Drama A Level

‘Drama – life with the dull bits cut out’. - Alfred Hitchcock

DEPARTMENT STAFF
Subject Leader: Mr. A. Rose
Subject Teachers: Mr. A. Luscombe

DEPARTMENT STAFF
Subject Leader: Mr. A. Rose
Subject Teachers: Mr. A. Luscombe

A-Level Drama and Theatre studies is where live performance meets theoretical analysis Practitioners and companies, theatrical styles and genres. Analysing and evaluating texts and studying stagecraft will inform the development of your practical skills. Performances are accompanied by coursework. The creative process is documented with research and links to key theatrical thinkers. Writing essays on how to stage a script allows students to deepen their knowledge of drama theory. It’s a subject with many cross curricular links and transferable skills.

You will develop your knowledge of the social, historical and political context of the plays and playwrights studied, considering the perspectives of the director, designer and actor in the theatre making process. You will learn how to creatively collaborate in groups, pair work and individually to stage and perform extracts from a script. There is an opportunity to create your own work when you devise an original piece of theatre.

This is a clip from the recent Year 13’s final devised performance. Set in a modern women’s prison: they used the themes of crime and punishment from the text Our Country’s Good as a stimulus. They devised in a Frantic Assembly style which uses physical theatre and ensemble work at the heart of their techniques.

Possible Careers: The creative industries are one of the fastest growing and highest grossing sectors in the UK today. Universities and employers recognise Drama students as possessing both vital interpersonal skills and specialised cultural capital. The highly developed interpersonal skills and ability to articulate and ‘perform’ under pressure will be an advantage in your academic or professional career.

Further Reading – Plays, play reviews, books about theatre companies and creative thinking.

Trips & Extra Curricular Club/Activities – Regular trips to  theatre, opportunities to direct and support GCSE Drama students and help with whole school productions.

SUBJECTS