Theatre and Film Studio

University of Strathclyde Drama Centre extension programme in Theatre and Film Arts 2009/2010

All courses are tutored by theatre and film professionals

Please fill in and submit the appropriate application form when applying for a specific course. You can download all forms from this site (Application Forms)

Before you send in your Application Form, please phone or email to check that there are places available on the course(s) you are interested in taking.

Certificates in Professional Development have a separate form.

Acting 1,2,3 and 4 cover the art of acting, improvisation, movement, voice, developing a character and working with texts – from the classics to the contemporary repertoire. The classes are text-based, and involve physical activity. To take them, you therefore need a good level of literacy and the ability to participate thoroughly in movement work.

Classes draw on approaches to acting by major exponents of the art, ranging from Stanislavsky, Brecht and Grotowski to Uta Hagen.

The level of class you take initially depends on your previous experience. When you send in your application form, please attach a brief description of your previous experience of acting or acting workshops (if any). We may then contact you before registering you for a class.

For progression from one level to another in these courses, applicants should have successfully completed the previous level, or be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of experience and ability. As with all our credit courses, which are part of the University’s Open Studies Certificate, progression is based on tutor assessment.

C         10 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E077   Thursdays from 15 October 2009            19.00 – 21.30 or
E224   Thursdays from 4 February  2010            19.00 – 21.30 or
E319   Thursdays from 6 May 2010                    19.00 – 21.30

An introductory workshop to develop and extend your vocal skills in order to communicate more effectively. You are introduced to the relevant skills and techniques through relaxation, movement, and a wide range of voice work. The relationship between body and voice, and the context in which the voice is used, are explored.

The course is for those interested in voice work per se, and for anyone wanting to work in performance. It will support those who have to speak in public, attend meetings and make presentations.

10        8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E078   Mondays from 19 October 2009                 19.00 – 21.30 or
E225   Mondays from 8 February 2010                  19.00 – 21.30 or
E320   Mondays from 10 May 2010                       19.00 – 21.30

The course covers the essentials of playwriting, and the specific demands of different media for dramatic writing. Plot structure and development, the creation of characters, dramatic tension, the realities of sets, stage directions and objects, through lines for narrative and character, and ways of presenting scripts will all be examined.

10         10 weeks      £90 (concessions £60)
E079   Tuesdays from 19 October 2009     19.00 – 21.40 or
E226   Tuesdays from 8 February 2010     19.00 – 21.00 or
E321   Tuesdays from 20 April 2010           19.00 – 21.00

A class for those who wish to expand their understanding of the art and practice of writing film scripts, together with more in-depth analysis of existing work in film.

Students should have successfully taken Writing for Stage and Screen and/or have written at least one film script.

10         10 weeks      £90 (concessions £60)
E227   Wednesdays from 27 January 2010           19.00 – 21.00

Advanced screenwriting is designed to take participants through the process of structuring and writing their own feature length screenplay. Students should previously have successfully taken the intermediate Writing for Film course, and should already have a one page synopsis and a rough beat outline for their project.

10         10 weeks      £90 (concessions £60)
E080   Wednesdays from 7 October 2009            19.00 – 21.00

Stand-up Comedy has become a major part of the entertainment industry. This was the original Stand-up course in Britain, and is still taught by Viv Gee, a comedienne with over ten year’s experience of comedy.

For beginners, the class offers comic skills; vocal techniques; finding inspiration; writing routines and gags; dealing with hecklers; handling microphones; and other aspects of performance and presentation. The course culminates in a live gig at an established comedy venue.

10         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E081   Tuesdays from 20 October 2009               19.00 – 21.30 or
E228   Tuesdays from 2 February 2010                19.00 – 21.30

This class is for students who have a serious interest in becoming professional stand-up performers. Students should have successfully taken Stand-up comedy workshop, or have already tried performing their work in public. Students will perform in a Comedy Club as part of the course. The class is taught by Viv Gee.

10         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E322   Tuesdays from 27 April 2010                      19.00-21.30

This class will enable students to approach Shakespearean texts with practical and theoretical knowledge, and to enhance their understanding of the speaking of Shakespeare’s verse and prose. Shakespeare’s use of ambiguity, irony, alliteration and metaphor, and the structure of his verse will all be explored, together with meaning and methods of communication, through workshops, analysis and performance.

10         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E082   Tuesdays from 20 October 2009                      19.00-21.30

Much of contemporary theatre does not spring from an existing script or text: this course enables students, through improvisation and devising classes, to create their own devised pieces, working in small groups. Students will explore different theatrical languages and performance styles, including physical theatre, Naturalism, Melodrama, Brechtian, Pantomime. They will perform their pieces to each other, and culminate with small-scale public performance, possibly as pre-show events at the Ramshorn Theatre.

This course is designed for students who have completed The Art of Acting courses, or who have an equivalent level of experience.

0         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
Note: 10 credit rating is subject to Senate approval
E230   Mondays from 8 February 2010                      19.00-21.30

This class introduces the theory and practice of directing for the stage. As new companies are set up, and as teachers are expected to work with drama, this course will help potential directors to understand the essentials of this important theatre art. It covers the basics of script analysis, basic concepts and practices of style, basics of casting and working with actors, and critical analysis of the experience of creating theatre.

It is open both for beginners and for those wishing to refresh their knowledge. Applicants should have some background in theatre practice and/or theatre history.

10         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E230   Tuesdays from 9 February 2010                 19.00-21.30

This class will enable students to explore directing skills in more depth. It will include workshops and discussions and lead to the presentation of short plays in the environment of a working theatre company at the Ramshorn, for which students may need to set aside extra time for their get-in. There will be opportunities to work with actors and a guest director. Creative and reflective work will be linked throughout the course.

Students should have successfully taken The Art of Directing 1 or have equivalent prior directing experience or training.

0         8 weeks         £90 (concessions £60)
E323  Tuesdays from 27 April 2010                 19.00-21.30