First Look at Brand New Musical Theatre Programme at Lincoln

From London’s West End to more experimental Fringe performances, musical theatre is an ever-growing genre that inspires and entertains audiences around the world. Now, the University of Lincoln is preparing to train the next generation of theatre makers on its brand-new Musical Theatre course.

Led by award-winning writer and composer Gus Gowland, the course will have an emphasis on learning through practice, with students staging two productions per year.

Gus said: “Teaching musical theatre is a passion of mine and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help shape this exciting new course and to join the Lincoln School of Fine and Performing Arts.

“Lincolnshire has a thriving and varied arts community at its heart and feels like an ideal fit for new musical theatre students.

“We have an amazing professional theatre venue on campus with the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, and plan to tour productions, when appropriate to do so.

“I think musical theatre should be accessible to as many audiences as possible, so I’m interested in the possibility of taking tours to rural areas of the county, as well as performing in new and unusual locations.

“The impact of COVID-19 has shown us that there is huge potential to innovate when it comes to the media we use and the way in which we engage with audiences.

“There has never been a better time to nurture your talents and begin your journey towards finding your place in the musical theatre industry. When theatre returns fully, our students will be right there, ready to be a part of it.”

Gus debuted his first musical, Pieces of String, in 2018, which was named The Stageÿs Best Regional Musical of the year and was nominated for the UK Theatre Best Musical Production award.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gus’s work has translated online. The Barn Theatre in Cirencester last week hosted The Music of Gus Gowland, an online concert featuring Sandra Marvin, Craig Mather and Jay Perry. His music has been featured in Signal Online and On Hope: The Digital Song Cycle, with Pieces of String included in multiple round-ups of the best theatre available to watch on digital platforms.

To find out more about BA (Hons) Musical Theatre at the University of Lincoln visit: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/course/mustheub/.