the monologue here.
TASK 2: In order to help with your rehearsal and performance skills, please do some research and annotate the above monologue with notes on context, character, meaning and performance.
All about Method?
We’d like you to go a bit deeper in understanding performance by doing some research into Method Acting.
TASK 3: Firstly, please watch the following YouTube clip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1XGOTUjiw
Now, think about some of the tips for and against Method Acting.
If you can get hold of them, the following two books are really useful reading in preparation for the course:
Performing Arts at Reigate College
Throughout the course, Performing Arts students at Reigate College have many exciting opportunities to take part in performances, workshops, masterclasses and trips.
If you’ve not already seen it, take a look at the College’s annual review, Rewind, to get a flavour of some of the things you might be involved with.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to another exciting year of Performing Arts at the College!
Course Leader – Performing Arts (Musical Theatre)
