Drama and Theatre Studies

Drama exists on and off the stage. Theatre happens in our everyday lives. It is the basis for story-telling and other forms of performance within the creative arts. It has its origins in sacred ritual and remains central today as part of our sense-making as we negotiate our place in the world. As with other creative arts, Drama and the insights from studying performance can be applied in the fields of medicine, politics, education and more. Theatre Studies encompasses all the arts that make up the live experience we call theatre—including costume, lighting, sound, devising, directing, design, dramaturgy, and playwriting. We also study the meaning behind theatre, analysing culture and politics, space and place, the presence of the audience and performers, and the use of digital technology.

Do you enjoy: Working as part of a creative team? Putting theory into practice?

Hands-on practical experience? The study of drama and theatre is a study of the human condition as explored and expressed through these creative arts.

Drama: The course for you? All Drama pathways explore the relationship between the theory and practice of Drama and Theatre to discover how and why they work. The strong developmental emphasis of the courses requires a particular blend of practical and academic skills. In addition to a high level of analytical ability and creativity, you will also need to possess resourcefulness and self-motivation.Teaching is by lecture, seminar, and workshop, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning and practice-based research through theatre laboratory and production opportunities. This leads to a relatively high number of contact hours with other students for group projects, as well as the regularly timetabled taught classes. You will need to be a team player to succeed on this course.Single Honours students combine Drama Studies with Theatre Studies throughout their degree, whilst Joint Honours students combine it with another subject outside of the Department of Drama. If they select an exit pathway that includes Drama, opportunities are available for Joint Honours students to engage more extensively in practice in their third and fourth years.