Life is a cabaret, old chum! : investigating the process of bringing theatrical performance skills from the studio to the stage

There are many who see stars in their eyes at the thought of treading the boards in the professional theatre, but so few successfully manage the precarious transition from the privacy of the studio to the exposure of the public stage. This paper will investigate the nature of live public performance – with particular reference to theatrical performance in the specialised area of music theatre – examining the links between the various types of performance practice from music theatre productions through to cabaret. It will investigate what it means to be a successful performer from both the audience point of view and that of the industry professional, as well as considering the research evidence in the areas of public communication in the arts. Furthermore, this paper will examine the process of preparing the performer for a lifelong career in the professional music theatre industry through the development of the individual skills that make up the craft of music theatre and the process of combining these together to produce a confident performer and communicator for the music theatre and cabaret stage.