Drama & Theatre

Eduqas

WHY SHOULD I STUDY A LEVEL DRAMA AND THEATRE?

Drama and Theatre is a subject that can be helpful and enjoyable for any student who is interested – not just aspiring actors. It’s an essay-based subject that is well respected in higher education, due to the skills it nurtures and develops, such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, negotiation, resilience and confidence building.

This is a varied and engaging course designed to develop your knowledge and enjoyment of drama and theatre. It’s ideal for those who enjoy reading, performing, and exploring creative ideas for staging and theatre-making, and it combines both practical and academic skills. 

You will study a range of plays, old and new, and explore them through practical workshops, discussion and performance. Seeing live theatre is a vital part of the course, and we arrange trips to both local and London productions.  The course includes a mix of practical work and written work, so enthusiasm for both is essential. Written tasks focus on research, and how to bring a play to life on stage from the perspective of an actor, director, or designer. 
 

Example exam question:   

Explain how you can interpret Act One, scenes one and two (pages 12-15), for performance in the theatre today, for a contemporary audience. In your answer you must analyse and evaluate how any live productions you have seen during the course have influenced your decisions.

We offer a range of additional studies within the Performing Arts Department, and students are encouraged to take part in at least one to broaden their experience and develop their skills. These include LAMDA and drama club, dance club, Choreolab, choir, band, orchestra, DJing, music theory. 
 
We have strong links with local theatres and former students who are now working professionally in the industry. Our students often take part in workshops and projects led by both. 

COURSE CONTENT

In the first year, you will study a set text for the written exam, prepare a practical piece of performance for assessment, and write a creative log to accompany this.
 
To do so, you will study a range of practitioner approaches to creating theatre, for example, Frantic Assembly, Steven Berkoff, Katie Mitchell, Bertolt Brecht. This will inform your practical work, culminating in the creation of a reinterpretation of an extract from an existing text, assessed in the summer term of year 1. You’ll also complete a 1200-1500 word Creative Log to be assessed alongside the practical exam.  You’ll also learn how to evaluate live theatre performances, which will influence your own theatre-making.
Additionally, you will practically explore a play as a set text. You will write a timed essay about how you would go about staging, directing, performing and/or designing for this play.

PROGRESSION ONTO YEAR 2

Progression to the second year of the A Level depends on satisfactory progress in the first year, including achieving at least an E grade in the Year One formal assessments and maintaining good attendance and commitment.

During the second year of the course:

You will study another two plays as set texts. This, along with the play studied in the first year, will be examined in a final written exam in the summer term, where you discuss your ideas for performing, directing or designing.

You will also perform a devised piece and a scripted piece, both based on a stimulus provided by the exam board, and influenced by the style and approaches of a practitioner or theatre company. These will be assessed by a visiting examiner at the end of the Spring term. You can choose to be a performer or a designer for these tasks. A written report of your creative process, of approx. 3000 words, will accompany this as part of the external assessment.

FINAL A LEVEL ASSESSMENT:

1 x Written exam (40%): 2 hours 30 mins (3 questions on 3 set texts).

3 x Practical exams & written coursework (60%): A devised reinterpretation performance and accompanying creative log (completed summer term of Year 1). A devised piece and a scripted piece, based on a stimulus set by the exam board, and accompanying written evaluation report (completed spring term of year 2). Students can choose between a performance role or a design/technical role (costume, lighting, sound, set).

MINIMUM ENTRY CRITERIA

Standard College entry requirements (see page 16 of the prospectus) and a minimum of:

We would recommend the study of A Level English Literature, or A Level English Language and Literature alongside Drama and Theatre, as this complements and supports the study of A Level Drama & Theatre. We would also encourage students to consider a second performing arts subject, particularly if they are interested in a creative industries career path.

WHAT CAN I DO AFTER STUDYING A LEVEL DRAMA AND THEATRE?

All universities recognise A Level Drama and Theatre. Students in the past have gone on to study a diverse range of degree courses at a range of universities including Medicine, Law, English, History, Geography, Philosophy, Politics, Mathematics, Business, Economics, Modern Languages, Biomedical Sciences, Music, Dance, Film as well as Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts. Some students go on to train professionally at leading conservatoires including Mountview, East 15, Trinity Laban, Leeds Conservatoire, Arts Education, Italia Conti, Urdang, LIPA, Performers.

FURTHER INFORMATION

You will be expected to join us on at least two visits to the theatre. This is an essential part of the course and plays a key role in helping you to appreciate fully the theatrical experience.

You will also need to buy five play texts over the two years (new or second hand). Any student concerned about affordability should speak to the department to see what support is available. You will be expected to wear suitable clothing for practical sessions and workshops, and for safety purposes remove jewellery for workshops and performances.