Level 6 Diploma & BA Hons Degree – 3 year

The BA (Hons) Musical Theatre (3 years) is a brand-new programme for September 2025 and is currently being validated by University of Portsmouth. The validation is in-progress, and we have passed the first stage of approval which means we can advertise the course and start recruitment.

Laine Theatre Arts is currently in the process of registering with Office for Students. Once registered it means our students will be able to access funding available from Student Finance England.

These programmes have the same learning hours and similar course content. The BA (Hons) Musical Theatre will place higher demands on the student in terms of their ability to engage with advanced content – indicated by the entry requirements. Some lessons will be mixed between the two courses and students can expect to perform alongside each other throughout their studies. Assessments in the courses will reflect content covered and associated learning outcomes therefore will be different on the two courses.

Fees for the two programmes are the same, however funding is a major difference. The Diploma course attracts DaDA (Dance and Drama Award) funding which may include maintenance, whilst the BA (Hons) course allows access to Student Finance (Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans).

Students enrolled on the Diploma course can opt to top-up their Diploma by enrolling on the BA(Hons) Musical Theatre Top-Up in their final year of study. The top-up is an additional programme of study and has a separate tuition fee.

Entry is by audition and applicants are assessed on talent, character, and potential.

The audition fee is £45. If you think you may be eligible for a fee waiver please click here to learn more.

Click here to view Audition Requirements

It is beneficial for all concerned that candidates audition in person at the college, though remote auditions can be arranged under certain circumstances. Click here to learn more about remote auditions.

Ideal Applicants for the Musical Theatre Diploma are hardworking, self-disciplined, courageous individuals who show potential, have a huge passion for theatre and who strive to be the best they can be in all aspects of training for the industry. On audition, we assess the individual’s ability to be able to cope with the rigorous, broad range of training we deliver.

Commence an online application (by clicking the apply button below)

On first visit to the application system, you need to select ‘Register’. Enter your name, email address and a password of your choice. Please retain your password for future use. PLEASE NOTE, the login email cannot then be changed, so please consider whether to use yours or a parent’s/guardian’s email address.

A verification email will be sent to you – simply follow the instructions to verify your application.

You can now follow the same link as before, but this time ‘Login’ using the credentials requested and your chosen password.

Several elements of the application are ‘required information’. As such you will be unable to submit your application without completion of those elements – they will show in red for your convenience.

You can save and close, then revisit and add to your application an infinite number of times. However PLEASE NOTE, if you leave your open application unattended for a length of time it will ‘timeout’ and if not saved, recently entered information will be lost. TIP – save as you go.

Submit your online application

When you have entered all that you wish, and completed all compulsory fields – there will be no red fields remaining – you can proceed to ‘Submit’ and make payment.

On making payment, your online application will be automatically transferred and you can await notification of an audition date.

PLEASE NOTE, you can still access your application at any time should you wish to amend or update, so do retain your login details.

Your audition notification

You will receive an audition notification by email to the account you used to login. This email may go into spam and you may miss your audition as a result. To ensure that your account will accept this email, add info@laine-theatre-arts.co.uk to your contacts.

If you are unable to attend on the date allocated, please contact Sarah Carroll as soon as possible on 01372 741682.

In preparing for your audition, ensure that you have read and fully understood the Audition Requirements which will also tell you what to expect on the day.

Prior to your audition day you may be contacted, by email, to arrange a zoom interview before your audition day. Alternatively, we may interview, in person, on your audition day. The interview will be approximately ten minutes duration and will take the form of a conversation aimed at getting to know as much as we can about you.

How did you do?

Laine is committed to giving a full audition experience to all who apply and giving all applicants equal opportunity to demonstrate their talent and potential.

Your audition outcome letter will be emailed to you, usually within two weeks of your audition.

Possible outcomes are:

• A Diploma Course offer – having shown great talent and potential you have been offered a definite place on the Diploma Course and will be considered for DaDA funding if eligible –read about DaDA  link to funding info
• On Diploma Waiting List - having shown great talent and potential you have been placed on a waiting list and will receive a definite offer if/when a place is available.

• A Foundation Course offer –

Either A – you auditioned for the Foundation Course and were successful, or

B – you auditioned for the Diploma Course, we recognised great potential, you have been assessed as ‘not yet ready’ for Diploma but an ideal candidate for Foundation.

• Unable to offer a place at this time – with further training you may become suitable and ready for full time training, however you have been assessed as ‘not yet ready’.

When offered a definite place, you will be guided through the procedure of admission. At this stage, you will be sent a copy of the college’s terms and conditions to review and sign. Click here to View!

It will be immediately established whether you are eligible for DaDA funding or not.

If you are not eligible for DaDA funding, you will have the option to accept your place on a fee-paying basis.

If you are eligible for DaDA funding, you will be placed on a ‘talent list’ –read about DaDA link to funding info.

When the talent list is complete, and not before 1st March in the year of entry, candidates at the top of the list will be invited to complete a detailed household ‘income assessment’ to determine the level of financial support which will be offered. This gradual process will continue, moving down the list, until all the funding allocation has been exhausted.

At this point, those on the ‘talent list’ who have not been reached, may be retained on a ‘reserve list’. It is very common for several of those on the ‘reserve list’ to achieve funding given time. A nail-biting time for some!

For further information on any aspect of college policy and procedure, please click here.

You will have been guided through the process of admission to the college and will now be welcomed to three days of induction classes and lectures. You are now a Lainey!