Three Year training in Musical Theatre at Italia Conti is a full-time vocational combination of courses for anyone aged 18+ (17+ from Scotland) wishing to become a professional performer in Musical Theatre. Musical Theatre training is truly triple threat and encourages all performers to find versatility and adaptability in their skillset to nourish their future careers with a world of opportunity.
Our Musical Theatre training is designed to nurture and develop innovative and individual musical theatre performers, who embody and apply specialist skills and techniques supported by grounded knowledge of industry practices, contexts, and the emerging requirements that empower graduates for a sustainable career in musical theatre.
Our students study a rigorous training programme and are co-taught across programme streams dictated by the desired terminal qualification.
See our other performance training options and specialisms:
BA (Hons) Musical Theatre & AVT
Our Musical Theatre training will fully prepare students for musical theatre performance, developing their practice and thinking in an integrated way. Through training in acting, singing and dance, students will have what it takes to become a Musical Theatre artist of the future. Consistency and creativity paired with the critical approach students need to study Musical Theatre will provide them with expertise applicable to a variety of careers in the field.
There are two pathways through the Musical Theatre training: Musical Theatre Triple Threat Pathway and Musical Theatre Dance Performance Pathway. At the point of recall audition and offer, students are advised of the pathway they are being considered for. The curriculum is tailored to suit the skillset of the performer with the Dance Performance Pathway students receiving more technical dance training to support their dance development in Year 1 and Year 2. On the Triple Threat Pathway students receive a more balanced training across the three core disciplines in Year 1 and Year 2.
Training to be a professional performer in Musical Theatre requires many things:
Training to be a professional Musical Theatre performer is one of the most exciting and rewarding journeys that students will ever take and we believe that there is nowhere better to take it, than here at Italia Conti.
There is a reason why Italia Conti is one of the most recognised names in performing arts training. For over a century we have helped students to fulfil their potential as performers and to work at the very highest level in every aspect of the performing arts industry. We provide a programme of training that responds to industry needs and current teaching and learning developments.
Italia Conti has a proven track record of nurturing talent at the very highest level; Italia Conti graduates can be seen on stage and screen in the UK and internationally. We have graduates working in the West End and on Broadway in musicals and in plays, in national and international tours, in cabarets and on cruise ships. We have graduates working in Film and in Television. We have produced some of the UK’s top recording artists – solo artists and band members.
As an Associate College of The University of Chichester, Italia Conti delivers the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre programme. This three-year, full-time vocational course for anyone aged 18+. The course is organised into modules with various modes of assessment.
Full government funding is available through Student Finance England for Home students. Students on the degree course are eligible to enrol on Italia Conti’s Advanced Vocational Training (AVT) alongside their degree course.
Students focus on the fundamentals of the core disciplines and skill integration to ensure students can begin to employ the required triple threat skills of the separate disciplines in isolation. The work covered is concerned with the acquisition of core technical skills in Acting, Singing, Dance and Voice and provide the foundation for their training as a Musical Theatre Performer. These core skills are brought together in the Musical Theatre Performance Practice workshops where students will learn to apply the skills they have learnt holistically in a musical theatre performance, with equal emphasis placed on all three areas. Within Contextual Practice, students explore health and safety as an emerging performer in theatre. This focuses on areas such as safe practice in class, injury prevention and overall positive health and well-being. Lessons are also used to contextualise the landscape of musical theatre and materials covered in other classes.
Core technical skills classes continue but become more advanced and more integrated. More sustained and intensive project work is introduced to the curriculum in which the three core disciplines become completely interdependent. Students are required to sustain and develop character over longer and more challenging performance opportunities to begin to hone skills for professional performance practice including the swing project, contemporary British play project and the abridged book musical project.
Within Contextual Practice, students explore the history of musical theatre. This focuses on the development of musical theatre as a social and politic influence, as well as recognising the chronologic evolution of theatrical trends. Lessons are also used to contextualise the landscape of musical theatre and materials covered in other classes.
Students take part in exciting extracurricular activities to prepare skills for industry. This includes a weekly 1:1 singing lesson, a weekly guest workshop with an industry guest, and an end of year Musical Theatre and Dance showcase to friends and family. Students also further hone their skills by taking additional skills classes such as Jazz Styles, Acting Through Song, and Ensemble Singing. Students will also perform in the Italia Conti Christmas Carol Concert.
In Year 3 the students’ focus shifts to four main areas: Professional Performance, Professional Preparation and Employability, Professional Technical Skills, and Independent Performance Project.
Students will perform one fully staged musical theatre performance, take part in an Industry Panel Day. Students finish the year with final skills assessments in Singing, Acting and Dance.
Professional Preparation and Employability workshops will hone audition technique in the three core disciplines, to ensure that, when they leave, students have all the skills necessary to embark upon a successful professional career. This also extends to preparation for all wider soft-skills and supporting areas for professional practitioners including sourcing and choosing headshots, joining and populating Spotlight, creating personal showreel performance reels and meeting with leading industry creatives, agents and casting directors to begin networking.
Within Contextual Practice, student engage with two main focuses:
Research and Reflection promotes the reflective practitioner and draws upon learning acquired across the first two year of the course and placing this into a professional capacity. Students will reflect on their engagement with productions, research into characters and context for performance work, and reflect upon their training as a whole and the progress they have made.
Students prepare an Independent Performance Project as their dissertation. As a theatre-maker, students will get the opportunity to create a piece of theatre through Practice-Research based upon a key research question.
Students continue to take part in exciting extracurricular activities to prepare skills for industry. This includes a weekly 1:1 singing lesson, a weekly guest workshop with an industry guest. Students also further hone their skills by taking additional classes such as Acting Through Song and Acting for Screen. Students will also perform in the Italia Conti Christmas Carol Concert.
AVT students will have an additional public performance opportunity and an Industry Showcase in a West End Theatre. These two opportunities provide networking opportunities with industry that are beyond the demands of a degree qualification in its own right.
Degree Tuition Fees | £9535 per academic year, (paid in advanced termly instalments). Student finance is available, which includes access to a Tuition Fee Loan and Student Maintenance Loan. These payments are made to directly to the University of Chichester. Advanced Vocational Training Diploma | £2800 + VAT, (paid in advanced termly instalments). These private fees are payable directly to Italia Conti. Scholarships and Bursaries | Available for our AVT fees. Scholarships are awarded upon outcome of audition. You may apply for a bursary here by contact admissions@italiaconti.co.uk
Audition Fee | £45 (non-refundable) Deposit | £275 (The deposit is refundable within 14 calendar days of the payment being received by Italia Conti but will not be refunded thereafter for non-enrolment. It will be held by Italia Conti and will be refundable on completion of the course, without interest, less any outstanding sums owed by the student to Italia Conti.)
For further information, please see our International Applications page.
Italia Conti welcomes applications for audition fee waivers for those who are eligible.
Terms and conditions apply upon acceptance to Italia Conti.
HE & AVT Terms & Conditions
“I have just graduated from Liverpool Theatre School with a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre. I wanted to do the BA Hons (Top Up) in Professional Arts Practice course to further develop my skills for the industry. It is the perfect balance between academic writing and creativity. I already have seen improvements, both in my academic and performing work, and I now really value the ability to critically reflect on past experiences in order to improve my current skills.”
“I have found that my first term at Italia Conti has been better than I could’ve imagined. I am working with driven, passionate, likeminded people within all different realms of the performing arts industry. I find that the course is very tailored to each individual and the content is broad enough to apply to everyone but specific enough to challenge each person within their abilities. I find the course to be a place where I can collaborate and interact with people who I’d never had met otherwise. I only look forward to what the next few months of the course bring and feel more motivated than ever.”
Current Student, Class of July 2024“The course is allowing me to reflect on my past practice, current position, and future endeavours. I really enjoy how flexible the course is, with regards to being able to tailor my studies to my own practice, enabling me to maximise the benefits of this on my future career. I expect my professional development to be impacted exponentially and I am excited to continue!”
“Italia Conti’s BA Top up course was the one for me! Creating a business in under 9 months has been a massive accomplishment! The course really helps shape your future, enables you to meet professional contacts to support your research, and gives you lots of time to understand the area of the industry you want to specialise in.”
I’m a professional dancer but have taught only ballet. These classes are EXACTLY what I was looking for to show some basics of contemp for my students !! Absolutely love every single Video
I’ve watched a lot of your videos and I love every single one that she teaches. THANK YOU. Gorgeous movement.
Amazing class, one of the best I’ve ever done. So easy to follow, thank you!
I’m a dancer in LA and can’t keep up with my peers on how often they take dance classes. This channel has been so helpful for me to keep up my training. Thank you for sharing this with the world. I feel like we are all dancing together even though we are all doing this at different times and in different spaces. 🖤
Best ballet teacher on the internet❤ Great explanation, enthusiasm and commentary throughout the exercise!
A level: CC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: MPP
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: MM
Access to HE Diploma: M = 15 credits, P = 30 credits
Applications to Italia Conti are made by direct application via the link below only.
Applicants DO NOT need to complete a UCAS application for Italia Conti.
Applicants must complete the application form and pay the audition fee (£45) in order to be considered.
Audition fees are non-refundable. These fees act as both an administration fee for processing your application as well as a non-refundable deposit for a place on an audition day.
Applicants are encouraged to express on the form interest in any other courses/streams they would like to be considered for e.g. Three Year Dance or Three Year Acting (Musical Theatre), in addition to the course directly being applied for.
All applicants are considered for the One Year Foundation Courses, by standard.
You will also be asked to indicate if you are opting out of the additional vocational training diploma, which is offered to applicants to enhance their vocational training.
In line with our admissions policy, Italia Conti reserves the right to alter or withdraw offers at any point. Places on our courses are limited; it is usual for drama schools to make more offers than there are places. Acceptances are dealt with on a first come first serve basis and so early acceptance is advised.
After completing the application process, you will be invited to submit an audition tape where auditionees will be required to demonstrate a variety of skills. Successful applicants will be invited to a recall audition on site. Information about auditions can be found below.
If there’s something that might shape your experience with us – such as access requirements, a disability, being neurodivergent, something related to a protected characteristic, or anything else you’d like to share – please let us know. This kind of information isn’t always obvious from an application.
You can contact:
We’re here to listen and discuss what support or reasonable adjustments could help you feel confident and supported throughout the process.
First round applicants will receive the result from their audition submission within 3-4 weeks of receipt. This is to ensure that every submission deserves our full time and attention.
Auditionees should prepare one speech, no longer than one and a half minutes in length, from a Contemporary British Play written after 1990.
Auditionees should prepare a song, no longer than one and a half minutes in length, that they enjoy singing and can sing well.
Please ensure that the recording is a true reflection of your acoustic singing voice. Do not edit the audio or add any effects to the recording in any way. Please record the audio using the video camera device so you capture an accurate and unaltered recording of how the voice sounds in a room.
Please record yourself performing the following Kicks and Pirouette combination & Jump combination exercises as taught on the video.
Auditionees should prepare one dance piece in your preferred style, no longer than one minute. This should showcase your strengths and highlight any special skills.
Required Dress:
Please wear tight-fitting clothing to allow the panel to see your movement fully.
Recall auditions will take place at our Woking campus.
Auditionees should prepare an additional speech that is contrasting to their first audition piece. Both pieces will be seen at recall. This second speech could be contemporary (after 1990) or classical. Again, this speech should be no longer than one and a half minutes:
Auditionees should prepare two musical theatre songs, each cut to one and a half minutes in length, that they enjoy singing and can sing well:
Suggested composers/lyricists can include: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Learner and Leowe, Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Frank Loesser, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin.
Suggested composers/lyricists can include; Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alan Menken, Boubil and Schonberg, Jason Robert Brown, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Kander and Ebb, Jule Styne, Cy Coleman, Marvin Hamlisch, Tom Kitt, Laurence O’Keefe, Jerry Bock.
You will be required to participate in three dance classes at your recall; Ballet, Technical Centre Practice and a class where a set piece of Jazz choreography will be taught. Each class will last 30 minutes.
Required dress: Jazz shoes or trainers that are suitable for dance (i.e. no Converse or similar fashion shoes that are not designed for dance). No loose clothing or jewellery is permitted.
During the day you will be invited for a short interview with a member of the Senior Leadership/Course Management team.
Regular workshop sessions are held to give students the opportunity to work with directors, choreographers and industry professionals whilst training. Second and third year students also have to opportunity to join the Italia Conti Agency and undertake professional work should the opportunity arise. During the 3rd year students take part in their final productions and Showcase (AVT-only) whereby agents are invited, and Italia Conti has connections with many of these.
With over 112 years of Italia Conti history, our graduates populate the performance industries and include many famous faces. Recent graduates can be seen working on prestigious productions in all areas of the industry.