General information about applying for our undergraduate courses and the interview process.
The course opened my eyes to what is possible in the world of theatre sound and sound design generally. With a combination of practical learning in a variety of roles on professional level shows, and support from the industry’s top practitioners, I really couldn’t ask for a better environment to experiment and expand my knowledge.
Harry Johnson
Graduated 2017, credits include sound design for National Youth Theatre’s Jekyll And Hyde and Holy Crap at the King’s Head Theatre.
Central allowed me to access parts of the Theatre Industry that I didn’t know existed. I had the opportunity to learn from great visiting professionals at the top of their field, whether as designers, operators or engineers. The staff and students at Central made me feel so welcome from day one, allowing me to concentrate on developing into a working professional.
Jack Vincent
Graduated in 2019, credits include; Sound No.1 ‘Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear’ (Dorfman Theatre), Sound No.1 ‘A Taste of Honey’ (Trafalgar Studios), Sound No.1 ‘Malory Towers’ (UK Tour).
Doing the Theatre Sound course at Central allowed me to meet a community of sound professionals and theatre practitioners that have continued to help me in my career today. The course opened up opportunities both inside and outside of the university as the learning environment runs parallel to industry. The community at Central, from my peers to the tutors and visiting professionals, are still people who I communicate and work with today. I'm so grateful for my time there and the knowledge and experience I gained from the course.
Beth Duke
Graduated in 2019, credits include sound design for, 'Scenes with Girls' at The Royal Court and, 'One Jewish Boy' at Trafalgar Studios.
General information about applying for our undergraduate courses and the interview process.
Information for home, EU, and non-EU students.
Find out how your course will be delivered.
Find out about upcoming BA (Hons) Theatre Practice (including Theatre Sound) open days at Central.
We run small group tours every Wednesday at 2pm.
Information on studying and living in London for students from outside the UK.
Download our Prospectus to find out more.
Come and talk to us at an exhibition near you to learn more about our courses, scholarships and bursaries, and life at Central.
3 years full-time, October start
Institution code: C35; Course code: WW34
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Theatre Practice
This course explores the possibilities of one of the most rapidly evolving of the specialist theatre disciplines. Working with tutors who are active professionals and with state-of-the-art equipment, you'll learn the art of creating sonic worlds integral to dramatic narrative, and develop the technical ability to control the sonic environment of live performance.
Studying on the Theatre Sound specialism of the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice degree course, you will:
The newest professional performance technologies, including computer-based show control, audio recording, waveform editing, digital mixing, audio and computer networking, MIDI, scripting and OSC are made available to you and can become an integral part of your practice. Relevant acoustic and electronic theory helps you use this equipment effectively in practice and allows you to adapt to emerging technologies in the future.
If you are interested in composition for performance, the relationship between the fields of sound design and music composition may be explored.
Read more from Course Tutor Donato Wharton on what's involved in becoming a Sound Designer or Foley Artist.
You can still apply for this course and be considered through UCAS despite them classing your application as 'late'. You can also register your interest in 2020 entry here and our Admissions Team will then contact you about interview options and further details.
Our standard academic entry requirements range between 120 and 64 UCAS tariff points. You can see how many tariff points your qualifications would gain on the UCAS Tariff Calculator. International qualifications and others not covered within the UCAS tariff can also be accepted. Please email us if you need further clarification.
Please note that we make lower offers (including unconditional) to exceptional candidates and those who have alternative or prior experience to offer. All candidates invited to interview are asked to bring a portfolio. Interview and portfolio are key factors in determining which applicants are accepted on to the course.
For information on alternative entry requirements please see www.ucas.com.
See How to Apply section for Undergraduate courses.
We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, such as students with disabilities and members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.
Find out more about the interview process for this course.
Each year Central hosts a number of interviews outside of the UK, with a team of tutors from Central travelling to meet applicants. The international interviews are designed to replicate the London-based interview experience in every aspect (other than a tour of our site!). See our Event Finder for listings of upcoming interview locations and dates.
Visit the International Students section to view details of English language requirements for Central's courses.
Theatre Sound was one of the first courses to incorporate the concept of industry partnerships at Central, looking at ways in which collaboration between audio and theatre industries could be mutually beneficial.
The programme is generously supported by major industry partners, including:
Central played a major role in the establishment of the Association of Sound Designers (ASD), which provides a platform for continuing professional development and community support.
Many opportunities for sound students come through the network of graduates already well placed in the industry.
Tom Gibbons (2008) provides sound design and composition for theatre, musical theatre, film and live installation. He won the Olivier Award in 2016 for Best Sound Design for his work on Duncan Macmillan’s People, Places and Things, and his other credits include; West Side Story (Broadway); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Broadway); 1984 (West End and Broadway), for which he was nominated for a Tony Award; All About Eve (Harold Pinter); Hello, I’m Darling (Duke of York’s); The Doctor (Almeida Theatre), and A View from the Bridge (Young Vic).
Gareth Fry (1996) is an Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer. His credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End) and Complicité's The Encounter. He has years of experience designing plays, musicals, dance and opera productions worldwide, including over 20 productions at the National Theatre and has also created work for exhibitions and events, from the V&A's David Bowie Is exhibition, to the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Carolyn Downing (2002) is an Olivier Award-winning Sound Designer working in a variety of fields both nationally and internationally. She has amassed a large number of theatre credits to her name, most recently; Death of a Salesman (Young Vic); All My Sons (Old Vic); Downstate (Steppenwolf Chicago and The National theatre): Fiddler On The Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre); Mother Courage (Royal Exchange Theatre); A Woman of No Importance (Vaudeville); and Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, Antony And Cleopatra, King John (RSC).
David McSeveney (2002) is Head of Sound at Royal Court and productions he's worked on there include; Cyprus Avenue (& Abbey, Dublin/Public, NYC); The Cane, Girls & Boys (& Minetta Lane, NYC); Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3); Open Court 2016; Lela & Co.; Constellations (& West End/Broadway/UK tour). He also regularly works for other theatre companies, and credits elsewhere include; The Skriker (Manchester International Festival/Royal Exchange, Manchester); A Doll’s House (& West End/BAM, NYC) and Macbeth, The Changeling (Young Vic).
Laura Gingell (2016) worked on RSC’s Matilda The Musical for a number of years after graduating from Central. Since then she has worked in the sound department for a number of productions including Julius Caesar, Nightfall (Bridge Theatre), and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Michael Grandage Company).
Pete Malkin (2012) won a Tony Award for his work as a sound designer on Complicité's The Encounter, and his other credits include; Death of England (National Theatre); The Cherry Orchard (Simon McBurney, Toneelgroep Amsterdam)'; Death of a Salesman (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Tempest (Donmar Warehouse/St Ann's Warehouse), and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End).
Graduate employment and career pathways include:
View profiles of the academic staff who teach on this course. Click on each staff member to find out more about them.
