Drama & Theatre Studies

Examination Board: AQA
A level first examination June 2018

Drama and Theatre Studies is an exciting, collaborative and practical, as well as academic, subject choice. Some of our students aspire to be actors but even without this, acting ability is valuable in building confidence, presentation skills and physical presence. Drama as literature studies human nature in the raw and the many emotions that drive us to behave as we do. Theatre on the stage is continually evolving  as directors and theatre technicians imagine new ways to explore the intricacies of the human experience and our interactions with each other. Dramatic styles that you will encounter on the course may include the Theatre of the Absurd developed by Samuel Beckett and others, Brecht’s epic theatre, classical tragedy and multi-media performance.

On this course you will study how theatre is produced, what plays mean and how a production is put together by a creative team to convey meaning to an audience. You will also learn to appreciate a range of practical theatre skills and you will study the work of significant theatre practitioners, such as the playwrights mentioned above and directors including Stanislavski and Max Stafford-Clark, whose ideas have influenced modern theatre. We invite theatre professionals to give us practical workshops that enhance performance and production skills. No two drama lessons are ever the same. If you enjoy watching, preparing, discussing and participating in drama then the course is ideal for you.

Theatre Studies offers a great balance between practice and theory allowing students to also develop their ability to write about drama in a detailed and analytical manner. Students develop their abilities in close reading and essay-writing – transferable skills that are relevant to a wide range of university courses. Past students have gone on to a variety of degree courses including English, Drama, Acting and Media.