T Drama & Theatre Studies demands practical, creative, academic and communication skills in almost equal measure. Students will extend their ability to create drama and theatre, either in a performing or production role. They will also be required to write about drama and to develop their powers of analysis to become an informed critic. The course will involve taking part in drama productions, as well as studying plays and playwrights.
It is useful to have taken Drama at GCSE level but not essential. It is important that students are interested in gaining a greater understanding of how theatre and plays work and that they are keen to be involved with performances.
Although Theatre Studies is sometimes seen as a soft option, to achieve high grades, students need to be rigorous and dedicated in their approach. Practical experience must be supported with a sound grasp of theatrical theory in both coursework and examinations. Students need to be enthusiastic, involved and prepared to dedicate time to rehearsals out of school hours as well as using private study sensibly for research, reading and essays. Most students find that despite the theoretical challenges of the course, the practical elements of the subject complement other academic subjects and allow them to develop a variety of study techniques.
Students need to be curious about issues and ideas and have a creative instinct for communicating their views through drama. They may be keen on acting, writing or on the visual and technical side of theatre and wish to develop their skills in some or all of these areas. Equally they will be interested in going to the theatre to see plays performed by different theatre companies.
In the Lower Sixth there are two units which are covered. The first is Exploration of Drama and Theatre (20% of A level). In this unit students are introduced to at least two plays, by one or more playwrights. They will also look at the work of some famous theatre directors or theatre companies. The tutor will take students through the chosen plays to look at the ways in which a play is put together, and to examine what has to be done to bring it to life on the stage. The plays studied could have been written quite recently or hundreds of years ago, and students will learn something about the conditions under which a play was first written and performed. As well as undertaking detailed practical study of the plays, students will begin to acquire a wider vocabulary and knowledge of drama and theatre, to use in the rest of the course.
Students are assessed on both their practical work and notes that they keep about what they have learnt about the two plays. The work for this unit will be marked by the tutor. Additionally for this unit, students will be required to experience a live theatre performance and submit a detailed evaluation.
The second unit is Theatre text in performance (30% of A level). In this unit students each perform a role in a production of a play, and also have to prepare a monologue or duologue from a different play. The plays will not have been studied in Unit 1, but could be by one of the playwrights studied in that unit.
In preparation for the play, students take part in workshops that will help them to develop performance or design skills. The tutor may well try out several different scenes from different plays to find a play that suits the group and each student as an individual. Students may also be asked to audition for a part in the play. As performers, students have to learn lines and think about how to play a part in order to convince the tutor (the director), that they are the right person for the role. If students have an interest in lighting, sound, set, masks, make-up or costume design, they can discuss with the tutor the possibilities of taking on a role on the production side. If students are also studying Art and Design, they might find that this part of the course is a useful and original way of developing and applying their art and design skills.
In preparation for the monologue or duologue, students will read and research a play text and develop their performance piece, either for themselves or with a partner. The exam for this unit takes the form of a practical test. Students are assessed on how well they use their performing or design skills in the performance of both performance pieces.
In the Upper Sixth two further units are studied. The first is Exploration of Dramatic Performance (20% of A level). For this unit, students work in a group to devise an original piece of drama for presentation to an audience. The knowledge, understanding and expertise gained in the previous year can now be applied to the created production. This will be based on criteria set by the tutor. Students are assessed on their personal contribution to the devising process and the performance. Students will need to keep Supporting Written Evidence that will enable them to reflect upon and analyse the process. The tutor will be marking students on both the creative process and the performance and the marks will be moderated by Edexcel.
The fourth unit is Theatre text in Context (30% of A level) and in this unit requires the study of a further two plays. Students will have two and a half hours to complete the examination questions.
In Sections A & B, students study ‘Lysistrata’ by Aristophanes, ‘Dr Faustus’ by Christopher Marlowe or ‘Woyzeck’ by Georg Buchner from the point of view of a director and they are required to develop and shape their ideas for a fully thought-through production.
In Section C, students are required to study and research the original performance conditions of a play written between a) 525BC–AD65; b) 1564–1720; c) 1828–1914 and to evaluate the ways in which directors, designers and performers have used the medium of drama to interpret the chosen play in a contemporary production and to relate this experience to their understanding of its original performance conditions.
Since its introduction, Drama & Theatre Studies is widely respected as an academically demanding course with the added advantage of developing communication and co-operative skills. It is an ideal grounding for anyone interested in a career in the Performing Arts, whether as a performer, director, designer or administrator. Theatre Studies can lead to further study in Drama, Theatre Studies and Performing Arts in Higher Education at degree or HND level and it may lead on to a career in the performing arts industries. It can be used as part of a student’s A level studies to broaden their horizons.
Drama & Theatre Studies at AS and A Level complement a range of subjects and is useful in building confidence and improving presentation skills. The confidence, tenacity and independence of thought fostered by the course are of value in almost any profession and are qualities certainly valued by universities. The balance of analytical and practical presentational skills which it demands are also relevant to careers in film and television, media, advertising, public relations, personnel management, marketing and law.
07 February 2012