Musical Theatre | BA (Hons) | University of Lincoln

Clare Chandler - Programme Leader

Clare Chandler is a musical theatre practitioner and researcher. Clare has published widely about feminism and the musical, including work exploring the 'almost' feminism of Hamilton, critical responses to flawed female protagonists in Paris and the Musical, and a forthcoming chapter on womxn creators of musical theatre. She directed the national premiere of Angry Birds the Musical by Dougal Irvine in 2018 and the national premiere of Jasper in Deadland by Hunter Foster and Ryan Scott Oliver in 2022.

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Welcome to BA (Hons) Musical Theatre

From London's West End to more experimental Fringe performances, musical theatre spans the arts, inspiring and entertaining audiences around the world.

Lincoln's BA (Hons) Musical Theatre enables students to reflect critically on performance practices, while developing core practical production skills.

Students can learn from expert staff who are practitioners and scholars trained in music, theatre, and dance. Workshops and masterclasses are delivered by visiting tutors and professionals, offering further opportunities to learn about the practical elements of musical theatre.

How You Study

Students can gain practical experience by immersing themselves in the process of producing and performing musicals, alongside complementary historical and contextual analysis.

They are able to hone their skills during performances of well-known hit shows alongside lesser-known productions, while reflecting on the actual productions to gain a rounded contextual understanding of musical theatre.

As the course progresses, students can learn about the history of musicals and their significance in contemporary society, while undertaking more independent, industry-focused tasks, emphasising employability and preparing them to enter into a variety of associated careers.

The practical elements of the course are taught through a variety of regular workshops and vocal/dance tuition classes, with guest workshops allowing students to expand their practical professional abilities with visiting experts. The critical elements of the course are taught through a series of lectures and seminars.

One-to-one singing lessons are available at no extra cost, and students can participate in regular dance sessions, learn audition skills, and develop the techniques of 'acting a song'. Guidance on how to form a musical theatre company, devise a show, and tour the production around the country is also available.

During the production modules the students might be called upon to work longer hours, either rehearsing or on production roles such as marketing and costume.

As with any vocational work, practice is vital and so ensuring that regularly working on vocal and dance abilities is important.

What You Need to Know

We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. To help you choose the course that’s right for you, we aim to bring to your attention all the important information you may need. Our What You Need to Know page offers detailed information on key areas including contact hours, assessment, optional modules, and additional costs.

Find out More

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

International Musical Theatre 2023-24MST1009MLevel 42023-24This module explores the landscape of musical theatre in non-English speaking countries, beyond Broadway and the West End. Although it is these production centres that are most familiar, there is a remarkable amount of activity taking place around the world. In this module, students can discover what musical theatre is like from the Philippines to Mexico, and from Israel to Japan.CoreIntroduction to Musical Theatre: Starting Here, Starting Now 2023-24MST1002MLevel 42023-24This module introduces some of the fundamental ways of studying musical theatre, including study of the musical as an object (as a 'play', as music, and as performance), study of the development of the musical throughout the 20th century, and learning about the musical through singing, acting, and dancing.CorePersonal Development 1 2023-24MST1003MLevel 42023-24Under the tuition of our staff, students will have the opportunity to develop their singing and dancing skills in weekly sessions throughout the year.CoreReflection 1: Reviewing the Situation (Musical Theatre) 2023-24MST1004MLevel 42023-24This module reflects on the practical experiences of putting on a show. It aims to develop students' understanding of musicals, their historical context, and their performance, through looking back on that experience as a case study.CoreReflection 2: Consider Yourself (Musical Theatre) 2023-24MST1005MLevel 42023-24This module is designed help students to develop a detailed understanding of how musicals are constructed, how they can understand them critically, and how they can develop their own performance skills.CoreStaging a Musical 1: Song and Dance 2023-24MST1006MLevel 42023-24This module offers students the opportunity to put on a show, directed by the course tutors. Working as a company, students will have the chance to rehearse and stage a musical through an intensive four-week period, culminating in a performance to fellow students and staff. This will give students their first taster of how the development and rehearsal process of a professional show takes place.CoreStaging a Musical 2: Another Opening. Another Show 2023-24MST1007MLevel 42023-24This module builds on the experience of Staging a Musical 1 in the first term. Working as a company, students can rehearse and stage a musical through an intensive four-week period, culminating in a performance to fellow students and staff. Consolidating their experience of a professional working process, students are encouraged to focus on developing independent skills, and taking responsibility for various aspects of the production.CoreActing the Song 1 2024-25MST2001MLevel 52024-25This is a practical module which explores the techniques of singing and acting a song. Students can work on vocal technique, character development, and acting approach to prepare solo numbers for performance. The module aims to equip students with the skills to begin to put together a portfolio of song material appropriate for their voice. This may be of particular value for those anticipating applying for drama schools, especially for musical theatre courses. Assessment will be part practical, and part based on an annotated rehearsal log put together throughout the process.CoreCritical Approaches to the Musical: Who Tells Your Story? 2024-25MST2010MLevel 52024-25This module aims to develop students' wider knowledge, critical perspectives, and contextual awareness of practice. This module introduces students to a range of critical ways of thinking about musical theatre, focusing in particular on notions of identity. It will consider how we might be able to understand the musical in terms of gender, race, class, national identity, and sexuality.CoreDevising a Musical 2024-25MST2002MLevel 52024-25In this module students have the opportunity to create their very own original show under staff supervision. Students can create, rehearse, and then perform a short musical of their own, in an intensive process using the skills they have built up during the course. Students can establish a theme, build a structure, develop musical motifs into songs, and write the book and lyrics.CorePersonal Development 2 2024-25MST2004MLevel 52024-25Under the tuition of our staff, students can continue to develop their singing and dancing skills in weekly sessions throughout the year.CoreReflection 3: Putting it Together (Musical Theatre) 2024-25MST2006MLevel 52024-25This module reflects on the practical experiences of putting on a show to develop a sophisticated understanding of how musicals are constructed, how students can understand them critically, and how they can develop their own performance skills. Throughout the module we will refer to the show staged in Devising a Musical as a case study.CoreStaging the Musical 3: The Show Must Go On 2024-25MST2007MLevel 52024-25This module builds on the experiences of Staging a Musical 1 and 2 in the first year. Working with a professional team of director, music director, and choreographer, students rehearse and stage a musical through an intensive four-week period, culminating in a performance to an invited audience. Students can map their experience onto a professional working process, promoting their work, building their profile, and identifying approaches to building networks and showcasing their performance work.CorePlacement (Musical Theatre) 2024-25MST2005MLevel 52024-25This placement module encourages students to engage with the creative industries beyond the University through a placement with a business or organisation of their choosing. Through direct workplace experience, students may develop new skills, strengthen existing ones, establish valuable professional networks, and target future employment opportunities. Following the placement students are assessed via presentations where they reflect upon their professional development and the impact of their work.OptionalTeaching (Musical Theatre) 2024-25MST2008MLevel 52024-25This module introduces students to the various strategies required when teaching theatre in schools and other educational settings. The module will introduce approaches to teaching in their area, planning a lesson, and offers the opportunity to deliver it to a class of school children. The module focuses on Drama as a curriculum subject, but will enable students to complement the area with their own expertise in music and dance.OptionalFinal Showcase: The Greatest Show (Musical Theatre) 2025-26MST3007MLevel 62025-26This module is the final showcase module for students on the Musical Theatre degree. It involves an intensive block of rehearsal leading to the public production of a musical. The production will be directed by a professional team (Director, Musical Director, Choreographer), and is designed to showcase students' talents and celebrate the culmination of their studies.CoreForming a Company (Musical Theatre) 2025-26MST3002MLevel 62025-26This module sets the challenge of launching a small-scale musical theatre company and taking a production to a venue (or venues) outside the University. This is likely to be students' first independent venture into staging a production, which could be performed in a small-scale venue, in a school context, in a site-specific space, or on tour.CoreMaking it Happen: Projects and Budgets 2025-26MST3003MLevel 62025-26This module offers an introduction to the creative arts industry in the UK, and will guide students through the process of initiating and developing projects within that industry. Students will be introduced to a wide range of case studies and as part of a small group students can plan and pitch a potential project for hypothetical Arts Council Funding (or similar). The aim of this module is to equip students with tools for creating their own projects and ideas in the future.CoreMusical Theatre Futures 2025-26MST3004MLevel 62025-26This module considers the current moment in musical theatre, and anticipates where new innovation might be heading. It will focus particularly on musical theatre in the British and digital contexts, identifying new dynamics, new emergences, and new opportunities within the musical theatre industry.CorePersonal Development 3 2025-26MST3005MLevel 62025-26Under the tuition of our staff, students can continue to develop their singing and dancing skills in weekly sessions throughout the year.CoreActing the Song 2 2025-26MST3001MLevel 62025-26Walking into an audition can be one of the most daunting prospects for any performer. This module is designed to help prepare for that scenario, by developing a repertoire of song material for performance, and then testing students in a mock-audition.OptionalDissertation (15c) 2025-26DRA3057MLevel 62025-26The Dissertation module provides the opportunity for a student to investigate and pursue a theatre and performance arts topic of his or her own choosing over an extended piece of academic writing. Each student is allocated a supervisor that will help them to select and refine a topic appropriate for extended study, evaluate progress and read and offer feedback on draft work. Students will be expected to work on their own initiative to undertake research and synthesise it into a logical and original argument in the form of a 4,500 piece of scholarly writing.Optional

How you are assessed

The programme has been developed to assess students in a variety of ways, designed to preparing them with the skills needed to enter into the industry.

Assessment methods may include: practical assessments in performance; annotated performances; individual and group presentations; critical performance reviews; personal reflection tasks; personal development plans; project proposals; project treatments; cv preparation; placement/teaching assessment; and portfolios.

As the course progresses, student assessment will focus on independent, industry-focused tasks, which emphasise employability.

Feedback will be both formative (through ongoing feedback during class/rehearsal sessions) and summative (through written feedback following specific assessment points).

Fees and Scholarships

Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.

Course Fees

For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. The University of Lincoln offers a variety of merit-based and subject-specific bursaries and scholarships. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.

Course-Specific Additional Costs

Students will be encouraged to see regular performances at the theatre, and may be asked to do this at their own cost. All students will be eligible for student-priced tickets.

Entry Requirements 2023-24

United Kingdom

A Level: BBC (112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 3 A levels or equivalent qualifications).

International Baccalaureate: 29 points overall.

BTEC Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit or equivalent.

T Level: Merit

Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits with a minimum of 112 UCAS Tariff points.

A combination of qualifications which may include A Levels, BTEC, EPQ, etc.

Applicants will also need at least three GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, which must include English. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may be considered.

The University accepts a wide range of qualifications as the basis for entry. We will also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.

International

Non UK Qualifications:

If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages for information on equivalent qualifications.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/

EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/

If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk

Facilities

Students can work and perform in the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, a £6 million, 450-seat theatre on campus. The Centre hosts a year-round programme of performances from students and national touring companies. Facilities include industry-standard studio and rehearsal spaces.

Each student will receive event/performance credits which can be used against ticketed performances at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

View of the audience seating area from the stage of the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre

Placements

There is the choice of undertaking a ‘placement’ or ‘teaching’ module in the second year, which gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in industry or a school setting.

Students are expected to source their own placement, but tutors can provide support during the process if required. Those who choose these options are expected to cover their travel, accommodation, and general living costs.

Features

The Musical Theatre team has a wide range of industry experience of performing across Europe and playing in the West End. Academic staff are also active researchers and practitioners writing about musical theatre and performance in a range of contexts and continuing to work within specialist areas of practice. This knowledge, experience, and understanding underpins and informs teaching.

The course offers additional technique and masterclasses to enable further development and skills acquisition. Previous sessions have included tap dance, ensemble work, mindfulness, commercial dance, and stage combat. We also work with visiting directors, choreographers, musical directors, and musical theatre companies to create exciting musical theatre performances.

Students are offered the option to study for the International Dance Teachers' Association (IDTA) Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching. This qualification provides a basis for students to progress into dance teaching in a variety of contexts. It is delivered in three units by a qualified IDTA trainer, covering anatomy and physiology, teaching planning and delivery, and safe dance practice. Training sessions are extracurricular and usually take place in the evenings or at weekends. Fees apply.

Musical Theatre students are also able to apply for The Lincoln Company, the School of Creative Arts’ professional company of emerging performance makers. As the company-in-residence at Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, each year they work to produce and tour high-quality, original performance to venues and festivals around the UK including Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the world’s largest platform for the arts.

Interviews

Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview-audition, providing an opportunity to see our facilities and meet the course team.

By meeting you in person we get to know more about your musical interests, experiences and aspirations, and you get to meet the team. This will give you an opportunity to experience how the course is taught through -

- Group workshop (divided between a practical session, and a critical and contextual discussion)

- Interview

Career Opportunities

The BA (Hons) Musical Theatre degree aims to equip students with the confidence, knowledge, and industry skills to pursue a freelance career in the theatre or to form small-scale touring companies. Those completing the course are well-placed for roles across the wider cultural industries.

Visit Us in Person

The best way to find out what it is really like to live and learn at Lincoln is to join us for one of our Open Days. Visiting us in person is important and will help you to get a real feel for what it might be like to study here.

Book Your Place

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Key Information

BA (Hons) Musical Theatre