Actor Musician

The actor musician is a performer who brings two disciplines into a single theatrical and musical identity, capable of both acting with depth and commitment and playing one or more instruments in the context of a performance. The tradition of actor musicianship is deeply embedded in musical theatre, folk and narrative theatre, and a wide range of contemporary performance forms where live music-making is integral to the storytelling rather than separate from it. For practitioners who move fluently between acting and playing, the possibilities for performance and creation are considerably broader than for either specialty in isolation.

At the University of Surrey this three-year, full-time programme develops your acting and musicianship together, building the vocal, physical and dramatic skills of the actor alongside the technical and expressive capabilities of the musician. You will work in studio and production settings, performing in shows and projects that require the full integration of these skills, and develop your ability to inhabit a character while simultaneously playing your instrument in the presence of an audience. The programme reflects Surrey's commitment to preparing graduates for the contemporary professional landscape, including an engagement with how digital skills and awareness of emerging technologies are becoming increasingly relevant in the creative industries.

Graduates work in professional musical theatre, including the West End, national and regional touring productions, site-specific performance and cabaret, as well as in theatre-in-education, community music theatre, folk and narrative performance, and as creative practitioners who devise their own work. Some go on to build careers as musical directors, session musicians or educators, while others combine performing with teaching in schools, community settings or drama schools. The versatility that actor musician training develops, the ability to perform, play, teach and create, makes this a robust foundation for a portfolio career in the performing arts.