Musical Theatre

Interviewee – Dan. Student, Level Three Musical Theatre (SPEAKING).

Music – An upbeat instrumental with simple drums and an uplifting guitar melody plays.

Scenery –  A tutor with a warm, fair complexion, highlighted brown hair, and a clear full-face mask sits at a piano; he plays to a group of learners as they sing. The camera cuts and pans across a bright white rehearsal suite as the learners sit cross-legged with their lyric sheets and chat. The camera cuts to show the learner’s perspective as they watch the tutor stand and speak while gesturing animatedly with his hands. The camera cuts to a student sitting in a light grey room; he has a fair complexion, sandy blonde hair and short, light facial hair. He speaks with a Yorkshire Accent.

Music – A new guitar riff begins. The instrument continues.

Speaker: Dan – “Hi, my name’s Dan. I’m studying Level Three Musical Theatre at Leeds City College…”

Scenery – The camera cuts to Dan, standing with his hands on his hips and a look of deep concentration in the rehearsal suite. A tutor with wavy hair half-tied in a bun and clear full-face PPE animatedly demonstrates arm movements to him as he nods. The camera cuts to a piano music sheet book with burgundy text on the cover that reads “Moulin Rouge”. Behind the book, the tutor plays the piano and looks to his right in communication. The camera cuts to a row of water bottles and sheet music on the floor, and learners stand behind them, singing in unison. As the camera rises, more students, including Dan, come into view.

Speaker: Dan – “I decided to study at Leeds City College becuase it was recommended to me by my old performing arts teacher. Erm, we went there on one of the opening evenings, erm, and I just really liked the atmosphere. I really enjoyed it – I thought the facilities were amazing. Um, and yeah, it was just a really positive vibe that, like, drew me to it, erm, in comparison to other colleges…”

Scenery – The camera cuts to Dan and a group of learners rehearsing choreography together. Dan makes an exaggerated drinking motion before moving into an intricate arm and hand sequence. The camera cuts to the same group of learners wearing period costumes, performing the same sequence on stage with a large red velvet curtain projected on a screen in the background. The camera cuts to the same stage; a learner stands on a chair as others surround and clamour to reach while shaking their outstretched hands. The camera cuts back to Dan.

Music – A new guitar riff begins.

Speaker: Dan – “Now that I’m a student, er, on this course, erm, I think it’s important for people that are wanting to apply to know that they’ve got to put in 100% effort at all times…” 

Scenery – The camera focuses on a learner with long brown hair tied in a high ponytail and a pale, peach-toned complexion. Rehearsing a performance, she looks distressed as another learner’s hand is on her throat. With a hand on her throat, the learner pushes the brown-haired learner backwards in a fluid, choreographed motion before she rises forwards, falls to the floor and then turns around to perform a slap that becomes a spin and lift. 

Music – The uplifting instrumental loops and continues.

Speaker: Dan – “Erm, they need to be very aware of communicating with their tutors, erm, and they also need to actually want to do well. They need to strive for themselves, or else there’s no point in joining the course…”

Scenery – The camera cuts to a group of learners standing and singing. To the front of the group, a learner with light brown hair tied in long plaits holds a lyric sheet as she sings. The camera zooms and focuses on her as she reads her page. The camera cuts to the tutor with wavy hair tied in a half bun as she guides a class of learners and exaggeratedly points and gestures to clusters of two or three learners. 

Music – The uplifting instrumental loops and continues.

Speaker: Dan – “I think I’ve really enjoyed the fact that I’ve had to, like, make new friendships. Erm, especially cos I didn’t know anyone coming in. Erm, but the first few weeks, I kind of adapted to it really well. And, just learning new material, and going through it, and changing every week and just getting better and better and developing my skills…”

Scenery – The camera cuts to students performing on a dark stage. They hold torches and slowly lift them towards the sky as the camera tilts towards the ceiling and spotlights. The camera cuts to Dan performing on the same stage. He sits at a small wooden desk behind a prop typewriter and earnestly speaks to the off-screen audience. The camera cuts to Dan talking animatedly on stage with three students; a fourth approaches. To his left, a student with long brown hair, wearing a light brown hat and holding a prop newspaper, looks up and joyfully smiles while turning to him. The camera cuts to the student in the brown hat, energetically speaking and turning to other learners in character on the stage. The camera cuts back to Dan.

Music – The upbeat instrumental continues.

Speaker: Dan – “And obviously working really well with my tutors that are really supportive, and we just have a laugh. It’s like, a really nice atmosphere…”

Scenery – The camera cuts to the learner holding papers and wearing a brown hat as she laughs gleefully and looks off-screen. In the background, Dan sings with his right arm outstretched while another student looks up at him. A projector screen with a black-and-white image of an old room and desk is visible behind them. The camera cuts to Dan and a learner with brown hair sitting on a safe draped in red velvet. She wears a long black and yellow silk robe and looks at Dan with a joyful expression. Dan looks shocked and clutches her as they both stand together, looking off-screen. The camera cuts to a student with a pale complexion, wearing red shorts, a beige shirt and a waistcoat as she walks forward and sings with her arms outstretched. She turns to show a black and silver walking cane in her left hand and a monocle in her eye.

Music – The upbeat instrumental continues.

Speaker: Dan – “I think the facilities, like I’ve said, are like, really fantastic. Erm, the studios are huge, and there’s so many of them…” Dan laughs.

Scenery – A raised camera angle focuses on sheet music propped on the piano and a hand playing the keys. To the front of the piano, a group of students sit cross-legged on the floor and sing enthusiastically. The camera zooms in on the group as they continue to sing while emphasising their mouth shape. The camera cuts to a stage performance. The learner in the black and yellow robe stands to face a learner who wears a pale grey top hat and bends down to kiss her hand. A red flower is visible in her hair; she smiles and nods. 

Speaker: Dan – “Erm, and that’s great for moving about the space and getting used to it, erm, and they offer Chromebooks for students that, um, don’t have access to technology to do the coursework at home. So it’s like, really beneficial…” 

Scenery – The camera cuts to a deep red stage. The student with a red flower in her hair wears shorts and a frilly top and sings while gesturing her hands to either side and walking forward. Behind her, another learner sings behind an old-fashioned microphone. The camera cuts and focuses on a learner wearing a red velvet blazer and top hat with a subtle microphone headset. She has pale, warm-toned skin and blonde hair and sings with her arms outstretched while looking, then clapping, at a student who stands with his back towards the camera. The camera cuts back to Dan as he speaks enthusiastically.

Music – The instrumental quietens, and guitars continue to play the melody.

Speaker: Dan – “I think that the tutors at Leeds City College, er, you can get along really well with them. There’s mutual respect, and they ensure that we know what we’re doing at all times. And there is humour about it because it’s-that builds a positive, like, environment to work in…”

Scenery – The camera focuses on a hand holding a script. Notes and coloured page separators are visible. A white separator on the open page has black text reading “spectacular spectacular”. The camera slowly zooms out to show the tutor with wavy hair tied in a half bun holding the script and speaking; a group of learners listen carefully and move. The camera cuts to the same tutor and group. She claps her hands energetically as two pairs of learners rehearse intricate, contemporary fight and dance choreography. As the camera zooms out, another learner comes into the frame; she performs a pirouette into a stride forward. The camera cuts back to Dan. 

Music – The uplifting instrumental returns to its original form.

Speaker: Dan – “Erm, but on top of that, they are quite strict, but that’s only because they want the best of us. Erm, they want us to be working at 100% at all times…”

Scenery – Cut to the tutor’s hands as he plays the piano fervently, moving up the keys. The camera cuts to a student with fair, rosy-toned skin and long brown hair in a plait as she sings from a script. A tutor sits in the background and observes. The camera cuts to a student with dark blonde hair in a plait as she walks forward. She dramatically turns her neck to look towards a learner with blonde hair in a high bun who spins and grabs her face to turn her. The camera cuts to another angle of the same choreography with different learners. One of the learners places her hand across her partner’s face, stares at her closed eyes, and pulls her closer. 

Speaker: Dan – “Erm, They don’t want us to be lacking, and they’re preparing us for an industry that needs that. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it needs-it needs people to put all their effort in.”

Scenery – The camera cuts to a tutor moving her hands enthusiastically, nodding and speaking as she walks through a rehearsal studio of learners standing behind chairs. The camera cuts to a learner with cropped blonde hair and dark makeup as she pirouettes four times and looks directly into the camera. The camera cuts to the tutor with wavy hair and full-face PPE as she energetically guides and instructs a group of students practising contemporary, dance and fight choreography. The camera cuts to a learner on stage with long wavy brown hair and a fair complexion as she passionately performs and sings. The camera cuts to a bright, fiery orange stage as a learner with black hair and a deep brown complexion looks up and dances with raised hand and arm choreography. Other learners circle her and perform the same hand choreography. 

Music – The music quietens to a piano solo.

Scenery – A white screen with a red footer has large black text across the centre. The text reads, “Applications are open for September 2021. For more information, visit: www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk. Instagram: @creativeartslcc”

Music – The uplifting instrumental fades to silence.