The art of writing lyrics for musical theatre has often been overlooked in favour of the guys who wrote the music. But at their best, lyrics for music theatre are an art form in themselves. This course aims to investigate and celebrate some of the greatest lyricists including Ira Gershwin, Dorothy Fields, Lorenz Hart, Stephen Sondheim, Frank Loesser, Alan J Lerner, Sheldon Harnick, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. We will also study the lyrics of great British theatre lyricists including Lionel Bart. We will hear examples from less familiar musicals such as 'The Most Happy Fella' and 'She Loves Me'.