Acting

Overview

What is the Bachelor in Acting?

This is a three-year, full-time, intensive honours degree for anyone who is serious about acting and wants to become an actor. The structure and contents of this degree have been designed in consultation with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and consists of a practical skills-based course that enables students to learn by doing. The UK and Ireland’s leading theatre practitioners form the core panel of teachers within The Lir Academy. A number of visiting international directors, actors, playwrights and producers are regularly scheduled to take workshops, manage projects and lend their expertise to the learning experience. Students will be taught in acting technique, voice, movement, and singing, as well as complementary classes in dramaturgy and text analysis, over six semesters (two per annum) or nine terms (three per annum).

Bachelor in Acting: The course for you?

Being an acting student at The Lir Academy is completely different to being a student on other drama courses. While students of degree courses in drama might be in taught classes for approximately 14 hours per week, students at The Lir Academy can expect to be in classes, workshops and rehearsals on average for 35 hours per week, and sometimes more when in production. Training for the theatre at The Lir Academy is founded on the basic principle of simulating the working environment of a professional theatre.

The teaching is intense and offers a high degree of individual tuition. Acting students are expected to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to cope with the physical demands and stamina required by the training.

Only students who are fully committed to pursuing a career as a professional actor should consider this course. Students who are unsure of their career path at this stage should consider applying for the Diploma in Acting and Theatre at The Lir Academy, the Bachelor in Stage Management and Technical Theatre, TR025 Drama and Theatre Studies, or Drama Studies (JH).

Bachelor in Acting at Trinity

The Lir Academy was developed by the partnership of the Cathal Ryan Trust and Trinity and opened its doors to the first students in September 2011. The depth and breadth of the training is enhanced by guest lectures and workshops from leading international figures of stage and screen.

Guest lectures and workshops from leading international figures of stage and screen enhance the depth and breadth of the training.

The training offered by The Lir Academy takes place in a custom built building at Grand Canal Quay, designed specifically for a range of courses in acting, design, directing, lighting design, stage management, technical theatre and playwriting.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

The course is specifically designed to train actors for the theatre, TV and Film. All the training is provided by dedicated theatre professionals with strong industry links. All of the final year productions and showcases are designed to attract international employment opportunities for the students. There is a strong emphasis in the training on career preparation, and students will be taught not only how to work as an actor but also how to sustain a career as an actor.

Your degree and what you’ll study

This course trains students for careers in professional theatre and related industries. A strong emphasis is placed on training the actor’s body as an instrument, as well as nurturing the actor’s creative imagination. It is physically demanding and requires a high level of stamina. In the third and final year of the course students will be cast in at least 5 productions, 1 short film and an audition showcase (in Dublin and London) over the course of the year which are performed in front of agents, directors, producers and the general public.

First and second year

Students in the first two years of the course take compulsory modules in Acting and Text, Movement Studies and Voice Studies. Teaching is by practical workshop and delivered by professional practitioners. In addition there is considerable individual tuition to supplement the workshops in all aspects of the course. Students will also be introduced to the techniques of acting for recorded media (film, radio, television). At the end of second year, students will combine all the skills developed over the two years of training in their first ensemble production to an invited audience.

Assessment in the first and second years is based entirely on a series of practical class presentations in all modules.

Third year

Students will be cast in a series of 5 theatre productions, directed by professional theatre directors. Each production will have multiple performances over a 7-day period and will play to invited agents, directors, producers, as well as the general public. Students will also be cast in a short film, directed by a professional film director and filmed both on set and on location. The films will receive a public screening. Students will also perform an audition showcase in both Dublin and London before an invited audience of agents and directors.

In third year, assessment is by a series of public performances.

Click here for further information on modules/subjects.

How to Apply

This is a restricted entry course. Online applications must be submitted by the beginning of February 2025. This course is not part of the CAO application system. Application forms can be completed online on The Lir Academy website: www.thelir.ie.