Introduction

Our part time theatre schools operate on a weekend during term time and provide Holiday Workshops during the Summer Holidays and at October Half Term.

Each week our classes are comprised of Music Theatre, Performance, Drama and Dance.   Each terms work is set by our dedicated team of teachers who are all professionals and highly qualified within their own field.  All our teachers are enhanced DBS checked (formerlly known as Enhanced CRB Checked).

At the end of each term we hold a performance, the Christmas term is usually in the form of a Pantomime which is written in house by our Teacher and  partially devised by our students. At the Easter Term we hold our annual show in a Professional Theatre. In the Summer term we usually showcase the work our students have done towards LAMDA/Trinity College London exams and include devised drama pieces that our non-exam students have been working towards. In the Music Theatre we look at various techniques for auditions, presentation and cover such techniques as belting safely and in depth vocal workouts to enable the voice to have a better range and quality and tone. Our part time sessions in Drama cover Mime and Gesture, Abstract Drama, Status, theatre history, the use of voice in Drama, devising and improvising characters. We work on understanding the basic drama techniques such as freeze frame, spotlighting, role playing etc. We also spend a good deal of each term on many different plays and scripts.

Each term covers different aspects of music theatre, singing, performing and history of Theatre/film and performances. We look at various techniques eg, torch song, libretto, ballad, book musical. We also have varying specialist classes for stage skills, media studies, theatre art and stage skills.

At the end of each term we hold a performance, the Christmas term is usually in the form of a Pantomime which is written by our Drama Teacher and  partially devised by our students. At the Easter Term we hold our annual show in a Professional Theatre. In the Summer term we usually showcase the work we have done towards LAMDA qualifications and a devised drama piece.

Session Structure

Our Session Structure alters from time to time dependant on what our students are working towards e.g. Performances and Exams. A typical session would normally run as follows (with each age/ability group alternating between the classes).

Classes

Our classes are separated by age and ability and limited by a strict student to teacher ratio of 14 students to 1 teacher to ensure the best possible group tuition. Students need to take a small entrance exam to join our stage school, but don’t worry! This is only to help us to place students in the appropriate groups for future exams and to find out each person’s individual strengths.

We hold separate sittings for Drama exams and Music Theatre exams allowing students to be correctly placed according to their strengths in individual subjects prior to relevant exams. The groups are reviewed constantly and this helps create a more diverse group dynamic much like a real-life casting situation. The groups are also brought together to work in a cast environment for events including live performances, group exams, pantomimes and shows.

Our Sessions in Music Theatre cover various techniques for auditions, presentation and cover such techniques as belting safely and in depth vocal workouts to enable the voice to have a better range and quality and tone.

Our sessions in Drama cover Mime and Gesture, Abstract Drama, Status, theatre history, the use of voice in Drama, devising and improvising characters. We work on understanding the basic drama techniques such as freeze frame, spotlighting, role playing etc. We also spend a good deal of each term on many different plays and scripts.

Our Dance/Movement Sessions are based on freeform contemporary movement which covers complementary movement to appropriate subject matter be it a drama piece or music theatre based song, we do not provide disciplines such as tap, ballet and jazz as students will be at very different levels of experience. Our Dance sessions are designed to enhance the performances of our students and make them think about the way the can move across the stage.

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Syllabus Outline

We have differentiating modules of work each term for all the disciplines and each term we offer a performance - at Christmas we hold our annual pantomimes , at Easter an end of term performance coupled with our annual show held at one of the major theatres in Yorkshire and the summer term we run another showcase performance (alongside our hectic examination entries during this term) to mark the end of the year.  Throughout the summer holidays we offer our Holiday Workshops. 

Our work incorporates preparation for examinations in solo acting and musical theatre and we are a private centre for both Trinity London and LAMDA examinations.  We believe that it is essential that each student work towards a goal and thus enhances their ability to gain employment in the performing arts field and for entry to the highest and most well known conservatoires and universities in the Country.  Performance must incorporate for us the ability to justify their training with internationally recognised qualifications which can count towards a long term career in the industry to which they aspire to become involved in, drama, musical theatre, dance or as a headstart to university education through UCAS points gained.

 Alongside our lessons we give equal importance to each discipline as it is often a requirement that students are at least outstanding in two areas of the arts with the ability to perform in all three as a 'triple threat', acting, singing and dance.  Each member of the Big Red Curtain staff teach not only in a group format but where required on a one to one basis and this has proved invaluable to the students excellent progression.  We work hard but also give every opportunity to make the process enjoyable by incorporating upto the minute music and media references and by incorporating this in the performing aspect of our work.

 The structure of our work is varied and importantly differentiates according to the term's goals with a specific topic that focuses on a task eg, improvisation and scripted work alongside musical theatre acting through song, performance workshops, etc.  

Our students have gone on to achieve successes in the West End and furthering their education at Drama and Musical Theatre Conservatoires all over the Country.

Our belief is that our students can not only use the skills gained in a performing arts career but use them in every day life to become more confident and expressive in the things they do.

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