A Level Drama and Theatre Studies

Why study Drama & Theatre Studies?

Drama and Theatre studies aims to develop your understanding of the theory and practice of Drama and consider the social, cultural and historical contexts from which the plays derive. It will also build your skills as an actor and director and you will work both collaboratively and independently. This course provides a range of practical and theory which is a fantastic way to learn about all areas of theatre.

What will I study?

The Drama & Theatre Studies course is made up of 3 components.

The first is "Devising", in which students work collaboratively to create an original piece of theatre based from a stimulus and in the style of their chosen genre or practitioner. They also write a portfolio that supports the journey that the students have taken to create their work, followed by an evaluation of the piece produced. This component is worth 40% of the overall grade and is internally assessed and externally moderated.

The second component is "Text in Performance" this is where students are asked to perform two extracts from two separate performance texts. One of these is a monologue and the other a group performance. This component is worth 20% of the overall grade and is externally assessed by a visiting examiner.

The third and final unit is "Theatre makers in practice", this component is a written exam taken in the summer of Year 13 and is split into 3 sections. This is worth 40% of the overall grade and is externally assessed.

Section A of this exam is "Live Theatre Evaluation", students write an answer on a professional production they have seen in response to a statement.

Section B is "Page to Stage: Realising a performance text"; for this students study a play text in it's entirety and are asked to answer two questions on this from both the perspective of a performer and a designer.

Section C is "Interpreting a Performance text", this asks students to answer one question from the perspective of a Director on another play text that students study in it's entirety, with a focus on a specific practitioner.

Drama & Theatre Studies Extras

Students will have the opportunity to see a variety of live theatre both in Cambridge and London's West End to support the third component of the course. Students may want to audition for the whole school production or attend our Drama club that runs in the summer term. We will also have other theatre trips that students may wish to attend.

Minimum Entry Requirements:

5 x 5s

4 in English and Maths

Subject Specific Entry Requirements:

6 in Drama if taken at GCSE

* Please note that Level 2 vocational courses are the equivalent of 1 GCSE and only 1 will be counted towards the A-Level pathway entry requirements

What can Drama & Theatre Studies lead to?

The course prepares students considering Drama and Theatre courses at university and Drama school. It is also an excellent grounding for interpersonal skills such as communication, confidence building, organisation and teamwork in preparation for careers in areas such as law, social work, psychology and teaching.