MUSICAL THEATRE - 2025/6

Module Overview

Students will explore how tradition, parody and form have worked to develop musical theatre to its situation in the early 21st century. Through the investigation of the development of the genre, students will identify and discuss various influences on historical and contemporary pieces of theatre.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

TRINGHAM Anna (GSA)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Students will take this module alongside Theories of Performance TDL3008, and Professional Development Planning TDL3012

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Home-based study on the module material and online reading requirements. Areas of study may include: Greek theatre, Commedia dell’Arte, Opera, musical comedy.

Seminar sessions at GSA to include application of theories to theatre text and performance, writings skills, and group tutorials.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Students will take this module alongside Political Theatre TDL3010.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to

• Provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the following through their formal written summative submission, in addition to their engagement with the formative assessment, module content and associated activities:
  
  
  
  
  • Knowledge and understanding of a range of theatrical texts, conventions, and key developments in modern theatre. (K)
  
  
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the processes by which performance is created, realised and managed. (K)
  
  
  • Identify and engage in appropriate independent research demonstrating an awareness and understanding of relevant cultural contexts. (C)
  
  
  • Critically analyse and evaluate dramatic texts within their theatrical, historical, and social context. (C)
  
  
  • Apply a range of critical methods to theatrical representation and express the results cogently, both in writing and presentation. (C)
  
  
  • Communicate clearly in writing. (T)
  
  
  • Formulate and communicate objective responses. (T)
  
  
  • Understand and objectively act on constructive criticism. (T)
  
  
  
  

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• 2,500 word essay in response to a set question/task, OR


• 7min documentary style video submission & transcript.

 

And the formative assessment and feedback consists of:

An outline plan for the summative assignment in the student’s own choice of form, which may include, but not restricted to:

• Essay plan


• Poster


• PowerPoint or equivalent software presentation


• Podcast

Informal formative feedback from tutors will be provided by, but not restricted to:

• VLE written feedback


• Email exchange


• Personal tutorials in person / via Zoom or equivalent software

Ongoing informal formative feedback from the tutor is facilitated by, but not restricted to, structured discussion boards on the VLE and email exchange.

Module aims

• Introduce students to different functions and uses of music in theatre, taking examples of practice from early Greek Period, Commedia dell'Arte, Opera, and examine how these forms helped to shape and inform modern day musical theatre.
• Encourage students to develop a capacity for critical analysis of the mechanisms of musical theatre through an understanding of its component parts.
• Allow students to analyse the development of the genre and its theatrical influences.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Actively engage the online learner with core concepts and establishing influential theatrical links in performance through a range of teaching and learning strategies


• Enable the online learner to access core concepts studied and apply these to selected performance texts.


• Allow the online learner to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the core concepts and associated links through the structured exploration and performance analysis of selected musical theatre productions.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

 

• Seminar weekend (15 hours)


• Tutor-guided online learning (60 hours)


• Independent study based on module content via the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment), set texts and online library resources, and associated learning activities (85 hours)

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: TDL3011

Other information

GSA delivers its provision across three teaching blocks, within the University of Surrey’s existing semester structure.

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.