Within Acting classes children focus on voice work, speech, correct breathing, characterisation, accents, physical theatre, mime, improvisation, both film and stage training, script work, sight reading, emotional response, and much more besides.

Musical Theatre classes incorporate singing and dancing as well as acting and performance skills. Primary focus is on musical theatre songs and techniques, however children will also study a wide range of styles. Harmony work within groups is essential in training children to understand the mechanics behind music and how they can work together to create a professional sound. Breathing, voice projection, diaphragmatic support, tone placement, vibrato and dynamics are just some of the areas worked on in order to create accomplished singers at Swish. Within dance, Strong emphasis is placed on poise, technique and core strength, as well as performance and expression of movement. A large repertoire of Musical Theatre and Pop styles will be explored and choreographed from Les Miserables to Thriller Live!

Pupils will learn songs, routines and scripts from popular musicals in order to enhance performance and memory skills.

PA students will perform on stage in the theatre in our annual Performance Academy Shows at The Lighthouse, Poole, as well as having the option to audition for our annual full scale musical at The Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth.

Swish’s PA’s is a group that have seen huge successes both locally and nationally. From Youth Choir of the year through to runner up in Channel 5’s Don’t Stop Believing, we have gained unrivalled success.

We also offer 1 to 1 LAMDA/AUDITION PREPARATION sessions in addition to our Musical Theatre Sessions.

NEW SCREEN ACTING SYLLABUS – 1.5 hours

There are many differences between acting for screen and acting for the stage, we will be identifying those differences in great detail starting with useful terminology and understanding how to adapt the level of performance for different camera angles.

Students will also learn a plethora of tools to help them build a character both vocally and physically and how to communicate this truthfully to the camera.

There are many tricks of the trade involved with acting for screen, and we will be exploring many of them including eye line, subtlety, reaction shots, working with text, camera angles etc. Audition technique is a very valuable skill within this industry and we will leave no stone unturned. In todays world – castings are often requested online within a very short time frame. We will cover how to produce a good quality self tape and how to approach castings both in person and on camera.

An integral part of this syllabus also involves recording material and watching this back, where our expert teachers can offer constructive feedback.