Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts - PQA Our Comedy & Drama classes are designed to explore the many theatrical forms and performance techniques in a fun, engaging environment led by our inspiring teachers. Students get to experiment with new theatre styles and create exciting, dynamic pieces for the stage. Students will explore plays, devising, Shakespeare, improvisation, physical theatre and much more - we offer something for everyone!
Students are also encouraged to learn more about stage craft and the process of putting on a play. They explore different staging options, including 'in-the-round', 'promenade' and even site-specific work – all designed to give them the most relevant, exciting and professional experience possible.
Body language and expression are fundamental to theatre and the creation of a character.
Through the exploration of movement and physicality, PQA teaches students about communicating through clowning, mask work, mime and movement sequences.
Theatre games help with building confidence and self-esteem as well as teamwork and communication skills, where the use of imagination and the tools of storytelling are emphasised.
Improvised theatre is incredibly popular. Professional improvisation groups create whole shows based on suggestions from live audiences and improvise around an idea or theme instead of using scripts.
At PQA, we use improvisation as both a theatre style and a means of ensuring our actors can 'think on their feet' in any situation. Students get to explore their storytelling talents and discover their creative independence as they create stories and characters straight from their own minds. Our improvisation classes are perfect for students to let go of worries about learning lines or doing something 'right' as there is no 'right' in improvisation!
Our Comedy and Drama classes also cover vocal technique. Many theatres aren't designed to use microphones, so it’s important to train the actor's voice to project and articulate across a large space. We also have projects which put our student’s new found projection skills to the test such as ‘Shakespeare in the Park’, where students perform Shakespeare to family and friends in an outdoor setting!
We also explore how pitch and tone can be used to create varied and interesting characters and accents.
Students are taught skills to deliver text and are introduced to many fantastic plays and stories throughout the module.
All our students have the opportunity to perform in in-house showcases, regional and community theatre performances and London's West End.
Everything we do within Comedy & Drama naturally develops a students' communication and presentation skills while increasing their confidence and self-esteem.
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