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Directing Theatre (16+)

Summer School for Adults

Overview

The five-day in-person course aims to help students discover their strengths and develop their own individual directing style.

During the summer course, students will examine the role of the director, as well as look at different practitioners’ approaches to directing.

By participating in this summer school students can expect to gain a greater understanding of text analysis, stagecraft and the production process as well as examine techniques for working with actors in a rehearsal process. You will have the opportunity to direct a short scene with professional actors.

This summer school is designed for theatre professionals interested in developing skills in directing for theatre. It may also be useful for anyone wishing to build on existing experience, pursue a pathway to further training or explore a career in this field.

By the end of the course, students should have:

  • Been introduced to the key aspects of directing for theatre
  • Gained a greater understanding of text analysis, stagecraft and the production process
  • Examined techniques for working with actors in a rehearsal process
  • Explored established directing styles and methodologies

Aimed at those with some experience in theatre, but little or none of directing actors, this course will provide a supportive and challenging environment in which you can explore and learn.

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

You may also be interested in: Introduction to Filmmaking 16+

The important details

Age:
16+

Cost:
£605

Date:
4 - 8 August 2025

Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB


Course Information

Throughout this summer school you will work with an experienced director to explore the art of directing, discover your own strengths and develop your individual directing style. Focusing on the key elements of directing for theatre, you will gain an insight into practical as well as creative activities that can support your work with actors.

Individual and group activities will guide you through established directing styles and methodologies, looking at how different approaches can be used to create engaging theatre. Throughout the five-day course, you will use extracts from selected classic and contemporary plays to explore text analysis, character development and staging.

Students will also be introduced to the director’s role and responsibilities with regard to the design and production process.

This is an open access course with no specific entry requirements. Please be aware that students should be prepared to perform as actors within the closed environment of the workshop process.

You will be sent a range of texts which would be worth being familiar with before the start of the course, although they will be covered in detail in the class.

You will be asked to provide a short scene for two actors, their casting will be sent closer to the start of the course – this can be any text that you feel you would enjoy working on, for a short time, with two professionals, it does not need to be published.

Copies of the specific scenes being used will be provided during the course.

Please be ready to discuss the characters, relationships and events within each play.

Students should bring bottled water and a writing pad and pen to take notes during the course.

The course runs Monday – Friday, 4 – 8 August, from 10am to 5pm.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk