REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE - 2025/6

Module Overview

In this module students are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have been developing in other modules - Stage Acting, Voice Technique and Movement Technique - to the practical work of rehearsal and performance of theatre scripts. An initial in-class presentation of a rehearsed play ('Bridge' project) models the actor-director relationship, and leads to a public-facing production of a play led by a visiting professional director.

In this module students will also work with a visiting director on research and development towards the new writing project for the stage which they will create in the Year 2 module 'New Work for Stage and Film'.

Thus, the module provides a platform for students to further refine their grasp of fundamental principles of actor training as well as the more advanced, sophisticated technical, creative and collaborative requirements placed upon the professional stage performer.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

BYRNE Grainne (GSA)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Module content includes:

• 'Bridge' project: a rehearsal and in-class presentation of a selected play


• Public production of a selected play


• Research and development for new writing project with visiting director

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Advanced acting skills to a professional standard Collaborative skills, discipline and coherence of approach to stage acting


• Self-reflective evaluative awareness of personal approach to development of character for theatrical performance

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• In-class performance of 'Bridge' project (addressing learning outcomes 1,2,3 and 4)


• Performance of public production (addressing learning outcomes 1,2,3 and 4)


• Continuous assessment of student's contribution to new writing research and development work (addressing learning outcomes 2,3,4 and 5)

Formative assessment

Formative Assessment and feedback is given during the rehearsal and performance projects on each assessment by the tutor/director as appropriate.

Feedback

Summative feedback for the assessment tasks is given in written or audio form on Surreylearn following the 'Bridge' project (end of Teaching Block 2), and after the Public Production and Research and Development rehearsal/process. In addition, verbal feedback is given during the rehearsal and performance projects on each assessment by the tutor/director as appropriate.

Module aims

• Assist the student to build their own bridge between training and the profession
• Introduce the student to professional contexts and protocols
• Deepen the student's creative and technical approach to characterization for stage performance

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Introduce the student to a variety of professional contexts and protocols;


• Assist the student in building their own bridge between training and the profession;


• Encourage the student to develop a coherent and self-reflective personal approach to developing a character for stage performance

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Rehearsals for 'Bridge' project Rehearsals for public production


• Research and development work/process for new writing project

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ACTM059

Other information

Digital Capabilities

Students engage with digital technologies to develop their technical literacy and support their learning. Students use non-specialist software for communication, administration and planning such as the VLE. 

Employability

Employability is baked into the teaching, learning and assessment on this module to help foster a professional attitude in students. Staff, including visiting directors, draw upon their professional experience in to deliver a student experience that models contexts and protocols within the acting profession as closely as possible. Students develop transferable skills in team collaboration, creative thinking and problem solving.

Global and Cultural Capabilities

MFA Acting students are drawn from a broad base of applicants including international students, thus there is a wide and varying range of experience and knowledge contributing to the culture of the programme. The curriculum encourages students to enhance their cultural awareness through its focus on style and genre. Students with additional learning needs are signposted to the university's support services, and GSA has a dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager.

Resourcefulness and Resilience

The need for students to manage uncertainty, risks and challenges and deal with the responsibilities of working as part of a team is built into the programme's educational aims and learning outcomes. Students work towards achieving professional standards in rehearsal and performance contexts, in line with expectations for a successful career as an actor. Formative and summative feedback is geared towards students' progress towards these standards as they develop a coherent personal approach to their work.

Sustainability

Students are invited to reflect on the impact of their work in social, economic and environmental terms, and to consider how they may take responsibility for achieving professional standards that promote wellbeing. GSA is committed to sustainable practices in its output, including in the public productions that optimize resources, and students are taught how to create work that is sustainable in all senses of the word.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.