MA Musical Theatre (Performance or Musical Directing)
This one-year intensive course in Musical Directing will take a select cohort of
just three MDs and will provide the kind of staffing and facilities that will facilitate practical
learning and artistic growth in the area of Musical Directing. The curriculum has been designed in
discussion with a range of musical directors and musical theatre professionals throughout Britain
and the US to include masterclasses and extended seminars from industry professionals from both
sides of the Atlantic.
MD students will collaborate from the start with Performance Students and the course includes
extensive professional advice about the business, an industry placement and the chance to MD a
production.
At the heart of the programme are projects that cover professional practice, technical
knowledge, enhancing communication and solving creative problems. Weekly technique classes in
keyboard (both traditional and jazz), scoring and arranging, working with singers and the
fundamentals of conducting will run throughout the course. With support and advice from staff,
students will arrange a professional placement at some point during the year. Independent study
will allow for the building of repertoire and exploration in working on original material with
writers and performers. The year culminates with students serving as a full member of a creative
team on a musical production in run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The small cohort will allow
close individual support throughout the whole of the year.





