There are many roles in musical theatre including leads, understudies, and ensemble performers. Musical theatre performers work with directors, choreographers, stage managers, and voice coaches. They require skills in drama, dance, singing, character development, memorization, and stamina to handle long rehearsals and performances. Training routes include college, drama school, and university programs that develop performing, technical, and business skills over one to three year programs.

2. WHAT TYPES OF ROLES ARE THERE?
There are many roles and responsibilities that musical theatre performers have
For example:
LEAD ROLES UNDERSTUDYENSEMBLE

3. WHO DO MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMERS
WORK WITH?
Directors Choreographers Stage Managers Voice coaches
Make up, Hair and
Costume

4. ACTING/ DANCE/ SINGING SKILLS
Drama Dance Singing
Characterisation Physical
characterisation and
expression
characterisation
Memorising lines Use of space articulation
Pace, energy, dynamics Timing timing
Body language Bodily expression Breath control
Facial expression Facial expression Use of pause
gesture Stylistic quality of
movement
pitch
projection projection Projection

5. SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR A
MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMER
 Good stage and vocal presence.
 projection
 Playing a character and engaging with an audience.
 Memorising lines
 Good understanding of dramatic techniques.
 confidence, energy and commitment.
 Self-discipline and stamina in able to cope with long hours
 Instructions and criticism
 Reliability

6. A MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMERS CV
Awards:
WINNER - ‘BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL’ OLIVIER AWARD 2015 FOR ‘BEAUTIFUL
- THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL’
NOMINATED FOR WHAT’S ON STAGE AWARD
– BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Musical Theatre Performances she has been in:
- BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
- MAMMA MIA! - [West End]
- MAMMA MIA! - [International Tour]
- COMPANY MUSICAL-
CV can include:
• Skills
• Where he/she trained
• What he/she has been in
• Any awards?
Katie Brayben- Skills she developed to become a
professional musical theatre performer.
- Learned: Piano, guitar, celo and
percussion.
- Improved singing skills- mezzo
soprano singer.
- Actors techniques: got involved in
workshops

7. EMPLOYMENT
Typical career routes
• Start their careers in theatre
Acting roles on stage – director-producer-writer-choreographer etc.…
• After performing for musical theatre performances you could start a career as a director/choreographer for
musicals.
ADVANTAGE:
they tend to have a bigger cast so it makes it slightly easier to get a part in a performance and contracts may last
longer than a normal performance.
DISADVANTAGE:
No guarantees of work or work progression for Actors.
Equity minimum for an actor is usually £380 per week
Performing in big theatres such as The Royal National Theatre -£1000 per week.
Performers can earn
up to £50,000 a year.

8. LIFE FOR A PERFORMER
There are many questions you may want to ask a musical theatre performer about their lifestyle such
as…
How do they keep a healthy lifestyle?
FOR A HEALTHY VOICE
• Vocal Warm ups.
WHILST SINGING YOU SHOULD:
• Stand tall to increase breath support and in able to project your voice
TO PREVENT PROBLEMS YOU SHOULD AVOID
• Smoking
• Excessive consumption of alcohol, caffeinated tea, coffee, fizzy drinks
• Talking above background noise or yelling in excitement
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF THERE IS A PROBEM?
• Voice rest
• Body rest
• Hydrate
LONG HOURS

9. TRAINING ROUTESPROFESSIONAL PERFORMERS HAVE HAD TRAINING EITHER AT COLLEGE, DRAMA OR DANCE SCHOOLS OR AT
UNIVERSITY.

10. TRAINING ROUTE 1• Midlands Academy Of Dance & Drama is based in Nottingham, England.
Audition Requirements- Applicants for the 3 year Musical Theatre Diploma
• A Musical Theatre Song
• A Monologue – From a published Play or an Audition Monologue Book
• A Dance solo of any style, maximum 2 minutes
The audition requirements are the same for the one year foundation course and the one year
Post graduate course.
Minimum age:
16
-One year post graduate musical theatre
diploma course
-One Year Foundation Musical Theatre
Diploma course
-Three Year Professional Musical
Theatre Diploma Course
3 courses

11. TRAINING ROUTE 2
MOUNTVIEW ACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS - UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
• Five GCSE passes, including
two at A-Level
• BTEC National or Higher
National Certificate or
Diploma with merit grades
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS - POSTGRADUATE COURSES
• Two contrasting songs from
musical theatre.
• One Shakespeare monologue
• One monologue from a modern
play.

12. COMPARISON OF TRAINING ROUTES
Dance Based Drama Based
Fees:
One Year Post Graduate
Musical Theatre Diploma
Course- £9200.00
One Year Foundation Musical
Theatre Diploma Course-
£4000.00
Three Year Professional
Musical Theatre Diploma
Course-£9200.00 per year
Fees:
Musical Theatre
courses-
£9,750-£19,500

13. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Are you ready to become a musical theatre performer?

14. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• HTTPS://WWW.PROSPECTS.AC.UK/JOB-PROFILES/ACTOR