Courses / Drama & Theatre Studies
Drama & Theatre Studies
Drama will suit students who wish to nurture their performance and presentational skills. The Drama A Level gives students the opportunity to explore their own creative expression, underpinned by taught critical understanding of dramatic practitioners and theatrical works. Students will be encouraged to develop their interpersonal and communication skills to collectively create and perform work across a range of style and genre.
If you choose this course you would benefit from:
- Experienced teachers with active arts industry experience.
- Unique and specialised workshop hosted by professional and current theatre practitioners.
- Performance opportunities within college and at local professional theatres.
- Inspirational theatre trips to London’s West End to nurture acting skills and theatrical experience.
In the first year you will study:
- Acting Stage Craft
- Devising Drama
- Practical Introduction to Practitioner
- Directors Vision – putting ideas into practice
- Style, Genre and Form
- Reviewing Performance Work
- Practical Textual Exploration – The Accidental Death of an Anarchist
- Contextualisation of Performance Work
In the second year you will study:
- The Solo Actor
- The Ensemble Performance
- Enhanced Stage Craft
- Directorial Concepts
- Practical Textual Analysis – Antigone
- Writing as a Theatre Critic
- Practitioner Exploration – Punchdrunk
- Character Analysis
What will I be taught?
This course will be predominantly taught in a practical manner, this is usually in workshop form mostly led by the by the teacher, however on occasion the sessions will be student led, or presented by professional and established theatre practitioners. This practical aspect will be underpinned by regular discussion seminars to explore critical perceptions and contextual relevance of dramatic works. Moodle and coursework are used to support and enrich all practical explorations
Classroom activities will include:
- Practical workshops
- CRP – Create, Perform, Respond
- Group work
- Group discussion
- Practical and essay based assessment
Based on research into how students learn best, each subject will set independent work to allow you to recap what you have done in the past, consolidate understanding for what you are studying in the present and develop the skills and experiences which will help you for the future. You can read more about the college’s approach to independent study here
The Past
Click here for the suggested ongoing revision activities in this subject which research has shown are most likely to boost your achievement
The Present
Each subject will set weekly homework tasks to help you consolidate your understanding and prepare for your next lesson. This work is typically set through Microsoft Teams, so you will have an electronic log of all your work, notes and feedback.
The Future
A key part of your independent work in this subject will be to prepare for a range of potential jobs and higher education courses when you leave us. To get started, look below at the top higher education courses and jobs which previous students of this course have gone on to do.
As part of a wider programme this course provides an excellent basis for progression to many careers or university courses.
Former students of this college have gone on to study Acting, Drama, Musical Theatre and Theatre and Professional Practice. It is also worth noting that due to the accomplished interpersonal skills many students acquire when studying Drama, this has increased their chances of successfully obtaining places on other courses. A Level Drama students have gone on to study Law, Business, Nursing, Teaching and more.
5 x GCSE grades 4-9 (incl. English Language)
Not essential but it will help your success…
An ability to work closely in groups is essential. Confidence and a capacity to communicate and engage with a wide range of emotions would be preferable.
Pairs well with Film Studies, English Literature or any other creative subjects.
Teaching contact time is 4 hours and 20 minutes per subject. Other workshops will be available throughout the year including over some holiday periods. Students are expected to complete up to 4 hours of independent study to complete assignments, homework, extra reading and independent research.
60% Practical (underpinned by coursework) 40% Written Exam
- Component 1 – Devising Drama (40%)
- Component 2 – Text in Performance (20%)
- Component 3 – Theatre Makers in Practice (40%)