Music theatre is by its nature interdisciplinary. As a form it provokes complexity because it requires performing and creating skills to be developed honed and executed symbiotically. Our educational heritage rather expects us to atomise disciplines into smaller units separately often leaving the performer with an impossible task of juggling too many balls for the first time in public.
This paper underlines the symbiotic connection between performing and creating and notes the inherent unity of performance through singing acting and movement. Central to this educational experience lies the concept of ownership of material; a method by which students may gain a new perspective of authority over material rather than subservience. The history of music theatre starts with the student today.
This paper was delivered at the 'Putting It Together': Teaching Musical Theatre in UK Higher Education conference which took place at Bath Spa University between 27th and 28th March 2009. The aim of this conference was to stimulate debate around musical theatre provision in UK higher education. While this is a popular and growing area of study musical theatre remains something of an afterthought in many institutions often positioned slightly awkwardly within either a music or drama department.
