The Theatre Royal Arts Courses offer Graded Examinations in Acting, Speaking of Verse and Prose, Improvisation, Performance Reading and Spoken English. These make an ideal adjunct to the existing Junior Arts Course classes held on Saturdays, (although entry is open to all), and develop specific performance skills through individual work and detailed tuition, giving the opportunity of more concentrated tuition and a specific goal each term.
The Syllabus Similar in basic outline to examinations offered by LAMDA and Trinity Guildhall, the Theatre Royal’s Syllabus offers an interesting and appealing range of Examinations with considerably more scope for progression and more freedom of choice within each discipline than is offered by some Examination bodies. We offer Examinations for all age groups from 8 years upwards in Acting, the Speaking of Verse and Prose, Improvisation, Performance Reading and Spoken English. The choice of pieces a student can make is wide-ranging, and each exam can therefore be tailored to each student’s needs. making a logical progression through each discipline from basic skills to advanced techniques and knowledge.
How it works Classes are held in small groups of 5 or 6 students, for one hour each week over the term of ten weeks. There are classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – 4-5pm, 5-6pm and 6-7pm. Students choose two or three short pieces (depending on the subject taken) and these are worked on with the tutor and learned over the term, together with some theory/background work. The Examinations are taken at the end of each term, when a visiting Examiner will assess the student’s performance/presentation. All our Visiting Examiners are working theatre professionals with experience of all aspects of the disciplines within the syllabus. Results are given immediately after the Examination. There are Exam Sessions in November, March and July of each year. Once on the Course, students can re-enrol term by term, making a progressive training. The Course is open to both existing members of the Junior Theatre Arts Course and others.
Validation The Theatre Royal Examinations are validated in the first instance in partnership with City College Norwich. We are currently making approaches to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – the national Education department that accredits all exams – for full Accreditation to be recognised nationally. While at present the validation is not recognised nationally, we are hoping that in time our exams will be recognised by the QCA. We already have outside tutors interested in entering their own students for our Exams, and we hope that we shall eventually become a major centre for Examinations in Theatre and Allied Skills.
The termly fee for tuition is £50. There is also an entry fee for the exam itself (between £15 and £25 depending on the level or grade) which covers administration and the costs of the Visiting Examiners. Places are at a premium for this Course, but we are now inviting applications for both places and spaces on our Waiting Lists.