Music and Theatre

Music and theatre are two performing arts that have been intertwined throughout history, and studying them together produces a range of creative and analytical capacities that neither discipline develops alone. Both involve performing for audiences, working collaboratively, and developing a personal artistic practice; both also require serious scholarly engagement with history, theory, and the critical traditions that surround them. The combination prepares you for a creative career that draws on the full range of what it means to make and present art for an audience.

At Royal Holloway you will develop as both a musician and a theatre practitioner across a programme that treats both disciplines seriously. Music study covers performance, composition, music history, analysis, and critical thinking about the art form across its full historical range. Theatre study develops your skills in acting, directing, script analysis, and the history and theory of performance.

You will work across both disciplines in studios, rehearsal rooms, and concert halls, developing versatility as a performing artist and depth as a critical thinker about both art forms. The three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, giving you professional experience in music or theatre and the opportunity to engage with performance culture in a different national context.

Graduates go on to careers in performance, directing, music education, broadcasting, stage management, arts administration, community arts, and a wide range of roles in the creative and cultural sector. Many develop portfolio careers that combine performance with teaching, facilitation, or administration. The creative discipline and communicative skill the programme develops are also valued in professional contexts well beyond the arts.

Many students continue to postgraduate study in music, drama, or arts management.