Course Descriptor

Course Title: Showtime

Type of Course: Adult Education

Credit: Not credit bearing

Taught Hours: 20


Session Titles

1. The Business of Shows

2. Gilbert, Sullivan, and Burlesque

3. Show Boat and Broadway

4. Cabaret, Kabarett, Revue

5. Crossovers / Halfways

6. Socialist Realist Operetta, Industrial Musical

7. Sondheim and/or Lloyd Webber

8. Shows on Screen (and Back)

9. Mental Health in Musicals

10. Genre Beyond Borders


Course Overview

Gaiety, glitz, glamour: the thrills of ‘light’ theatre have proved a winning formula in so many times and places. These shows have consistently delighted the masses, reaching audiences and profits that more high-minded products such as opera can only dream of. With such high rewards available, the types and formats have proliferated, catering to every taste.

This course explores the full range of shows that have taken the stage in different times and places. We will travel from operetta and burlesque in the nineteenth century to cabaret and musical comedy in the early twentieth to the book musicals, films, and jukebox musicals that came later.

Some consistent threads emerge: commercial enterprise, questions of status, national and political ideologies, and the sheer fluidity of a genre that adapts to whatever audiences want from it. In the process we will ask important questions to do with what we make of these forms.

Can we take them seriously without insisting that they be serious?


Required Previous Experience (if any)

None required.


Required Reading Material or Special Equipment Needed (if any)

None required.


Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course you will be better prepared to:

  • Identify and contextualise key forms of light theatre, including operetta, burlesque, cabaret, and musicals, across different historical and cultural settings.
  • Analyse the commercial, political, and social factors that have influenced the development and popularity of stage and screen shows.
  • Engage critically with a range of performances and genres, reflecting on issues of seriousness, status, and cultural value in light entertainment, in order to enhance your enjoyment of this form of musical theatre.

Teaching and Learning Approach

The teaching and learning approach for this course combines tutor-led instruction, group activities, and independent study supported by individual guidance from the tutor. Classes are conducted face-to-face in a classroom setting and utilise diverse teaching methods, including presentations, multimedia resources, class discussions, and interactive activities.

These methods are selected to engage students, accommodate varied learning styles, and support effective understanding of the subject matter. The approach is also designed to recognise and be responsive to the diverse experiences, backgrounds, identities, and cultural perspectives represented within the student cohort, fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.


Additional Information

This course descriptor may be subject to change during the delivery of the course, depending on the specific direction and nature of the learner cohort, and is intended to be responsive to the group dynamics as they emerge during the delivery of the course.

Contact us

Imperial after:hours Adult Education
Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication
Level 3 - Sherfield Building West
Imperial
Exhibition Road
London
SW7 2AZ
United Kingdom

Email: eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 20 7594 8756