Stage Design & Scenography and Musical Theatre BA

STAGE DESIGN & SCENOGRAPHY

*This course is for 2025 entry only

On this course you will be trained to design and make immersive worlds for different audiences. It’s about exploring drama and performance through the interactions between bodies, environments and creative technologies. How can light function as an actor? How can a set be built by sound alone? How can we subtly direct our audiences without them knowing? What are the ethical challenges of creating a performance solely for one person? As worldbuilders, you will learn about the different approaches to designing and creating your own immersive performance environments, supported by technical training that will prepare you for the creative sector.

Your three years begins with an introduction to immersive performance practices and scenographic design before you journey into the exciting challenges of audience participation and interaction. Moving outside of the campus, the city of Liverpool itself will become a site for performance, echoing the work of immersive practitioners such as Punchdrunk, dreamthinkspeak and Shunt. Your final year will involve a push into new and experimental performance technologies, presenting performance projects in virtual worlds and the development of escape rooms and other ludic practices. This will culminate in you selecting either to complete a placement within an arts organisation or to take the lead as project manager of a major performance project of your own devising. This final year will also require you to complete an independent research project on a topic of your own choice.

This course is for those who are passionate about theatre and performance but are more interested in working behind the scenes.

MUSICAL THEATRE

Liverpool is a vibrant city, tapping into the momentum and energy of a diverse creative scene and a thriving theatrical community. Musical theatre continues to play an integral role in its ever-changing theatrical landscape, and our students benefit from experiencing national touring musical productions at the renowned The Empire Theatre as well as international events such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

This degree focuses on the practical study of musical theatre, underpinned by theoretical analysis of the genre through the eras. Your studies will incorporate vocal training, acting skills and dance technique, combined to develop you as a fully-rounded performer and realise your individual potential.  

The aim of the musical theatre course at Hope is to create an ensemble theatre company, helping to develop your professional practice and awareness. Through the study of musical theatre history, you will develop your understanding of the genre, and explore a wide range of musical styles and repertoire, in both an individual and ensemble setting. This is also supported by weekly 1-1 singing lessons, in which you will strengthen and develop your vocal technique, as well as learning about the importance of vocal health. Your practical work is supported by weekly tutorials and lectures to assist in the development of your academic writing and analytical skills.

The course is led by a team of Musical Theatre specialists, who have first-hand production and performance experience - both in the West End and regional theatres - ensuring our students receive up-to-the-minute insights and guidance, as well as the opportunity to work with external professionals.