Drama and Theatre Studies

Course summary

Drama and Theatre Studies is an exciting and diverse course; it is a practical, intellectual and artistic subject. The Drama and Theatre Studies course combines the activities of exploring plays, creating theatre, the performing of plays, the analysis of theatre and the critical evaluation of all these elements. Students completing the course successfully will have a thorough understanding of drama and theatre, highly toned analytical and creative skills and an ability to communicate effectively with others. The skills gained from this course provide excellent support to many other subjects particularly those where evaluation and analysis is fundamental. What will I be studying on the course and what will I be doing in lessons? Year 12 consists of the exploration of a play from the perspective of actor, director, designer and audience member together with the exploration and analysis of a live production. Although many of the lessons will be of a practical nature, all practical work is supported by understanding shown through written work. The second unit requires students to specialize as a performer. The students will work together in a group to produce a performance from an extract of a play which will be highly influenced by their exploration and practical experiences throughout the duration of the course. Year 13 brings new experiences with the exploration of dramatic performance through the creation and production of an original piece of theatre for an invited audience. Students can specialize as a performer, designer or director for this unit. The final unit is the study and exploration of a further two plays and this is assessed through a written examination in June of Year 13. Over the two years students will attend live theatre performances on a regular basis to broaden their understanding of the subject.