Drama and Theatre Studies

Drama and Theatre Studies at A Level offers you the opportunity to study a course which is vibrant, creative, challenging and stimulating.

It also allows you to develop and hone important life skills such as negotiation, cooperation and time management and to improve your abilities in public speaking, presenting information in varied and engaging ways and commanding the attention of an audience. Past pupils have gone on to study subjects at degree level including Medicine, History, English and Philosophy as well as Drama at university and top drama schools.

The skills you require. During the course you will undertake practical performance work, as well as studying significant plays through the ages, and you will develop your ability to analyse contemporary productions from the perspectives of actor, director and designer. For the A Level course as well as performing from a script you will devise and perform your own unique piece of theatre. You will acquire production skills such as lighting, set and costume and make-up design and you will become familiar with a variety of theatrical styles and practitioners. We prefer you to have a good grade at GCSE Drama to take this course but we do not insist on it. More important is that you have an open and enquiring mind, a genuine interest in theatre, a good sense of humour and that you are prepared to have a go at any challenge we throw at you!

A Level

Component 1 Written Paper, 3 hours 40% of total A Level marks Section A Answer one question from a choice of set plays selected to represent significant drama through the ages. Section B Answer one three part question on a given extract from a second set play selected to represent 20th and 21st century drama. Section C Answer one question on the work of theatre makers in a single live theatre production. Component 2 Creating original drama (practical) This component is marked by teachers and moderated by AQA 30% of total A Level marks Working in groups to develop and present a devised drama, performed in the theatrical style of their choice. Research into a theatrical style chosen by the group for their practical work. There is also a working notebook that is assessed as well as the performance.

Component 3 Making theatre (practical) 30% of total A Level marks Practical exploration and interpretation of three extracts each taken from a different play. Methodology of a prescribed practitioner is applied. Extract 3 is to be performed as a final assessment piece. Please note that the department will organise a variety of theatre trips throughout the course, some of which will be compulsory to meet the requirements of the Unit 1 examination, and to which the students will be asked to make a financial contribution. It is also our expectation that Theatre Studies students will visit the theatre as often as they can in their spare time and will be prepared to read widely around the subject.