Drama and Theatre Studies

Course summary

This is a two-year course, which is a natural progression from the GCSE Drama course. Drama is an exciting, creative, and challenging course that encourages you to develop as an independent learner with analytical awareness and critical and reflective thinking skills. It offers students the opportunity to explore a practical art form in which ideas and meaning are communicated to an audience through choices of form, style, and convention. Students will create, perform, and respond to drama, informed by their increasing theoretical knowledge so that students become adept at selecting the most effective means of expression. The course involves taking part in devised and scripted performances and provides you with the opportunity to learn about stage lighting, sound, costume, props, and set design as well as studying plays and playwrights from the perspective of an actor, designer, and director. You will also learn how to write about drama and develop your powers of analysis to become an informed critic. It is vital you are a team player and that you are prepared to commit to rehearsal schedules. These often take place during lunchtimes and after school, and are often organized by members of the class so self-motivation is important. You need to be curious about issues and ideas and have a creative instinct for communicating your ideas through drama. You should be keen on acting, directing, or the more technical side of theatre and wish to develop your skills in some or all of these areas. Equally, you should be interested in going to the theatre to see plays performed by different theatre companies. The course provides an excellent grounding for those interested in pursuing a career in dramatic arts. However, Drama helps to generate: interpersonal and teamwork skills, communication skills, analytical, evaluative, and critical skills, creativity and imagination, and self-confidence, which, very importantly, all employers are seeking. There will be various trips offered over the course, two of these will be compulsory theatre visits and will cost from £20-50 each.