Stage Acting provides an experiential foundation in practical voice, speech and body skills primarily targeted at the actor and the application of these to the interpretation of a range of written texts. Students will be introduced to acting skills that will enable them to perform play texts from the 16^th-21^st centuries. The method of training will focus on a range of techniques developed by performance practitioners relating to Shakespeare, naturalism, absurdism and in-yer-face theatre practices. This unit aims to offer the opportunity for developing critical and professional awareness of issues and practices in the field of theatre and performance. Students will learn a full vocal and physical warm-up that can be adapted to a variety of different professional performance needs and contexts. They will work with Kristin Linklater and Patsy Rodenburg’s methodologies to prepare Shakespeare scenes, and collaborate with MA Theatre Directing students to learn Katie Mitchell’s approach to staging and embodying naturalism. By the end of the course, students will be offered the opportunity to further hone their skills by devising their own workshops for acting approaches to twentieth-century playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Sarah Kane.