Performance Portfolio (100%)
Rehearse and perform in two negotiated contrasting acting roles as follows:
(a) a piece running to a suggested duration of 10 minutes, to be performed in a workshop setting
(b) a role cast as part of a full theatre production.
Your performance work must be supported by evidence of critical evaluation, and practical development of skills and techniques as a consequence of your own reflective practise and constructive feedback from others
[Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]

Formative assessment
Observation of acting styles and approaches demonstrated through participation in workshops and rehearsals
Practical response to reflective practice and feedback

This module will run for the full duration of your Level 4 studies and will be assessed in two parts. It will introduce you to the professional practice of acting and to a diverse range of acting styles and approaches, including methods established by practitioners such as Stanislavski, Brecht and Meisner. You will explore the way in which actors have adopted these methods in historical and contemporary contexts.

It is important that as an actor you are able to distinguish one acting style from another, in order that you can approach a role as fits the intended style. Balancing theory with practice, your learning in this module will be supported by traditional lectures and independent research through to structured technical workshops and rehearsal, allowing you to experiment in the application of these acting styles and approaches for the development of your own acting ability. You will be expected to participate in group discussion and collaborative practical activities for the development and experimentation of character, comparing and contrasting classical and contemporary styles. Practical acting assessments may include solo, duo or ensemble work and therefore strong elements of teamwork are expected to be demonstrated within sessions. You will learn about reflective theory and how to apply it in order to analyse your own acting development. You will look to improve your own acting ability within a theatre environment, demonstrating a strengthening technical style as the workshops progress throughout the year.

Within this module you will be expected to rehearse and faithfully reproduce two contrasting works, one lasting 10 minutes within a studio environment and one as part of a cast in a theatre environment. Together these will be the basis of your first formal assessment.

Learning in this module will be facilitated through a mix of theory and practice. Lectures and workshops will be fundamental to the exploration of the work of others as a vehicle to demonstrate and discuss the methods available to you as a developing actor. Practical activities will enable you to experiment in the application of theory, and teach you how to compare and contrast styles and approaches. Your learning will be supported by frequent formative feedback from tutors and peers, as well as your own reflective practice. Activities throughout the module will typically include:
• Theory lectures
• Screenings of performances
• Group discussion
• Independent research, including primary and secondary sources
• Skills development workshops and problem solving exercises
• Practical participation in rehearsals and performance of the selected plays.
• Group critique

Rehearsal studio
Theatre
IPads
Ancillary costume, prop and set equipment
Internet and IT Access
Various Licensed stage scripts

Barkworth P. (1998) About Acting: Methuen Drama
Brecht B. & Willett J. (1978) Brecht On Theatre: Methuen Drama
Brook P. (2008) The Empty Space: Penguin Classics
Hyde Pierce D., Hagen U. & Frankel H. (2008) Respect For Acting: Jossey Bass
Merlin B. (2007) The Complete Stanislavski Toolkit: Nick Hern Books
Stanislavski C. (2013) An Actor Prepares: Bloomsbury Academic
Unwin S. (2014) The Complete Brecht Toolkit: Nick Hern Books

1. DEMONSTRATE THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED WHEN DEVELOPING A ROLE TO FIT AN INTENDED STYLE
[Learning]

2. INVESTIGATE STYLES AND APPROACHES WITHIN THE ACTING GENRE TO INFORM YOUR PRACTICE [Enquiry]

3. WORK AS A TEAM TO ASSIMILATE AND REPRODUCE ACTING, OVERCOMING CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT STYLISTIC INTENTIONS
[Working with Others; Problem Solving]

4. CRITICALLY EVALUATE ACTING STYLES AND APPROACHES IN ORDER TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF OWN PERFORMANCE
[Reflection]