Drama and Theatre Studies

Course summary

The media is one of the largest employers in this country offering job opportunities across a wide spectrum of performance-related career paths. The skills developed through studying Drama and Theatre Studies are also highly valued by universities and employers as the transferable skills learned enable students to become successful communicators in both practical and academic fields. WHAT WILL I STUDY & LEARN? Students practically explore the work of several influential directors, theatre companies, and other practitioners who have made a significant contribution to theatre practice and apply this understanding to their performance work. Students also study published plays through a variety of practical and theoretical activities, in relation to how texts can be interpreted through performance. Students look at a range of pre-twentieth century and contemporary plays and are required to understand how each play relates to its historical, social and cultural context. The Drama and Theatre Studies course is split into the following three components: Component 1 – Drama and Theatre Open book exam - 40% of A Level This unit develops student’s knowledge and understanding of two plays and the work of live theatre makers. Component 2 – Creating Original Drama Practical and coursework 30% of A Level. In this unit, students will study the work of companies and practitioners who create their theatre. They will develop their understanding of the devising process and create a performance based on the methodologies of their chosen practitioner along with a working notebook. Component 3 – Making Theatre Practical and coursework 30% of A Level. In this final unit, students will practically explore and interpret 3 extracts from a range of plays, applying the methodologies of different theatre makers to each. The performance of all three extracts is also accompanied by a reflective report, analyzing and evaluating their theatrical interpretations.