The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama will launch a new, flagship BA (Hons) Acting course in September 2023.
The new course builds on the strengths and successes of the existing BA course. It has been developed by the Director of Performance, Jonathan Munby and the acting staff, and with significant input from current students, recent graduates, RWCMD staff and professional partners.
Course Overview
Through intensive practical and performance-based training, this course enables you to develop the skills, knowledge and experience required to sustain a career in professional theatre and its related industries. The training develops students’ physical resources – voice and movement – enabling them to respond to the wide range of demands made upon the modern actor. Rather than adhering to any single philosophy of actor training, the course seeks to bring many influences to bear on your work, encouraging you to be able to make informed choices about various approaches.
First year modules introduce professional rehearsal practice and explore fundamental approaches to acting through daily classes and rehearsals. You will receive a thorough introduction to voice and text work, movement skills and singing. You will also begin to investigate the specific practices and demands of the film and television industry. Through Reflective Practice, you will build a toolkit for survival as an actor in industry.
Through second year modules, you will explore accent and dialect work, develop your individual song repertoire, explore physical theatre and learn a series of dance sequences. Performance-based projects introduce the world and language of Shakespeare, approaches to comedy, musical theatre and radio acting. Further training in acting for screen culminates in the realisation of short films. A collaboration project will give you the opportunity to work with musicians and create a piece of theatre that engages with the community.
In the third year, you will be given the opportunity to assimilate, develop and integrate the skills acquired in the first two years, through rehearsal and performance of a series of full-length plays under professional working conditions, as part of the Richard Burton Company. Each student will undertake five consecutive performance modules, encountering a variety of roles, styles and venues. One of the performances will be part of the RWCMD's NEW season. You’ll work with a professional writer, dramaturge, and director within the process of a commissioned play. Students will interrogate and workshop the writing over the course of the year before, entering an intensive five-week rehearsal process where the piece is rehearsed and staged. NEW season performances will take place in Cardiff before touring to a London venue.
The new Self-led module introduces you to the process of devising and creating your own work. In the first and second years, you will have the opportunity to perform your work as part of an internal festival. In the final year, you can continue to develop your work and realise this into a fully stage production which will run alongside the NEW season (available to four students).
Throughout the course, you will take part in a series of practical classes and seminars designed to orientate you towards the world of professional acting and offer strategies for finding employment, with particular emphasis on audition technique.
During the third year, you will perform in Actors Showcases in Cardiff and London to an invited audience of industry professionals, including agents and casting directors. North American students also have a US Showcase in New York City.
Entry Requirements
Normal entrance requirements include A levels, BTEC or equivalent qualifications, although candidates with an exceptional level of practical ability may be accepted without formal qualifications. Equivalent qualifications include WBQ, Scottish Highers, BTEC National Diploma/Certificate, International Baccalaureate, Advanced GNVQ, AVCE or Advanced Diploma (Level 3) and recognised international qualifications.
Selection is made on the basis of an audition process.
International Applicants
International applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate a level of fluency appropriate to professional actor training. This will be assessed at audition.
Tuition Fees for 2023-2024
| Course Duration | Students from the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man | Overseas Students |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years full time | £9,000 * | £25,240 ** |
* Undergraduate tuition fees for UK students are set by the Welsh Government. They are reviewed annually and may be subject to an increase in future years.
** Undergraduate tuition fees for overseas students are subject to an annual increase.
Further information on the funding available towards the cost of tuition fees.
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Other Costs
Travel costs are low as most parts of the city are easily accessible on foot. The halls of residence, most residential areas and the city centre are a 10-15-minute walk from the campus.
Some teaching will take place at our Llanishen Studios, which is a short bus ride from the campus. A weekly ticket from Cardiff Bus is £15 and students aged 16-21 can apply for a pass which reduces this to £9.60 (prices correct as of October 2019).
You will need to purchase your own scripts, which are available from the RWCMD Academic Services Office at subsidised prices. You should allow around £100 over the three years.
A digital recording device (such as a smartphone) with good quality microphone is essential for voice and singing classes.
Membership of the Spotlight directory is essential and you will need to cover this cost (currently £95).
You will need professional headshots by the start of the third year. These vary in price depending on the photographer, but you should allow up to £300.
Travel to London for performances and for the Actors Showcase is partially subsidised by the College, although you will need to cover some of your travel and accommodation costs.
American students attending the New York showcase will need to cover the costs of their travel to New York as well as accommodation and subsistence.
Students are encouraged to attend as many College performances as possible and are eligible for free tickets to Richard Burton Company shows. For other performances, students are eligible for discounted tickets.
You may wish to join Equity Actors’ Union and you will need to cover this cost. The joining fee is currently £18.25 and the annual subscription is £8.25.
Students who are required to re-sit assessments may be expected to pay a resit fee.