Acting Welcome Guide

Preparing for your course

We're delighted that you've chosen to join our creative community at Arts University Bournemouth. We can't wait to see what you'll create.

Welcome to BA (Hons) Acting

This welcome pack is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during the first weeks of your course. Please take the time to read it carefully and take particular note of the pre-course preparation. We hope that you'll enjoy a happy and productive time with us, and we look forward to meeting you in October.

A message from your Course Leader

We're very excited that you're joining the BA (Hons) Acting degree course this year, and my colleagues and I are looking forward to welcoming you. We hope you'll enjoy the course and your time at Arts University Bournemouth.

Please read this pack carefully as it includes important information about your first week and certain items that you will need to purchase or bring with you for the start of the course. You'll find out more about the course and the University on arrival, but in the meantime you may wish to do some preparation.

As you'll already be aware, the BA (Hons) Acting course is a practice-based degree course in Acting that also contains some purely theoretical units. In our experience of running the course, some students struggle with more traditional academic work and we recommend that all of you undertake some preparatory reading this summer to equip you for the forthcoming year.

We also recommend that you spend some time this summer familiarising yourself with the acting industry by reading The Stage newspaper, exploring theatres and theatre companies that interest you, and watching as much theatre (live, online or recorded) as possible.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

- Katharine Piercey, Course Leader

Before you join us

The books that we recommend you purchase are books that'll be used throughout the course and will very likely be needed in your first units of study. Whilst copies of these books are available in our library, there are limited numbers of them, and you're strongly advised to have a personal copy. You'll receive a comprehensive reading list in your Course Handbook when you arrive.

Benedetti, J. (2005) The Art of the Actor: The Essential History of Acting from Classical Times to the Present Day. London: Methuen. (Used versions from £19.23 on Amazon and from £4.16 on AbeBooks.co.uk. The 2007 edition is also available as an e-book from the AUB Library, which you'll be able to access once you've enrolled).
Zarrilli, P. et al. (2010) Theatre Histories: An Introduction. London: Routledge. (New version: £51.99 from Routledge; used versions (2010) from £4.03 from Amazon, or from £3.72 from AbeBooks.co.uk. The 2010 and 2016 editions are also available as e-books from the AUB Library, which you'll be able to access once you've enrolled).
Rodenburg, P. (1997) The Actor Speaks. London: Methuen. (New 2023 version: £22.69 from Bloomsbury; used versions from £3.56 on Amazon or £3.42 from AbeBooks.co.uk. The 2019 or 2023 editions are recommended, but any will do).
Merlin, B. (2007). The Complete Stanislavski Toolkit. London: Nick Hern Books. (New: £10.39 from Nick Hern Books or £11.29 from Amazon; used versions from £3.57 on Amazon and £3.41 from AbeBooks.co.uk).

As these books will be useful throughout your degree, please make an effort to purchase them. The prices above are from Amazon or Abe Books, ranging from used to brand new – they can also be purchased from any reasonably stocked bookstore.

There's no summer project for this course.

Current student work

Have a look through some of the work our current students are producing to get an idea of the type of work you may be doing on our course.

BA (Hons) Acting students performing "Strictly Twelfth Night!" One actor is pounding their fist on a bench while another actor cowers behind them.

Two BA (Hons) Acting students sitting on a picnic blanket with a small hamper in front of them. The actor on the left is holding a parasol, the actor on the right is sitting with their arms around their knee.

Several BA (Hons) Acting students performing a ballroom scene in a performance of "Masque Macabre". Several couples are in the middle of a waltz.

Three BA (Hons) Acting students in period costume sit next to each other on a bench, performing Cyrano de Bergerac. The actor in the centre has his arms around the other two.

Students in a production of The Cherry Orchard

A BA (Hons) Acting student in a ballgown holds their hands up looking excited.

Actors on stage, two serving as the head and body of a lion. An actress in costume as an ice queen is on the ground and cowering before the lion's head.

Two actors in costume - one as a white witch with an ice crown, the other as a school child with a fur shawl wrapped around them - sitting on a bed.

Actor in costume with his arms raised, on stage in mid-speech.

Course equipment

We suggest that you bring the following items with you:

Notepad and pens/pencils.
Memory stick or external hard drive for backing up your computer work.
Water bottle.
Plain black clothes that allow movement, such as T-shirts, tracksuit bottoms and leggings, are required for all movement, voice, singing and acting classes. For warm weather, you may wish to wear short trousers. Please ensure these clothes do not have zips, metallic bits or logos. Leggings must be opaque, and T-shirts must cover the stomach area.
Students who identify as female are advised to acquire a black practice skirt (ankle or floor length) and black character shoes (from dance equipment shops), though these are not compulsory.
Nude underwear to be used during costume fittings.
You'll often be asked to work barefoot in skills classes but may wish to work in jazz shoes instead. Please bring with you a pair of black jazz shoes (available at any dance shop) if you prefer working in shoes. No trainers are permitted in skills classes.
If you know that you have knee problems please bring knee pads with you.

Please note you won't be allowed to participate in acting and skills classes without appropriate clothing.