READ College – Foundation Course in Musical Theatre
Our Musical Theatre Foundation Course has a 98% success rate across the last 14 years, with graduates gaining places at the top Dance and Musical Theatre Colleges.
Led by an exceptional team of professionals, our Musical Theatre Foundation Course has a strictly limited intake each year with classes further streamlined by experience and ability, ensuring access to small, focused classes and plenty of personalised tuition.
Course Content – Foundation Course in Musical Theatre at READ College
Our Foundation Course in Musical Theatre doesn’t have a bias towards any one discipline – we train our students as triple-threat performers across acting, singing and dance.
Class sizes are small and streamlined on our Foundation Course in Musical Theatre, to make sure that we are able to work with each student individually and support them through their training. During an average week at READ College, Musical Theatre students will take part in the following classes:
- Dance – Ballet, Technical Jazz, Commercial Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Tap, Audition Solos, Body Conditioning
- Acting – Improvisation, Classical Theatre, Audition Rep (monologues), Physical Theatre, Acting Styles, Play Performance
- Singing – Private Singing, Ensemble Singing, Musical Theatre, Music Theory, Vocal Tech
- Additional Weekly Classes – Audition Preparation, Contextual Studies, Performance Class
- Student Welfare – Support can be accessed through our dedicated Student Welfare Officer, including counselling and osteopathy
Alongside these weekly classes, we have regular guest workshops and masterclasses with most of the major degree-level Dance and Musical Theatre Colleges, some of whom even come and run auditions here at READ to hand pick our students for their courses!
Our students on the Foundation Course in Musical Theatre graduate with the fully accredited RSL Level 4 Diploma for Creative Industries Practitioners, gaining 80 credits at Foundation Degree level.
Please note: Since Brexit prevented us from being able to accept international students in January 2021, we are no longer able to accept applications from international students (residency outside the UK or ROI).
Read on to see our graduate destinations and details of how to fund your course at READ…
We guide our students through the Dance/Drama School audition process from start to finish, including helping them with UCAS, personal statements, headshots, when to apply, where to apply, managing audition repertoire, etc, etc.
READ College is also proud to have exceptional pastoral care, with physical and emotional health being top priorities in looking after our young performers in training. As well as a specialist Performing Arts Osteopath and Vocal Health Coach available for the students, we are part of the #Time4Change Charter, supporting mental health awareness in the Performing Arts. We provide free access to our college chaplain and qualified young people’s counsellor for students every week.
Graduate Destinations
Our most recent graduates from the Foundation Course in Musical Theatre here at READ College have been offered places at:
- Arts Ed, Mountview, Urdang, Bird, Laine, Central, PPA, London Studio Centre, Trinity Laban and many more…
- Visit our alumni page and see the full list of our graduate destinations from our Musical Theatre Foundation Course!
APPLY NOW FOR THE UK’S LEADING FOUNDATION COURSE IN MUSICAL THEATRE!
Here at READ College, we believe very strongly that a career in the Performing Arts should be open to anyone who has the dedication and determination to make it, regardless of financial circumstances. That is why we are a registered charity with no owner, director or shareholders making money from your training – our Board of Trustees are all volunteers. You can find out about our charitable work by clicking HERE.
The full cost of our Foundation Course in Musical Theatre for 2023 entry is currently under review. Fees can be paid monthly or in three instalments, without any additional administration or interest costs.
Our Access to The Arts scheme can support up to 60% of tuition fees at READ College for UK students.
Bursaries from Access to The Arts are means-tested and are provided on a sliding scale, based on household income, savings levels and also any extenuating circumstances that have led to a student being unable to access Performing Arts training. Once a student has been offered a place at audition, they will be sent a bursary application form to fill in and complete before having to enrol.
For students who may not be eligible for support from Access to The Arts, or those who have been awarded a bursary but cannot afford the balance of the fees, we provide a full support and advice service to help you find additional grants and sponsorship wherever possible. If you would like advice on funding your course, please contact us.
Please note that at the present time, there is no government funding or student loan that will cover Foundation Training, which is why we set up Access to The Arts.
We are extremely proud of the expert teaching faculty at READ College on our Musical Theatre Foundation Course. All of our staff are experienced industry professionals with many years of vocational teaching experience alongside impressive performing careers.
You can find out who teaches on our Musical Theatre Foundation Course at READ College by visiting our Teaching Faculty page and see why we’re the leading Performing Arts Foundation College in the UK!
Students on our Musical Theatre Foundation Course have several performance opportunities during their year with us. These include:
- Stars of the West End Charity Concert, singing with major West End names and helping to raise money for our Student Hardship Fund
- Move It, the UK’s biggest dance and theatre expo at ExCel London
- Musical Theatre Showcase, where representatives from the UK’s leading Dance and Drama colleges are invited to see our students in action. This is a full-scale revue with a live band and professional production team
Here are some answers to the most frequently asked question by prospective students. Feel free to get in touch if you need to ask anything else!
- How old do I have to be? The average age of students on our Foundation Course in Acting is 18-24, but there is no official limit. For students who are 16/17 or have not completed AS-levels or A-level/equivalent we recommend our 2 Year Vocational Sixth Form in Acting which gives you the chance to gain experience and qualifications equal to 3 A-Levels.
- What qualifications do I need? There is no academic requirement for training at READ on our Foundation Course in Acting, although it is worth thinking about the possible degree-level courses that you may go on to afterwards most of which will require you to have the UCAS points from 3 A-levels or equivalent. Admission to READ is by audition, and so it is what you present on the day that counts! You can find out more about our audition process here.
- Do I need drama exams or A-levels to audition? No. They are a useful way of us gauging your experience prior to audition but once again, it is all about what you present at audition!
- When are your auditions? We audition every month from January to May. Just fill in our online application form and we will get in touch to arrange an audition date with you.
You can use our contact form to get in touch with us to ask any questions that you might have, and we will always be happy to help!
If you’re considering auditioning for our Foundation Course in Musical Theatre, then take a look at our “What to Expect at and Audition” page, which will tell you all about your day. You might also like to check out our “Location and Accommodation” page to see where we are and how to find us.
Got all the info that you need? Then go ahead and apply for our Foundation Course in Musical Theatre!
