FT3MUS: Musical Theatre

Module code: FT3MUS

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Lucy Tyler, email: l.s.tyler@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE FT1STA OR TAKE FT2PS OR TAKE FT1ES (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 18 July 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module explores both the theories, themes, politics and practices of contemporary musical theatre. The focus is on the research and development (R&D) of musical theatre, its dramaturgy, political context, modes of production, representation and reception. You will have a chance to undertake group practical experiments in musical theatre, although this does not include practical training in singing and dancing and no singing and dancing training is required! Instead, your collaborative practical experiments will explore a range of performance strategies deployed in contemporary musical theatre production.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Draw on relevant aesthetic, cultural and political debates in order to analyse diverse musical theatre practices and processes
2. Demarcate specific modes of development, production and dramaturgy in contemporary musical theatre and in your own practical work
3. Explore strategies specifically relating to your own musical theatre experiments, meaningfully integrating theory with practical work
4. Critically reflect on your own practical work and professional skills developments

Module content

This module explores the theory and practice of contemporary musical theatre, with an emphasis on research and development (R&D). How are musicals developed? What are the politics of the production? What representational issues are present in their production, staging, casting and reception? Whose stories are told and whose are erased? Who gets to go to musical theatre? These questions will be explored both through analysis of musical theatre as well as your own practical experiments.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students will learn through workshops and seminars which will include critical and practical approaches to musical theatre. Teaching and learning methods will include in-class staff and student lectures/presentations, seminar-style discussion groups, technician-led practical workshops, portfolio/practical project supervision, theatre and archive visits, and visiting talks or masterclasses from practitioners and/or scholars. Some of these teaching and learning sessions may be delivered through blended learning. Students will have the chance to reflect on their learning through the module’s written component and they can demonstrate their practical development through the realisation of their final portfolio/practical project. 

Study hours

At least 42 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback will be provided in class on specific exercises 

Reassessment

Additional costs