This semester abroad is our flagship program, and the result of over a decade of relationship building in the professional theatre industry in London. You won’t find another semester offering like it, where participants are study abroad students on the beautiful 54-acre campus of the University of Roehampton, while also gaining access to the city’s best theatre training in London’s West End and Shakespeare’s Globe. All students will join our Site Director for excursions, including (depending on the session):
When building your course schedule of up to 16 academic credits, you can pick and choose from three main options, outlined below.*
Musical theatre – Train with London theatre professionals in notable West End venues, with academic credit issued by Nazareth University in Rochester, New York. These are the same studios where West End musicals hold auditions and rehearse productions. Masterclasses and workshops include acting, singing, stage combat, puppetry, jazz, hip hop, ballet, mock auditions with casting directors, question and answer sessions with notable directors, and more. You will workshop musicals and plays such as Wicked, Les Miserables, Waitress, Hairspray, Mama Mia, Mary Poppins, Matilda, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and many more with current cast members who you will see on stage doing the same choreography and staging you have been learning together in the classes. All students will also take at least seven voice lessons with a private vocal coach throughout the semester, chosen from a list provided by Performing Arts Abroad. Note that this course requires you to submit audition materials. For a detailed course description and outline, go here.
Shakespeare – Study with actors and directors at Shakespeare’s Globe and perform in final scenes on the stage of the Globe itself, with academic credit issued by Nazareth University in Rochester, New York. Attend masterclasses in movement, voice and speech, textual analysis, performance practice, and more. Explore every inch of the Globe Theatre in a unique “Heaven to Hell” private tour beginning in the rafters far above the stage and ending underneath the stage peering up through the Elizabethan-era trapdoor. For a course description, please go here.
Roehampton – Supplement your time in the studio with an exploratory Introduction to the London Stage course taught by the distinguished professors of Roehampton University where you will see at least one theatrical production each week, ranging from the large West End theatres to the National Theatre to intimate pub theatres. You may also choose courses from Roehampton’s wider course catalogue, which you can explore in more detail on the Course Listing section of this page (note that courses are available in a variety of other fields for those students needing to fulfill core requirements in disciplines such as Anthropology, Business, English, History, Psychology, and more. Contact us for more information).
Stage Combat – Receive a professional certification through the British Academy of Dramatic Combat (BADC). This is an add-on experience, not for academic credit, and is an extra cost of $1,200. You will train with other PAA students under the guidance of a stage combat professional one day a week for three hours, culminating in a final certification exam. The certification you receive is recognized by Actors Equity and Spotlight (among many others), and is considered the industry standard level of training expected of professional actors.
*Please note that students electing to train in London’s West End AND at Shakespeare’s Globe will live in centrally-located flats with other PAA students and commute to Roehampton’s campus one day per week for the Introduction to the London Stage course. All other students will live in student housing on Roehampton’s campus. Please see the housing section on this page for more details.
My semester at Roehampton was a life-changing experience. With the incredible help of PAA, I was able to spend five indescribable months studying theatre in London. I met people from all over the world, saw game-changing theatre all over the city, and learned so much not only about theatre, but also myself.
Casie Winshell
One of the many famous West End theatres, Queen’s Theatre is in the Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square area of London. The theatre is most notable for housing the world famous musical Les Miserables since 2004 after its run at the Palace Theatre for 19 years prior.
Hailed by the New York Times as “the most important theatre in Europe,” the Royal Court Theatre is located next to the Sloane Square Station. The theatre is known for being a huge proponent and supporter of local playwrights in order to cultivate an authentic, diverse selection of plays for the public.
“The undisputed epicenter of new writing in this country.” -Time Out
“It’s hard not to rave about the Royal Court.” -Guardian
The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by William Shakespeare’s company the “Lord Chamberlin’s Men” and was rebuilt in 1614 after a fire destroyed the original. The latest version of the theatre, renamed “Shakespeare’s Globe,” opened in 1997. Travel back in time and attend a Shakespeare play in the unique open-air theatre.
Hailed as one of the most exciting, innovative dance spaces The Place, is a space that houses the London Contemporary Dance School, the Richard Alston Dance Company, and a 280 seat theatre. The Place offers classes, workshops, and other professional development opportunities for artists young and old. Performances are open to the public year round as well as festivals and special events. The Place is a member of the European Dancehouse Network aimed to support UK artists.
Throughout your program in London, your home base will be the University of Roehampton. If living on campus, you will stay in a single room with an ensuite bathroom. Roehampton is located about an hour-long commute from the center of London, tucked away on a beautiful campus near the tennis club where Wimbledon is played, complete with green fields, quaint ponds, and families of geese roaming the grounds. Your pre-professional training masterclasses will be at Shakespeare’s Globe on the River Thames, and in professional studios in London’s West End.
London’s energy is contagious and will have you hooked the moment you arrive. In addition to the vibrant theatre scene, you will have the opportunity to explore the cultural, historical, and political landmarks of the city with other students. From Big Ben to the London Bridge, learn what it means to call London home. The abundance of theaters and artistic organizations, and the reasonable price of theatre tickets (especially compared to everything else in the city!) makes this a worthwhile destination for even a short visit, and even better for a full semester.
There are two housing options for this theatre semester. By default, students training in London’s West End AND at Shakespeare’s Globe will live in flats in central London (option 1 below), while all other students will live in student flats on campus at the University of Roehampton (option 2 below). We are flexible, and willing to consider requests to change options.
OPTION 1 – Central London flats
You will share a bedroom with 1 or 2 fellow Performing Arts Abroad students in a fully furnished flat in central London with easy access to the studios where you will be training and the most desirable landmarks in the city, such as Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower of London, and more. Your flat will include a dining room, living room, full kitchen, washing machine, and all the amenities you would expect from a downtown apartment. You will commute about an hour to the University of Roehampton one day a week for your Introduction to the London Stage course.
OPTION 2 – University of Roehampton student flats
You will have your own room with a private bathroom in a six to eight bedroom wing that you share with other British and international students. Your floor will have a spacious common area as well as a full kitchen where you can save money by preparing your own meals. Take advantage of this small group setting to build friendships and community while you study abroad. Classroom buildings, the student center, and restaurants are all nearby. Enjoy the independence of living on your own while still creating lasting relationships with other students. If taking a professional practice course in central London, you will commute into the city about one hour each way, two days per week.
You will have your own single room and private bathroom if staying in the Roehampton on-campus housing. In the central-London flats, you will share a bedroom with one or two additional students in a flat that has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. The configuration of each flat is different. The main cohort of students on this program are from Nazareth University in Rochester, New York, which is the institution providing the academic credit for the West End and Globe courses. We also welcome students from all over the United States and other parts of the world. Your suitemates on campus will likely include other PAA students, as well as other study abroad students spending a semester or full year at Roehampton. Your flatmates in central London will only be other Performing Arts Abroad students.
The lights go out and a hushed silence is followed by a roar of applause and cheering. The actors come out for a bow and you rise to your feet with those around you, still not believing that you’re finally seeing a show at London’s iconic National Theatre. And to think this was a class assignment! The stress of the end of the semester is accompanied by an incredible sense of accomplishment as you’ve succeeded in three classes and performed in the campus production. Tomorrow you will join other Performing Arts Abroad students to see a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and the weekend will include an excursion to Stonehenge and a personal trip to the Harry Potter studios to see how the movies were made and drink a butterbeer on the Hogwarts set. When you arrived, you were missing home. Now, you never want to leave.
You will book your flight to arrive at Heathrow Airport in London (LHR) before 12:00 p.m. on the arrival date. A PAA Roehampton representative will be waiting at a pre-arranged meeting point, and you will be directed to a Roehampton bus that will take you to campus. If you are living in central London housing, a private car service will transport you to your flat to check in.
Upon arrival on campus you will meet our Site Director Anna who will give you a welcome packet and help your find your room. Your first afternoon will be a chance to unpack, settle in, meet other students, and join a Roehampton welcome dinner. Those in central London will settle into their flats.
The following day, Roehampton will lead several on-site orientation activities so that you will be prepared for your experience in London and can begin to get to know other students. The next day you will finalize your registration and class enrollment. PAA’s Site Director Anna will take you out for a Welcome Meal and an additional orientation. This orientation will include important information about the city, an overview of British culture, information about the performing arts scene in London, food, transportation, and other need-to-knows. The following day, you will join additional university orientation activities, such as a “Photo Frenzy Day”, which is an epic photo scavenger hunt that will take you into central London for a chance to win prizes!
The following few days will include additional pre-class activities, and classes will begin shortly thereafter. For the rest of the program, you will be going to class and exploring the city on your own as a student in London. We will provide excursions and cultural activities throughout your semester, including trips to Bath to see the Jane Austen Centre and Roman baths, and Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, grave, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. If you are enrolling in the pre-professional training courses in musical theatre with the West End or acting with Shakespeare’s Globe, you will begin traveling to central London for these classes a week or two after Roehampton classes begin.
Broaden your understanding of the stage, and the history of performance and international theater with this semester-long study abroad program in collaboration with the University of Roehampton, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the West End. PAA students benefit from small class sizes and are immersed in courses with local Londoners and other students from all over the world. The university is located roughly one hour from London’s bustling downtown, offering diverse courses and filled with historically picturesque buildings. Thanks to Roehampton’s unparalleled international student support and its friendly, lively campus, you will feel at home the minute you step off the plane. For those training at Shakespeare’s Globe or the West End, you will make invaluable contacts and benefit from small masterclasses with London theatre professionals.
Reynolds graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 2008 with a degree in Theater and African and African American Studies. For an honors thesis Reynolds filmed, edited, and produced a full-length documentary in Kenya with Haba na Haba, a group using performance for education and social change in the slums of Nairobi. This project earned him the Forum on Education Abroad Undergraduate Research Award. A year later, Reynolds organized a trip to bring Haba na Haba to the United States for a tour of St. Louis and Washington University. Immediately after graduation, Reynolds worked in Rwanda as a filmmaker for Millennium Congregations, an interfaith organization connecting communities of faith in the United States with development projects in Rwanda’s Bugesera District. Reynolds then served two years with Teach for America, teaching in the South Bronx and receiving a Masters Degree in Education from Hunter College. He completed a second graduate degree in African Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington, and his Masters thesis focused on the impact of donors on the creative process of Theatre for Development (TfD) groups in Kenya.
Reynolds has traveled extensively in Africa, spending time in Ghana, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also studied acting, voice, and movement at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Reynolds is a two-time Rhodes Scholarship finalist, the inaugural recipient of the Dred and Harriet Scott Award for the Advancement of Human Rights, and the winner of two research fellowships. He was also a Dialogue Fellow for the Xenia Institute, has twice served as the co-director for the Roosevelt Institution’s International Diplomacy Center (Washington University branch), and was president of the Graduate Students of African Studies (GSAS) at Indiana University.
Most recently, Reynolds was named a winner of the 40 under Forty award honoring business leaders in Western Massachusetts.
Reynolds lives in Greenfield, MA with his wife Julia who is a professional costume designer and his daughters, Lily and Georgia. In his free time Reynolds likes to play his guitar, go hiking, act in local productions, hit the karaoke bars, sing with his dog Captain (the best doggy singer in the universe), and play various yard games such as KanJam, cornhole, “cups”, and Kubb.
Anna supports all participants on our programs in London, acting as the main point of contact throughout their stay in the United Kingdom. She coordinates airport pickup, arranges housing, leads cultural excursions, and manages the 24-hour onsite emergency phone.
Anna holds a B.A. in English and German from Ca’Foscari University of Venice. The Italian village where she was born was never enough for her and from a young age she decided she wanted to see the world and meet a lot of people from different cultures. Fascinated by foreign languages and traveling she first studied abroad in London when she was in high school and then at Humboldt Universität in Berlin a few years after. New York City holds a special place in her heart, ever since she was an intern at the Italian Cultural Institute there.
After volunteering and working for the not-for-profit association AFS Intercultural Program helping hundreds of high school students enroll and prepare for their experience abroad, she moved to London and focused on working with university students. She loves West End musicals, fashion, drinking green tea, spending time at the V&A museum, studying Korean and backpacking throughout Southeast Asia.
Chloe acts as the university contact for PAA students studying at Roehampton on semester or summer programmes. She finalizes course schedules, coordinates university orientation events, provides academic advising and acts as a liaison between PAA and Roehampton’s academic departments of dance, theatre, and film.
Chloe is the Study Abroad Manager at the University of Roehampton. Chloe graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in English Language and Linguistics and holds an MA in International Education from the University of Leicester, having studied abroad herself in Brisbane, Australia. Chloe has also lived and worked in Germany, can speak Spanish and French and is currently learning Dutch in her free time. Chloe and her team work closely with Performing Arts Abroad throughout a student’s time in London to ensure they return home having had a transformative experience.
Once an avid dancer, Chloe hung up her dancing shoes at 18 due to injury, but not before in true Harry Potter style, leading her House to victory with a Great Gatsby inspired routine in her school House Arts Cup. Chloe also has a background in theatre, having worked as an elf for 6 years over the Christmas period at an immersive experience based just outside of London. Nowadays, Chloe enjoys watching performances and trying to get the best deals for cheap theatre tickets in London, so be sure to stop by the office for some hot tips!
Chloe believes there is no university quite like Roehampton, from the extra curricula opportunities you can get involved with, to the friendly campus community. She looks forward to seeing you on campus very soon!
Rachel leads the training component of our London musical theatre programs. She books studios, hires instructors, coordinates the training schedule, and books tickets for West End shows and backstage tours.
Rachel Bingham is a West End performer and the director of West End On Demand, PAA’s musical theatre training partner in London.
Rachel started dancing at a local dance school at age 3 and it wasn’t long before singing and acting followed. After watching Les Miserables in the West End when she was 10 years old she knew that this was what she wanted to do with her life. She wrote in her diary that her dream was to be in Les Miserables and she was happy to play any part, including the barricade! Rachel then immersed herself in theatre, listening to theatre soundtracks, taking part in lots of local shows and school productions as well as continuing classes. At age 19 Rachel attended the Mountview Academy Of Theatre Arts one of the most prestigious musical theatre colleges in London and from there she got her agent Gilbert And Payne Management and her career began. Rachel has now been working in the theatre industry for 13 years and her dream came true – she was cast in Les Miserables in the West End for two years as Crone, ensemble and first understudy Madame Thenarider.
Rachel’s work includes: Les Miserables (West End), Les Miserables 25th Anniversary (O2 Arena), Billy Elliot (West End), The Sound Of Music (West End), Acorn Antiques The Musical (UK Tour), She Loves Me (Menier Chocolate Factory, London), Jerry Springer The Opera (UK Tour), That Day We Sang (Victoria Wood, Manchester), BBC Proms, London Olympic Opening Ceremony, plus much more. Rachel has also worked in television and as a recording artist.
Rachel started West End On Demand in 2009 as she wanted to share her passion for performing arts with others and encourage people of all ages to feel more confidant and follow their dreams.
| Session | Application Deadline | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester 2025 (estimated) | May 01 2025 | Sep 17 2025 | Dec 21 2025 |
| Event | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | September 18, 2024 | |
| Orientation | September 19, 2024 | September 21, 2024 |
| Welcome Week | September 23, 2024 | September 27, 2024 |
| Roehampton classes begin | September 30, 2024 | |
| Globe classes begin | October 9, 2024 | |
| West End classes begin | October 15, 2024 | |
| Bath trip | October 26, 2024 | |
| Mid-term break | November 2, 2024 | November 10, 2024 |
| Stratford-Upon-Avon trip | December 7, 2024 | |
| Classes end | December 20, 2024 | |
| Program ends | December 22, 2024 |
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 - with Roehampton housing | $19,450 (estimated) |
| Fall 2025 - with Central London housing | $21,850 (estimated) |
| British Academy of Dramatic Combat (BADC) professional certification - optional add on | $1,200 (estimated) |
| Private Voice Lessons | $80 per lesson (estimated) |
APPLY ONLINE
Submit a simple online application
INTERVIEW
Schedule a live video interview with a Program Coordinator
MATERIALS
Upload program specific materials to an online portal
ACCEPTANCE
Receive your aceptance decision and begin your journey!
To apply, click the “Apply Now” button on this page. You will fill out a simple initial application online and pay a non-refundable application fee that will be applied toward your overall program cost if you are accepted. We will review your initial application and contact you within a few days to let you know if we are inviting you to the final step. At that point, we will ask you to complete and upload the following materials:
This semester abroad is our flagship program, and the result of over a decade of relationship building in the professional theatre industry in London. You won’t find another semester offering like it, where participants are study abroad students on the…
This semester abroad is our flagship program, and the result of over a decade of relationship building in the professional theatre industry in London. You won’t find another semester offering like it, where participants are study abroad students on the…
This semester abroad is our flagship program, and the result of over a decade of relationship building in the professional theatre industry in London. You won’t find another semester offering like it, where participants are study abroad students on the…
This semester abroad is our flagship program, and the result of over a decade of relationship building in the professional theatre industry in London. You won’t find another semester offering like it, where participants are study abroad students on the…
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