AS/A Level Drama
- Graig Campus
Theatre is the story that we, as humankind, tell ourselves about ourselves. It is our collective memory as well as our way of exploring who we are and where we are heading. We have told this story for over 2500 years and continue to tell it in new forms every day.
This A level drama course is designed to allow students to continually improve their interests in drama as practitioners and investigators of theatrical context and genre. Classical and contemporary performance technique is developed alongside critical thinking and theory related to the function and purpose of drama. Every year there are trips to a variety of productions, such as The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), alternative theatrical venues, and there are planned trips to London that enhance and expand your understanding of material encountered.
Course details
- Full time
- Face-to-Face
Admin Fee: £25
What you will learn
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Programme Features
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Programme content
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Progression and employment
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Method of assessment
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Entry requirements
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Additional costs
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Why Study Drama and Theatre Studies?
The course encourages students to attend as many live performances as possible throughout their time on the programme. The students are fully integrated into the performing arts department and have the opportunity to be involved in extracurricular sessions, workshops and productions.
The course is active, practical, thought-provoking and, above all, enjoyable, as it allows students the opportunity to carry out practical work in a realistic environment as well as classwork. It develops our students’ skills within the context of world theatre through the study of plays, their interpretation and the means of bringing them alive from the page to the stage.
The course adds a Welsh dimension by the study or performance of Anglo-Welsh playwrights through practical work in English.
AS Unit 1: THEATRE WORKSHOP
‘In the dark times will there be singing? Yes, there will be singing about dark times’.
Here you will explore the theatrical style of Bertolt Brecht, a revolutionary theatrical practitioner whose non-illusionistic techniques gave birth to much of what we know to be modern theatre.
Brecht explored the capacity of theatre to entertain, educate and bring about change in the world. Following an introduction to his theory and techniques, we will put them into practice through a reinterpretation of a classic play, George Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession”.
AS Unit 2: TEXT IN THEATRE,
‘Do good to your friends and bring harm to your enemies’
Here we explore Euripides classic, “Medea”. A tale of a woman scorned and the vengeance she seeks still shocks and enthrals audiences 2500 years after it was written.
Our focus for this unit will be how theatre is brought to life on the stage and made meaningful for a modern audience.
A2 Unit 3: TEXT IN ACTION,
A2 Unit 4: TEXT IN PERFORMANCE
A-levels provide an excellent basis for progression to higher level qualifications such as degrees or higher national diplomas in either university or drama school. There are a number of careers directly related to drama including actor, stage manager, arts administrator, drama teacher, drama therapist or production jobs. Other careers where the skills developed through drama might be useful would include community work, journalism or creative writing, marketing and sales, media and law.
Additionally, drama is a wonderful accompaniment for those pursuing pathways related to English, history, politics, law and psychology.
AS
Unit 1: THEATRE WORKSHOP: 24% coursework accompanied by a creative log and an evaluation.
Unit 2: TEXT IN THEATRE: 16% written exam.
A2
Unit 3: TEXT IN ACTION: 36% coursework which will include a process and evaluation report.
Unit 4: TEXT IN PERFORMANCE: 24% written exam.
A minimum of six GCSEs at grades A*-C To include: GCSE Mathematics, English Language/Welsh (First Language) at a C grade or above. A C grade or above in English Literature is also advisable.
All learners are required to pay an administration fee of £25 prior to enrolment.
You will need to provide your own stationery and may also incur costs if the department arranges educational visits.
Some of us will want to study Drama because we have not had the opportunity to do so before, some will be interested in the performance (or directing, or designing), some of us will be hooked on exploring plays and imagining how we would bring them to life on the stage, some of us probably cannot explain why we’re pulled to theatre - only that there is something inside us that can’t imagine NOT pursuing it. Regardless, if you’re ready to work you are all welcome.
Beyond the above, Drama and Theatre Studies is valuable for those who would like to explore the world of writing and performance that has continued since the founding of civilisation. It is an opportunity to sharpen performance skills, grow confidence, improve abilities to encounter and analyse texts, expand abilities to think creatively and develop the work ethic to convert this into practical performance.
Career opportunities are varied and numerous within the theatre industry but the subject also pairs well for careers that benefit from the creativity, mental acuity and courage that theatre requires. Students often take theatre in conjunction with a range of humanities subjects including Law, English, Media, Psychology and History.