What will performers learn?
Through our qualifications, performers will grow in confidence, develop the separate skills of Musical Theatre and allow their creativity to flourish. Throughout our examination board we invite performers to have creative agency over their work, and this is especially true for our Solo Syllabus. Performers will leave the exam with stronger communication skills, an ease with working under pressure, and a broader imagination, all of which will aid in whichever career path they take, whether in Musical Theatre or elsewhere.
How does it work?
Each performer will be allocated a Block Time within which they will present their own exam and create an audience for fellow performers. The performer will be required for the duration of their Block which can be anywhere between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on the variety, Grade(s) and number of exams. The performer will be given the opportunity to warm up prior to their Block Time: at Preview, Level One and Level Two we recommend 15 minutes, and at Level Three we recommend 30 minutes. During their Block, performers will also be asked if they want to exit the room to continue their warm-up at a suitable moment ahead of their exam.
The performers are welcomed into the examination space at their allotted Block Time. The accompanist or facilitator (who cues and controls any digital music) joins for the performance. Facilitators will have an opportunity to check the compatibility of the tech upon arrival at the centre. Performers will introduce themselves and the pieces they will be performing. Performers will not be prompted during the practical task; they are encouraged to take their time to get back on track.
On completion of the performance at Preview, Level One and Level Two, the facilitator or accompanist will leave, and the examiner will invite the performer to sit and discuss the work as part of a discussion. At Level Three, the facilitator or accompanist will remain for the whole exam to provide music for the Redirection as required.
Once the Reflection (and Redirection at Level Three) is completed, the performer will join the audience to be part of the following exam. The second performer will now take their exam.
Explore our Musical Theatre syllabus here, or download your own copy by clicking the link below.
Qualifications Pathways
Mountview Exams are mapped to the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), up to Level Three of the RQF Framework. There is an incremental rise in task requirements and skill integration as the Grades ascend, culminating in a themed, multi-skilled programme of Musical Theatre.
At Preview, performers focus on connection to music through storytelling and reflecting on the experience of performing with music.
- Performers require 12 hours of guided learning and 12 hours of independent learning and rehearsal
- Comparable equivalent: English for Speakers of Other Languages
At Level One, performers focus on the separate skills that make a Musical Theatre performer, exploring musicality through text, as well as through movement and song by means of characterisation and storytelling. During the Reflection, performers will reflect on the creative choices they have made and why particular pieces have been chosen.
- Performers require 20 hours of guided learning and 20 hours of independent learning and rehearsal
- Comparable equivalent: GCSE Grades 3-1, NVQ Level 1
At Level Two, performers focus on removing the separation between the disciplines and begin to integrate Musical Theatre skills more confidently across the performance. Each piece of work becomes character-led, performed with purpose and intention. Reflection at this Level addresses technical aspects of acting, dance and singing from the perspective of how performers are beginning to bring these skills together in their work, as well as discussing their artistic choices.
- Performers require 25 hours of guided learning and 35 hours of independent learning and rehearsal
- Comparable equivalent: GCSE Grades 9-4, NVQ Level 2
At Level Three, performers create an original integrated performance programme, which is continuous, fluid and a holistic expression of the three key components of Musical Theatre. The programme features work which highlights the performer’s ownership of musicality, storytelling and characterisation. Reflection at Level Three moves across the theoretical, practical and artistic and is an opportunity to explore and reflect on aspects of the work in collaborative discussion with the examiner, addressing all aspects of the creative process. At Level Three, performers will respond to some Redirection from the examiner, illustrating flexibility, technical skill and presence.
- Performers require 30 hours of guided learning and 40 hours of independent learning and rehearsal
- Comparable equivalent: AS & A Level, Access to Higher Education
