The world of performing arts is as diverse as it is exciting, and the training you receive at acting school is a launching pad for your career. It is easy to assume that a course without musical theatre in the name would be inadequate to prepare you for the demands of a career in musical theatre. However, it’s becoming increasingly common to see acting school graduates gracing west-end stages in big-budget musicals after attending courses without a musical theatre focus. OSD is no different. Plenty of our alumni have gone on to have successful careers in musical theatre. OSD training prepares you for a varied and exciting portfolio of professional work, including musical theatre.
The Foundation of Acting School
At the heart of any performance lies the art of storytelling, and musical theatre is no different. Training at OSD is intensely focused on storytelling as a skill that underpins a performer’s craft. When you begin your training with us, it’s common for you to take modules that focus on telling stories rather than jumping straight into scene studies. This allows you to discover your unique style of storytelling. The ability to connect with an audience and evoke genuine emotions is a skill that serves any performer well, whether you’re belting out a showstopper or delivering a heartfelt monologue.
Voice Training: The Secret Weapon of Acting School
While acting is critical, musical theatre demands a powerful singing voice. OSD training has a detailed approach to voice training. You benefit from regular one-to-one tutorials with our voice and acting through song tutors, which help you develop your vocal skills. Learning breath control, projection, and proper techniques enhance your speaking voice and lays the groundwork for singing. A well-rounded actor who can switch seamlessly between spoken lines and song is a tremendous asset in the world of musicals. Alongside our Voice classes, you will also participate in Acting Through Song, where you will perform solo songs for your peers after working on them in one-to-one tutorials. Combining our incredibly skilled voice department and our individualised acting through song tutorials means you will develop the technical know-how and the performance acumen to approach big musical solos with flair and confidence.
Moving through Acting School
Musical theatre is as much about movement as it is about dialogue and music. While our One and Three year courses don’t include specific dance training, OSD ensures that all our students have a deep connection with movement. You will participate in Movement and Applied Movement classes to build strength and stamina, connect to your body, and free yourself to create physically embodied and engaged performances. Movement is critical for all performers. Understanding rhythm and expressing emotions through movement means your characterisations will be dynamically connected between voice, acting, and movement.
Building the Foundations at Acting School
You may not know that OSD offers a specific Acting with Musical Theatre Foundation Course. This dynamic six-month course does everything our Acting Foundation Course does, with the added benefit of dance training. Expanding our core teachings into a solid foundation for you to move into a musical theatre-focused course, should you so wish.
From Acting School to Musical Theatre: Success Stories
The journey from acting school to a career in musical theatre is not just a possibility—it’s a pathway filled with opportunities and growth. The skills developed in acting school—whether in acting, singing, voice, or movement—provide a solid foundation for success on the musical stage. With the right training, networking, and dedication, you can transform your passion for acting into a flourishing career in the vibrant world of musical theatre. But don’t just take our word for it. Here are a selection of recent musical theatre successes from OSD alumni:
A Selection of OSD Acting School Alumni with Success in Musical Theatre
Since graduating from the Three Year course in 2020, Daniel has had leading roles in Elegies for Angles, Punks, and Raging Queens, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical, and Mean Girls, where he originated the role of Aaron Samuels on the West End. We interviewed Daniel earlier this year about his somewhat unplanned foray into Musical Theatre and how he feels OSD prepared him for life as a leading man. You can read the interview here.
Joshua graduated from the Three Year Course in 2022. This year he originated the role of Sammy in Cable Street, a new musical at Southwark Playhouse, for which he was nominated as Best Performer in a Musical at the Stage Debut Awards.
Jude is a graduate of the One Year Course. He has taken on leading roles at The RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, and in theatres across the West End. Most recently, Jude was part of the critically acclaimed revival of Kiss Me Kate at The Barbican Theatre.
Kieran is also a 2022 Three Year Course Graduate. This year he can be seen in the UK tour of Only Fools and Horses The Musical. He has also appeared in Drive Lounge, a Musical Theatre Cabaret show at Glasgow’s Oran Mor.
Maimuna is a graduate of the Three Year Course. Since graduating, she has starred in musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Electrolyte, and Standing at the Sky’s Edge. Maimuna originated the role of Nikki in Standing at the Sky’s Edge, receiving an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Maimuna also wrote her own musical, Manic Street Creature, for which she won a coved Edinburgh Fringe First Award. In October 2024, she was announced as part of The Donmar Warehouse’s cast for the UK premiere of Tony award-winning musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, based on a 70-page section of the renowned novel War and Peace.
Having graduated in the summer of 2024, Rebecca-Jo has jumped right into work with the announcement of her casting in the new musical Stalled, which will premiere at The Kings Head Theatre in London in early 2025. Rebecca-Jo is also a founding member of Out of Pocket Theatre, a theatre company formed with her fellow 2024 graduates.
So, if you’re dreaming of headlining a West End show or bringing characters to life through song, consider OSD for your acting school training. Auditions are open now; your journey to the spotlight could begin today!
