prospectus - Court Theatre Training Company

prospectus
court theatre training company
CONTENTS
ABOUT US
4
WHY US...
8
ACTING COURSES
10
BA (HONS) ACTING 2 Year Accelerated Course (Full Time)
14
POST GRADUATE / POST EXPERIENCE ACTING (Full Time)
16
APPLICATIONS & AUDITIONS FOR THE ACTING COURSES
17
PRODUCTION COURSES
18
DIRECTING COURSE Post Graduate Diploma (1 Year Full-Time)
20
STAGE MANAGEMENT COURSE Post Graduate Diploma (1 Year Full-Time)
22
THE COURTYARD THEATRE & HOXTON
24
PAST PRODUCTIONS N1 Theatre Company
25
APPLICATION PROCESS
26
TUITION FEES
27
STUDENT FINANCE
28
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION
30
Conditions of Entry COMPANY NOTES
31
OUR STAFF
32
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
33
HOW TO FIND US / CONTACT DETAILS
34
3
ABOUT US
Court Theatre Training Company is situated at The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton. Court has an excellent reputation
within the industry by offering a fully comprehensive professional and vocational training suitable for today’s evolving
needs in theatre, film, media and TV.
Court Theatre Training Company is proud of its high graduate employment with recent graduates having appeared at
the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, West
End, Battersea Arts Centre and many other leading London
Theatres; in TV or film work including Eastenders, Dream
Team, Doctor Who, Hip Hop, Time Gentlemen Please, Bad
Girls, Band of Gold, Heartbeat, Emmerdale, Crimewatch,
Doctors, The Bill, Black Mirror and The Dark Knight. Several
have worked on national tours such as The Revals, Blood
Brothers, Emma, Shakespeare, Treasure Island, The B.F.G.,
An Inspector Calls plus many other small / middle-scale
tours. Several have gone on to direct major productions in
both theatre and film / TV with many founding their own
companies for touring / London performances.
Past Stage Managers, Directors and Designers are working
in the West End and for companies such as the National
Theatre, Barbican Touring, Edinburgh, major ballet companies, and several London theatres, with many creating their
own companies.
A recent graduate had his own TV series on BBC3 (Trexx &
Flipside) and was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award
(for outstanding stage actors under 30).
Court has achieved excellent results made
possible by its belief that:
• close collaboration with the performance
industry and The Courtyard Theatre enable
vocational skills to be put into practice
within a professional environment;
• encouraging dramatic expression in new
writing and enables an understanding of
the performing profession now and in the
future;
• exciting, innovative and demanding performance opportunities are created for aspiring
students of theatre;
• by providing ‘working’ professionals to
deliver the entire acting curriculum the
performance work of the students is always
at the ‘cutting edge’ and able to satisfy the
needs of the industry.
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A WORKING THEATRE COMPANY
The Courtyard was established in 1989. It is the first professional theatre in London with its own resident
training company, an innovative and completely realistic approach to your training. This system is unique and
has only ever been seen before in Russia. Both the resident companies The Courtyard and our springboard N1
Theatre Company together with visiting experimental companies present an exciting programme of work which
has received critical acclaim as “Work in progress and Actors in progress” (Financial Times) .
Court is London’s only practical ‘hands on’ and truly vocational training, an apprenticeship staffed by working
professionals who provide you with the right skills for your chosen career. Court aims to provide members with
training and experience that will enable them to not only earn a living in the performance industries, but more
importantly, challenge them to contribute towards advancing the industry itself as well as furthering their own
individual talents. In other words not only to take but to give to their chosen discipline. We are completely
focused on your future within the Arts and Entertainment industry with a strong emphasis on the business side
of auditioning and employment.
80% of our graduates gain work in the first month after leaving. Courtiers leave with an employer friendly CV
enhanced by the wide range of theatre experience they gain whilst with Court. Final performances are to the
paying public. Productions range from the classics, to new plays and includes devised work, theatre in education
and physical theatre.
Court holds an annual Casting Directors and Agents Showcase which receives great support and recognition
from the industry.
5
THE PAST...
Court Theatre Training Company grew from its parent company The Courtyard Theatre which was formed in
1979 and established a new London fringe theatre – The Finborough Theatre, Earls Court, now an internationally renowned performance venue which celebrates new writing. This professional company held workshops for
actors in training, which eventually led to the formation and policy of Court Theatre Training Company at the
Courtyard Theatre, King’s Cross in 1989. Court left King’s Cross in 2006 and since 2007 it has been based at the
the new Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton.
During 2005-2007 we also established The Courtyard at Covent Garden seasons at the now defunct Theatre
Museum. We then renovated the Old Hoxton Library opening in October 2007 with 2 Theatres, rehearsal rooms
and our newly established Iambic Bar. Past hires have included Endemol (BBC), Carnage of God (Ralph Fiennes)
and Theatre Royal Bath apart from the many visiting professional companies for the 2 Theatres. Recent Productions that have made use of The Courtyard’s rehearsal space include No Man’s Land (featuring Sir Michael Gambon and David Walliams), A View from the Bridge (featuring Ken Stott) and Complicité’s production of Endgame
(featuring Mark Rylance)
NOW...
Court Theatre Training Company maintains a fine
reputation for the continuing quality of its work,
which is a tribute to its training. The structure of
an independent professional theatre and training
company creates an opportunity for a unique learning cycle. The knowledge acquired throughout the
course encourages a genuine responsive and professional approach to performance.
6
THE FUTURE...
Court offers a unique 2 Year Intensive BA (Hons) in
Acting, plus Acting, Directing and Stage Management
1 Year Diploma courses.
7
WHY US...
The underpinning philosophy of the Company is that the best training for a life in the industry is to work in the
industry. Guided and stretched by experienced professional practitioners, you are part of a company learning
your craft by active involvement in every aspect of theatre. Self-discipline is essential -vital for a professional
theatre practitioner. The Company has established a fine reputation for the continuing quality of its work, which
is a tribute to the training methods used. You train as you work -a genuine ‘hands-on’ programme of productions with a professional paying audience.
TRAIN FOR A LIFE...
It will not stop at the end of your training with us. It takes years to train for this industry and you have to lay the
‘ground rules’ at the beginning so the process can continue, with you able to work on by yourself. Here at Court
Theatre Training Company we believe in training actors of the future for the industry of the future - forward
thinking in our work.
You will gain a ‘hands-on’ training and each public production will give you professional experience -practical
experience to begin your career and eventually help you gain your first job. You will have a working CV with professional dates. You will have been seen at a leading London theatre, a good shop window for casting directors
and agents -you will have firsthand experience of the technical and administrative side of the theatre - you will
stand a better chance of gaining your first job as it will be a smooth progression, rather than abruptly leaving a
school and last, but not least, you will be known as an actor in training throughout your stay and not as a drama
student.
HOW WE WORK....
You progress through the programme developing your skills, whilst taking a disciplined and creative part in the
working life of the company. All members receive individual attention and as they gain experience they are
given increasing responsibilities. Ensemble playing is essential to the company and company members are chosen who integrate well within the group. They need to be highly professional, highly motivated and dedicated.
Tiring schedules require a mature and individual approach, plus an awareness of the group needs and an ability
to relate to others.
8
OUR STAFF...
Highly experienced in teaching they are invariably professional practitioners. They really understand the
demands of the theatre and professional industry and that you are its future. They provide a link to the harsh
realities of the industries and are well versed in equipping you to face them. They realise theatre is and has to
be a moving force and have a passion and commitment for what it could be.
OUR VENUE...
The Courtyard is a working professional venue in continuous use throughout the year as a receiving venue for
visiting professional companies. It is established, as a leading London Fringe / off-West End theatre acclaimed
by reviewers. Unlike most schools we have a respected professional theatre which attracts a regular paying
public.
OUR BELIEFS...
We are rooted in the belief that tomorrow’s theatre requires a different form of training that the training theatres way of working opens doors in shared experiences and beliefs. Our aim is to provide an integrated training
programme which encourages members to work as creative equals in the production process and to open up a
free exchange of ideas between actors, technical specialists, designers and directors to create a true ensemble
in every sense of the word, a total theatre. There is genuine inter-disciplinary interchanges within the programme to develop an understanding and appreciation of other disciplines and dynamics. You are encouraged
to take creative risks and draw on ideas of emotional impact rather than on skills only, to excite and stimulate
an audience through their feelings as well as mind. Training people for today’s jobs is not really the challenge.
Giving them, in addition, the knowledge and understanding to cope with tomorrow, is what Court is all about.
The ‘creative process’ is not the exclusive property of any one group or individual but belongs to and is required
of every member of the production team.
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ACTING COURSES
•
•
BA (Hons) Acting – 2 Year Intensive Course
Post Graduate / Post Experience Acting - 1 Year Diploma (full-time)
“The core of theatre is the communion between actor and spectator”
“‘The main ingredients of theatre are the actors and the audience”
An opportunity to practice through performing to paying audiences in a professional theatre.
SELF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS - actors use their ‘SELF’ as the tool of their trade and great emphasis
is placed on developing the ‘SELF’. When they know themselves and their ‘dark corners’ -then can they begin
to tackle their characters. Equal emphasis is placed on developing the technical skills, especially the voice and
body -the actors instruments. These two aspects together with the imagination will free the actor, so they can
create another being, along the parallel lines of the playwright and also, equally important, recreate it in every
single performance.
The art of the actor is that he acts with ease -with no apparent effort. Acting is thinking and feeling, allowing
yourself to be ‘possessed’ by the character. This means a freedom in mind and body, so as to guide an audience
through the characters thoughts, feelings and actions. To achieve this the actors’ minds must be free and uncluttered, the body and voice free yet disciplined to allow the actors’ imaginative and creative powers to serve
the interpretation of the part and play.
A FOCUSED COURSE for those that require their time and money to be well used. Everyone at Court is
aware that they all have something different to give -that they must take responsibility for their own input and
training. We balance this individuality with the demands of ensemble. A frequently heard expression at Court
is STOP ACTING and have the courage to expose your inner self and follow the emotional impulses that a given
situation encourages. Don’t be afraid of the audience - enjoy them - find the sheer joy of performance.
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HOW THE COURSE WORKS
The training is split into three sections:
1)
2)
3)
The skills/craft of the actor,
using and expanding the skills/craft of the actor,
Professional experience.
The training’s main thrust will be on these sections with the basic craft of the actor including acting, voice,
movement, singing, scene study and productions predominant. The working knowledge gained in these runs in
front of a paying audience is invaluable -a total hands-on experience, and an opportunity to build and increase
your working skills as an actor. Plus the fact you will be seen continuously, in a professional London venue
where your work will be taken seriously by agents & casting directors. You will leave with a working professional
CV to hold you in good stead for your future career.
The person who will be interested in this course is mature minded with a need for intense training for the industry. They will use their time well, and wish to train with like-minded people in a professional company environment. They are committed and totally dedicated to their career. They are aware that it takes a life to train in
theatre, but that Court’s way is a starting point, a springboard to their chosen career.
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COURSE CONTENT
The training has a thematic integral approach giving coherency, with specialist skills being introduced as
required. Great stress is also put on Singing, Dance, Stage Combat and TV & Film, as today’s Actor needs to be
multi skilled.
Acting: Classes: Work on Self, Work on Role, Concentration, Imagination, the Senses, Maskwork for transformation and Characterisation, Character Behaviour, Relationships, Impulse Exercises, Actions-Object Exercises,
Stage Craft and working actions studies.
Audition and Career Skills: Interviews, auditions, audition choices, sight reading, CV’s, photographs, Equity,
Spotlight, Tax, Agents, Casting Directors, How To Get Work. A Casting Showcase for Agents & Casting Directors is
presented each year. In all, 8-10 visits by Industry professionals are arranged each year.
Theatre Studies – The history and study of: Greeks, Shakespeare & Jacobian, Restoration, Eighteenth Century,
Ibsen, Shaw, Chehkov, European, New Writing.
Play Analysis: Company members should be thinking creative beings who share in the process of making a play.
They are part of an ensemble, working imaginatively on their contribution, diligently researching into period,
society, politics and religion etc, so that both character and play are recreated. They need to appreciate that for
theatre to be an experience, it should reflect the human state; that a play develops from its period or is ‘fighting
it’. The company must understand how theatre functions as a relevant force in our society -where it has come
from and where it is going to.
Improvisation/Theatre of Storytelling: Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating
that you know it. An electric input is encouraged from the group working from relaxation, concentration, imagination, to generate enthusiasm and absolute creativity. Using improvisation, physicalisation and our own life
experiences to develop our potential for immediate, expressive theatre. Communication is the key. You should
not be afraid to fail. Argue for your limitations and sure enough they’re yours. Improvisation is an important
skill which the well rounded actor should acquire.
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Acting for Camera: an in-depth
examination of the differences in technique
and attitude required for Acting on
screen as opposed to stage. This is a very
active practical module in which students
learn about vagaries of film shoots from
experienced tutors and take part in a film
shoot for themselves.
Voice: The voice reflects the person. When
we increase physical and imaginative
control of voice and language we open up
unique vocal range. This supports the actor
in creating character, in finding the rhythm
of emotion and thought in text. You need
a flexible and responsive instrument, to
respond to differing demands of text, verse,
the play and communication.
Movement Analysis: is a way and means
to physical characterisation. The body must
be an expressive and flexible tool to reflect
the conflict and tensions within the character. The actor must be able to move within
their space with assurance; to inhabit and
project beyond; to inter-relate with people
and objects on stage; to react with every
fibre of their being to the demands of the
thoughts and feelings of the character
Devising: Theatre is a collaborative medum, and in this module students work together to produce, direct and act in a stage
piece of their own creation. The students
are encouraged to think about the collaborative process and whilst also exploring
their own creative independence.
Acting Through Song: Singing is acting.
The Singer’s job is to make singing seem
the most natural form of communication.
The song is the words coupled with the
melodic shape. With a firm grounding of
technique, this enables the actor to use the
text to tell the story with confidence.
Other Disciplines Taught Include:
Stage Combat - Armed & Unarmed,
including the British Academy of Dramatic
Combat (BADC) exam
Period Dance
Radio & Voiceover
Theatre History
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BA (HONS) ACTING
2 Year Intensive Course (Full Time)
The BA (Hons) Acting is distinctive and unique by being specifically designed for the practical training of the
actor, and work within the course can take place within the professional environment of and acclaimed working
theatre - The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton. Each semester provides an exciting and relevant opportunity for the
development of the actor’s journey and craft.
The training is structured within a modular curriculum and will encourage individual and ensemble aspects of
actor training to investigate the process from rehearsal to performance. As a small, intimate training school we
feel especially able to cope with the specific demands of each prospective actor.
The three basic stands – Acting, Movement and Voice – inevitably overlap in practice and directly influence the
work in all areas of the delivered curriculum.
The course is an Intensive BA (Hons) course meaning that the training is taken at a very concentrated pace. It
runs from early September to late July, with 3 terms of 14 weeks each year. Each week consists of 30-40 hours
of teaching and contact time.
Attendance at all lessons throughout the year is mandatory, and not just in the term of assessment for a module.
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Year One is concentrated with a range of knowledge, understanding and skills on the foundations of acting
and the development of the reflective practitioner.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Introduction to Acting
The Actor’s Journey
Development of
Character
Vocal Work
Classical Theatre
(Shakespeare)
Rehearsal Process
Actor Movement
Theatre History and its Impact
on Performance
Year Two investigates specialist areas of the theatre and will relate to possible career paths and how the
professional skills and practices may be utilised in the performance industry. Personal marketable skills and
intellectual skills will extend the range of the performer. There will be an increasing emphasis on the roles and
responsibilities of the individual creative artist within an ensemble and professional environment by being a
member of our springboard company – N1 Theatre Company.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Beginnings of Modern Theatre
Recorded Media
Production 2 - N1 Theatre
Company
Devising
Production 1
Production 3 - N1 Theatre
Company
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POST GRADUATE / POST EXPERIENCE ACTING
Postgraduate Diploma (1 Year Full-Time)
Mature students are required to be able to deal with the demands of this course.
The 1st Semester will consist of intensive workshops to “crash course” their acting skills.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Acting
Professional Practice
N1 Theatre Company
Production
Voice
Production
N1 Theatre Company
Production
Movement
Recorded Media
Showcase
Singing
Stage Combat
Text Study
Unarmed Combat
Devising
Recorded Media
This course is structured to suit your individual needs (especially in Semester 1) with a flexible and negotiated
programme of work offered.
Please note that applicants for this course must be 21 years or older.
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APPLICATIONS & AUDITIONS
for the Acting Courses
•
•
Prospective students wishing to apply for the BA Acting course must make their application through
UCAS.
People wishing to apply for the Post Graduate / Post Experience Diploma Acting courses must apply
direct to Court Theatre Training Company.
Upon receiving your application for a place on the Acting courses, you will be asked to attend an audition. This
process is ongoing throughout the academic year. The audition process is the same for both the Undergraduate
and Postgraduate courses.
For audition two contrasting pieces are to be prepared of not more than 2 minutes each which will be followed
by an interview. The requirements for the two pieces are:
•
•
One piece to be Shakespeare or equivalent playwright from that period
One to be from a modern play (1960 onwards).
Please choose pieces that are suitable for your age, gender and experience. We are likely to ask you questions
or ask you to improvise around your choice, so please do make sure you know the play well. Do remember we
are looking for your potential, and it is more important that you find the truth and reality of your chosen pieces
than aim for a finished performance.
There are possible recalls and workshops you may be asked to attend.
The audition fee of £35.00 is payable to Court Theatre Training Company and must be sent with the
completed application form. IIf you are asked back for a recall, you will not have to pay any further audition
fees.
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PRODUCTION COURSES
•
•
Post Graduate / Post Experience Directing (1 Year Full-TIme) Diploma
Post Graduate / Post Experience Stage Management (1 Year Full-TIme) Diploma
Here at Court, we know that the art of Theatre cannot be completed by actors alone. It requires a team of
devoted individuals pulling together to create a team effort. Just as actors have to do this on-stage, so to do the
directors and technicians off-stage, and it is integral to the demands of a cohesive, watchable production that
they are well trained, highly motivated, thoroughly organized indivuduals. We welcome those individuals to
consider taking a Postgraduate Diploma with us in the field of either Directing or Stage Management
The demands on a Director and Stage Manager are strenuous, and thus they are expected to be organized,
confident, open-minded and resesourceful indivuduals, and yet also willing and able to adapt to the demands
of being a team player. The ability to think on your feet and to develop and rely on your instincts is paramount
to success in the production disciplines.
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As with the acting courses, the main principle behind the technical courses is that it is advantageous to get the
experience and training needed in a hands-on, practical environment. You will be interacting with the students
from the other acting and production disciplines regularly. As such there is some crossover between all the
discipines, and it is important that those in the production disciplines become acquainted with the demands
of the various factions that create the final theatrical product and learn to appreciate the importance of each
person in a production.
There is a lot of practically-based work and education involved in the production courses, in order that the
students become aware of the technical demands of theatre. By learning the skills related to the technical fields
the prospective Directors and Stage Managers learn how to integrate these ever-evolving aspects of performance into the productions of the future. Court believes that a solid understanding of the fundamentals allows
for a greater understanding how to experiment and to innovate.
Students on the Directing and Stage Management courses help with the productions put on by Court Theatre
Training Company, collaborating with the Acting students and the directors of these productions. By undertaking these productions, the students learn on the job the demands and strategies required for effective theatre.
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DIRECTING COURSE
Post Graduate / Post Experience Diploma (1 Year Full-Time)
“Theatre must be totally available to the audience”
“Theatre’s no good if it hasn’t touched the audience, changed their lives or at least given them something to
argue about”
“The Spectator shall be engulfed and physically affected. Hit an audience’s senses to release their feelings as
well as mind”
You -tomorrow’s director- will have a highly specialised training. You will work with and through the actors,
designers, technicians. You will have an appreciation and practical experience of each discipline. Not only will
you allow and nurture a freedom in the actors creative instincts/imagination, you will also create a working
dialogue and interflow of ideas with the relevant technical specialists, whilst creating a fruitful director/designer
relationship. You will organise and channel all this creativity and energy along the lines of the original concept
or ‘vision’; You will be prepared to adapt and be flexible to a degree, whilst not losing your own artistic integrity.
HOW THE COURSE WORKS
The director wears many different hats: Teacher, Organiser; Administrator; P.R, not to mention the directing
itself! The course provides a unique chance to learn your craft as an apprentice director whilst being part of a
theatre company. Unlike many courses we are almost completely practical and you will be directing from the
beginning. The course is structured to suit your individual needs with a flexible and negotiated programme of
work offered. Apart from directing work, work will draw from the Actors and Stage Management courses. Workshop and studio projects will feature in the training. The visual, the technical and the physical side of theatre
will be fully explored through design, music, lighting, sound, movement and song.
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COURSE CONTENT - AN OUTLINE
Acting
We cannot give you your vision, but we can hone your craft to
implement it. The director should know and understand about
the craft of acting (voice, movement, acting, improvisation,
dance and singing) to be an actors’ conscience, to understand
the bricks and mortars of presenting a play, to know how to act
yourself. Then you will be able to help the actors to give their
best.
The Play
Topics include: Statement of intent, Narrative/Storytelling
in Theatre, Style, Theme, Character Development, Use of
Language/Verse/Imagery influenced by Period/Audiences/Costume, Staging, Rehearsal Techniques.
You will be directing your own projects from the beginning
including technical presentations, own adaptation of a short
story, rehearsed readings and auditioning technique. You will
assist visiting directors on main productions.
Technical
Equally for truly integrated theatre you need to learn of the
Technical Resources of theatre.
Topics include: Stage Management, Assistant Stage Management, Lighting Basics, Sound Basics, Prompt Scripts.
So not only can you communicate your ideas but you can participate fully in these disciplines.
Design
The good director is also a designer. The Director/Designer
relationship is of paramount importance and great stress is laid
on this aspect of your training:
Topics include: Liaison, Theatre Space, Ground plans/Models
,Visualisation Set, Costume, Lighting Design.
Administration
You will also be given every chance to explore the business side
of running a company including marketing, publicity, touring and administration, as well as ITC (Independent Theatre
Council) courses on ‘Setting Up a Theatre Company’. How to
Mount a Production: Topics include: Casting, Venues, Finance,
Budgeting, Publicity/Marketing/Press.
The function of a director is to present the play as the authors
written it, to illuminate it and to act as the actor’s conscience.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Entry is by interview.
A submission in theory of a short scene from play of own
choice is required at least one week before the interview
date. This may be based on a past production.
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STAGE MANAGEMENT COURSE
Post Graduate / Post Experience Diploma (1 Year Full-Time)
IF YOU WANT:
•
A fast moving practical training
•
To be a significant part of a Performing Company
•
To tackle challenging work in a highly creative atmosphere
•
For your work to be seen in runs by a paying public
•
Fed up of academic study and need a practical hands on approach
WE WILL SUIT YOU
Production and Stage Management is responsible for the technical support for all Court productions and is supported by an expert tutoring group of professional technicians and designers. This Course offers the opportunity
to gain real production experience and to forge lasting creative relationships with new directors and performers.
The Programme, while allowing specialisation in Stage Management looks at the whole process of Production
work, and focuses on the creative and working relationship between Director, Designer, Stage Manager and
Actor.
Created for people who have some previous experience in their chosen discipline or a related area of the
performing Arts, the courses offer practical training as part of The Courtyard’s Production Team. Unlike many
courses, you will be working in a professional theatre from the 1st term – not only the practical application
of Courts production, but the working environment of the many visiting professional theatre companies. This
offers an ideal opportunity which has gained many past students their first work due to their on going professionalism.
Today’s Production / Stage Managers need an integrated training programme which encourages students to
work as creative equals in the production process and to open up a free exchange of ideas between technical
specialists, designers, performers and directors.
On the course students have the opportunity to learn skills (and professional experience) by doing both in
production, where the content of the work is structured to cover a wide range of working styles and production
formats; and in practical workshop sessions, where the focus is on the logical investigation of equipment, materials and methods. There are also many opportunities to take total responsibility for various in – house projects,
including not only technical support but design as well.
We aim to provide a course which, whilst maintaining good coverage of technical training, also has an emphasis
towards the craft skills of design, wardrobe, lighting and prop making, etc with the objective of producing
Production / Stage managers with a wider range of real skills. Most of our students gain employment within a
few weeks of completing the course and are working in the West End, the RSC, the Barbican, Ballet and touring
companies amongst others as well as in T.V. and Film. Bonuses of a course with Court are the lasting working
relationships you are able to make, the opportunity to work on a professional London stage, the invaluable professional contacts that you build on to ensure your future success in the profession. Placements are arranged
for students who elect for a 2 Year course. Past placements include Soho Theatre, The Place and The Pleasance
Theatre, London.
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COURSE CONTENT - AN OUTLINE
Stage Management
Company care, rehearsal, show and tour management, propping, budgeting, company organisation, venue care, production schedules, rehearsal and
show reports, prompt copies etc.
Lighting
Effective design, temporary installation, safety, practical LX planning, rigging,
touring, equipment maintenance, operation
Sound
Creative sound design, recording and editing, sound rigging, touring, sound,
operation.
Recorded Media
TV & Camera Work, Radio & Voiceover work
Painting and Property Making
Casting, furniture, masks, scenic painting, carpentry, prop sourcing and the
art of getting freebies!
Design
Set design, temporary stages, touring design and adaptation, creativity on
small budgets. Drawing up/reading floor plans. Marking up rehearsal rooms.
Costume
Design, production skills, costume construction and alteration techniques,
dyeing, decoration and care.
Theatre Licensing/Health & Safety
The importance of the technical considerations & responsibilities of public
performances.
First Aid Certificate – St John’s Ambulance
This programme provides in-depth teaching of theory and practice taken
over four days. On completion of the programme an oral and external exam
is taken and the successful candidate will receive a certificate in First Aid at
Work, which is valid for three years, until renewal is required.
To join this course you must be able to show us that you can work on your
own initiative and that you want to take a disciplined and creative part in the
working life of a company. We support your learning with a highly experienced and professional group of technical tutors but, unlike a conventional
course, you will find yourself much more responsible for the choice and direction of the work that you undertake, and for your own sphere of specialist
development. The course is structured around your needs.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Entry is by interview and portfolio / previous work
examples of theatre work
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THE COURTYARD THEATRE
& HOXTON
Formerly based in Kings Cross, the new Courtyard Theatre has been
created within the Grade II-listed former public library in Pitfield
Street, Hoxton, only a few hundred metres from the site of the first
purpose-built playhouses in England, the Theatre (1576) and the
Curtain (1577), the latter still commemorated in the name of Curtain
Road. The Courtyard has a 150 seater Main House, an 80 seat Studio
Theatre, and also rehearsal space such as the White Room.
The Courtyard Theatre is one of London’s most vibrant new theatres
and endeavors to discover the best new playwrights, directors and
companies from a wide range of backgrounds, and promises to
nurture, support and mentor them whilst their careers are in the early
stages of development. From political theatre to live comedy, The
Courtyard wants to champion it all. It strives to offer an exciting and
varied programme that puts it at the forefront of British Theatre and
keeps people coming back.
The Courtyard is located at the heart of Hoxton’s thriving artistic
scene. On the borders of the financial discricts of the City and Moorgate, Hoxton is world-renowned as a centre of creativity and artistic
talent. Full of bars, restaurants, shops and galleries and with convienient transport connections, it is a fantastic place to study and a great
place to experience the diverse cultural wonders of London.
24
PAST PRODUCTIONS
N1 Theatre Company
N1 Theatre Company is our springboard professional company.
The Courtyard is a fully professional company.
N1 Theatre Company:
The Mysteries, Hippolytus, Strange Lands, Anapest, The Open Couple, Uncle Vanya, Fando and Lis, The Insect Play, Othello, The House
of Bernarda Alba, The Duchess of Malfi, She Stoops to Conquer, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mad Forest, Cut it Out, Bone ,Animal
Farm, Strange Lands, A Slice of Saturday Night, Spring Awakening,
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Possibilities, Emma, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Foul Tide, Comic Potential, Strange Orchestra, Hard
Times, The House of Bernarda Alba, Love of the Nightingale, Ghost
Stories, The Accrington Pals, Lady Windermere’s Fan, An Absolute
Turkey, True Dare Kiss, Love and Human Remains
Courtyard Productions:
Proving Mr Jennings (Kings Cross Award Winner), Transfigured,
Dawn (Commended Winner), The Maid, Helen, Measure for
Measure, Man of Mode, Went Down to the Crossroads, The Merry
Wives of Windsor, Pretty Eyes Ugly Paintings, The Gorilla Hunters,
The Intruder, The Interior and The Sightless, Winter’s Tale, Salt of
the Earth, Lily’s Last Sin, Antony and Cleopatra, Souls, The Death
of Margaret Thatcher, Hannah and Martin, Twilight of the Gods,
Mother of Him (Kings Cross Award Winner), You, Einstein’s Daughter
Court Theatre Training Company:
Philaster, Comedy of Errors, The Kitchen, Roald Dahl, Oh What a
Bloody Circus, Pride and Prejudice, Memories of Jack The Ripper,
Romeo and Juliet, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Balm in Gilead, Trojan
Women, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, The Frogs, Prince
Grizzly Beard, Macbeth, Leonce and Lena, Then He Kissed Me,
Morphine, The Canterbury Tales, Pericles, Marat/Sade, Agamemnon, Nosferatu, Third Time Lucky, A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The
Bacchae, The Blue Angel, Exit the King, Court Commedia Del’Arte,
Tales from the Vienna Woods, The Adding Machine, Fantastic Mr
Fox, M, Passion Play, Trojan Women, Bernarda Alba, Othello, The
Threepenny Opera, The Bedbug, The Three Sisters, Bill the Blue
Bear, Not the Cossacks, Art is a Five Letter Word, Pinnochio, The
Mysteries, Gammer Gurton’s Needle, Everyman, Sleepers, Spring
Awakening, The Virgin Spring, Hiding, Site Specific (Hoxton), Judas
Iscariot, Much Ado About Nothing, Agememnon, Electra, Library
Tours (Islington)
Court Theatre Company
TOURS: The Taming of the Shrew, The Alchemist, Private Lives and
Peer Gynt
FINBOROUGH THEATRE: Double Bill, Snakes & Ladders, The Boxer,
Bed of Roses, The Police, A Dark Night in the American Dream, The
Alternative, One, Two, Three Sorry, The Don Juan and the Non Don
Juan, Oedipus at the Crossroads, Out at Sea, Enchanted Night, The
Taming of the Shrew, Blood Sports, After All These Years.
25
APPLICATION PROCESS
Audition and interview requirements are to be found at the end of the relevant course description:
1.
2.
3.
4.
2 Year Intensive BA (Hons) Acting - p.13
Postgraduate Diploma Acting [1 Year] - p.13
Postgraduate Diploma Directing [1 Year] - p.17
Postgraduate Diploma Stage Management [1 year] - p.19
The audition fee of £35.00 is payable to Court Theatre Training Company and must be sent with the
completed application form direct to Court Theatre Training Company (at The Courtyard Theatre).
N.B. In order to ascertain suitability for the BA Acting you will be required to fulfil one of the following
options:
•
Passes in 5 different subjects: Two subjects at A level minimum grade C, and Three different subjects at
GCSE at grade C or above.
•
National Vocational Qualifications at Advanced Level
•
Evidence of strong practical involvement within the performing arts industry
•
Proficiency in English Language
•
Exceptional circumstances may be considered if there is sufficient practical and intellectual rigour evidenced in the training to support study at degree level
•
Prospective members of 23 years or older can be qualified as mature students at the discrection of Court
Theatre Training Company
ENTRY – AUDITION AND INTERVIEWS
Dependent on available places, new members are admitted to courses in Autumn.
Applicants for the Intensive BA (Hons) Acting must be 18 (no upper age limit) at the point of entry and in good
health as the Company may conclude the training of a member if it is considered inadequate.
Applicants for Postgraduate study must be 21 years or older.
Auditions and interviews are held from autumn to early summer. Due to high interest there is a limit to the
number of applicants who can be auditioned.
26
TUITION FEES
1)
Current fees for both Undergraduate and
Postgraduate courses are available on
request.
2)
There is a non-refundable registration /
administration fee which includes the hire of
Professional Theatre and performance space;
Agent & Casting Showcase with all related
costings; guest speakers fees; performing
rights expenses; the special acquisition of
individualised equipment; costume etc.; the
absence of which would limit the specialised
quality of the course in preparation for your
entry into the professional industry.
3)
All Postgraduate courses are required to pay
the full amount before commencing study at
Court Theatre Training Company. These fees
can be negotiated in two parts in consultation
with the Principal before the start date in early
October.
4)
EU Postgraduate students are also advised they
must pay their tuition fees in advance
5)
All fees are not returnable if a member
withdraws due to illness or any other reason
whatsoever
6)
All fees are not returnable if any period of
training lost due to epidemic or national crisis
or any circumstance over which Court Theatre
Training Company has no control.
7)
Termly fees are payable one month before each
term commences
8)
A place is guaranteed on the receipt of a
registration / administration fee until the first
date of due fees on your contract
9)
If your fees are not paid on the due dates then
a late fee will be charged.
27
STUDENT FINANCE
The 2 year Intensive BA (Hons) course offers students the possibility of achieving an honours degree in two
years, as opposed to the three years that a bachelors degree usually requires. This two year course has the
exact same amount of work and weeks as a three year degree. Whereas a three year course consists of three
years of two semesters, the accelerated two year course consists of two years of three semesters. In both cases,
this amounts to six semesters’ worth of work over the course of the degree.
This of course means that the course involves very intensive work (especially since the holiday time is reduced
to fit in the third semester for each year) but it nonetheless has its advantages. Many students find the two year
option attractive because it provides a faster route into employment. It also attracts people either returning to
work or choosing to change careers without being able to pay for more than two years worth of study.
You are eligible to apply to Student Finance England for a maintenance loan and the optional tuition fee loan as
Court Theatre Training Company have special designation. Any tuition fee loan taken is deducted from full fees
each year, the balance being the responsibility of the student.
28
If you require further information you might like to visit the following websites. If you live in:
ENGLAND: http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk
SCOTLAND: http://www.saas.gov.uk
WALES: http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
NORTHERN IRELAND: http://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
If you live in the UK and are from a lower income household, you will be eligible for a non-repayable grant. This
is a means-tested grant which does not have to be repaid. The amount you are eligible to receive is assessed by
the relevant Student Finance body (eg Student Finance England). How much you will get will depend on your
income and that of the family household.
If you wish to try and calculate what fee support you are likely to get you might like to consult the Student
Finance Direct Calculator on the DirectGov website and select your home base:
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinancecalculator
If you are EU student you might like to consult the UK Council for International Student Affairs website:
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/student_support_england.php
29
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
30
Court Theatre Training Company will offer a place only on the acceptance of the length of training that
they feel is required to take you to a professional standard. The acceptance of such a place must acknowledge this length of study and also your ability to pay the fees incurred.
All members are expected to complete the full course offered
Company members must take part in all class work, rehearsals and performance as directed attending
punctually as scheduled.
Company members will play as cast in all productions.
Company members will undertake stage management, lighting and wardrobe as decided by the Company.
All Company members will undertake such work for get-ins and get-outs.
Members must not undertake professional work paid or otherwise without the written permission of the
Company.
Interviews must not be given to the media without the prior permission of the Company.
Company members are not to attempt to gain entry, by whatever means, into any venue where the Company may be performing at or booked into without the Company’s prior permission.
The Company reserves the right to alter the prospectus, timetable, curriculum, staffing or fees and conditions without prior notice.
The Company cannot be responsible for any accident or injury sustained by Company members on the
Company’s premises or whilst touring or at other venues in regard to training or performance.
The Company cannot accept any responsibility for the loss of damage to members property whilst on the
premises or on tour. It is recommended you take individual insurance for such property.
All company members must maintain a satisfactory record of attendance and punctuality. The Company
must be informed immediately in cases of illness or unavoidable absence. A doctor’s certificate is required
for one week’s absence through illness.
It will be understood that the Company Notes, Fees and Conditions of Entry have been read and understood on acceptance of any place offered. Any infringement of these Company Notes, Fees and Conditions
or any discreditable or improper conduct shall make a Company member liable to instant dismissal.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
Company Notes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Entry in Autumn only.
A list of equipment plus reading list will be sent to students before their training commences on receipt of
the non-refundable registration / administration fee. They will be expected to purchase their own books,
play scripts, stage make-up, movement clothes and any other equipment required during the course. The
Company Member provides costumes for modern plays. Costumes for period plays will be provided by the
Company.
A working week consists of Monday to Friday inclusive. There could be weekend work prior to a production opening.
Members must be available in the evenings (Tuesday – Sunday inclusive) whilst in performance. There are
no extra fees incurred.
Professional photography provided by Peter Simpkin is available to all students at a greatly reduced fee.
These photographs are essential for front of house displays, actor’s showcase and entry to Spotlight on
graduation.
The Company are expected to be responsible members of the profession at The Courtyard Theatre and
when visiting venues in conduct, work and commitment.
Student Equity cards are available
31
OUR STAFF
OFFICE STAFF
June Abbott
Tim Gill
Sarah Meadows
John Bell
Principal
The Courtyard Theatre
Assistant Director of Studies
Head of Production
Massimo Marinoni
Head of Acting
Steven McEvoy
Administration
ACTING
June Abbott
Acting & Rehearsal Process
Dave Bourn
Improvisation / Storytelling
M.Marinoni
Acting
Nick Prosser / Doug Rollins
Acting for Camera
Jeremy Young
Acting / Text Study
Guest Tutors
Acting / Text Studies
VOICE
Yvonne Morley
Voice/Text/Sight Reading
Pamela Hall
Singing/Musical Theatre
Kate Montague
Voice / Poetry / Text
Guest Tutors
Voice / Storytelling
Helen Tennison / Aiden Treays
Movement / Mime
MOVEMENT
R.C. Annie
Winston Stephenson
Diana Shriver / Glen Snowden
Stage Combat
Movement
Period Dance / Ballet
Guest Tutors
Mime & Movement
June Abbott
Classical Text/ History of Theatre
TEXT ANALYSIS
Jeremy Young
Massimo Marinoni
Guest Tutors
Shakespearean / Jacobean Text / Beginnings of Modern Theatre
Ionesco / Lorca
Text / Play Analysis
DIRECTORS
Guests
Directors are Industry professionals and experienced directors
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
John Bell
32
Productions / Design / Stage Management
Guiliano Bocca
Lightning
Various Guests
Design / Stage Management / Technical
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
The Board is as follows: June Abbott, Tim Gill, Sarah Meadows, John Bell, Alan Butnick, Peter Simpkin,
Dr. Stephen Hazel, Mark Woolgar.
Court Theatre Training Company is an independent vocational training program. We are extremely grateful to
the following sponsors for their support:
Nicholas Hytner – National Theatre; P & O Developments Ltd; King’s Cross Partnership; Mr. Torsten Friedag; Sir
Peter Saunders Foundation; Geoff Baldwin Associates Switch Quartz Heating; Dan Bayley (Real Wetheralls) Elite
Electrical Distribution Ltd; British Gas PLC; Morris Charitable Trust; The Mercer’s Company; French’s Theatre
Bookshop; Mr. Peter Simpkin; Alan Butnick & Co Accountants; Midland Ladder Co; Quicksilver Theatre Co; Peter
Dawson -Russell-Cooke Solicitors; The British Council Youth Exchange, London Rebuilding Society
Accountants: Alan E Butnick FCA, 8 Barn Crescent, Stanmore, Middlesex. HA7 2RY
Bank: NatWest Bank, Tavistock Square Branch, PO Box 83, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JA
Solicitors: Russell-Cooke Solicitors, 8 Bedford Row, London
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
Courtier Award: Only open to ex-graduates of Court Theatre Training Company wishing to train as a Director
Working Scholarship: a Working Scholarship equivalent to one term’s payment from private finance only.
Available to 3 students in their second year of study.
On completion of training the following THREE awards are given each year (dependent on recommendation):
Gold Award - outstanding achievement
Company Award - outstanding company member
Court Award - outstanding commitment
33
HOW TO FIND US
COURT THEATRE TRAINING COMPANY is located at The Courtyard Theatre, easily found two minutes walk
from Hoxton Square, a vibrant area full of restaurants, bars and galleries, by talking the exit from Hoxton Square
into Bowling Green Walk. The location of Court Theatre Training Company is ideal because of its proximity to
the West End of London. Various public libraries and leisure centres are also located within the vicinity of the
college.
BY RAIL
Old St station is served by First Capital Connect
rail services. The nearest major rail terminals
are Liverpool St and King’s Cross.
London Overground services also stop nearby.
The two nearest stations are Hoxton and
Shoreditch High St, both of which are roughly
10 minutes walk from the theatre.
BY BUS
The closest bus stop is Great Eastern Street, served by
the 55, 243 and N55 bus routes. The 394 bus also stops
nearby, the nearest stop being Pitfield Street.
The following bus routes stop nearby at Old Street:
21, 43, 55, 76, 141, 205, 214, 271, N35, N55, N76
The following bus routes stop nearby on Kingsland Rd /
Shoreditch High Street:
26, 48, 67, 149, 242, 243, N26
BY TUBE
The nearest tube station is Old St
on the Northern Line, situated two
stops southbound from Kings Cross.
We are also a 15 minute walk away
from Liverpool St station, on the
Central, Circle, Metropolitian and
Hammersmith & City lines.
ON FOOT
From Old St Tube Station:
Exit the station via Exit 2, turn right
up the ramp. Follow Old Street towards Hoxton Square. Take the left
into Pitfield Street just before the
Holiday Inn. Follow Pitfield Street
until you reach a side road to the
right named Bowling Green Walk.
CONTACT DETAILS
34
Address
Court Theatre Training Company
The Courtyard Theatre
Bowling Green Walk
40 Pitfield St
London
N1 6EU
Phone
020 7739 6868
Email
[email protected]
Web
www.courttheatretraining.org.uk