Drama and Theatre Studies

Course summary

Professions, without exception, demand at least some of what A Level Drama and Theatre is able to offer – collaboration, evaluation and analysis, empathy, creativity, reflection and self-review, presentation skills and confidence. So, this course is not exclusively for those considering a career in some aspect of theatre, television or film. For those who are, A Level Drama and Theatre at New Hall offers an opportunity to make, perform, interpret and understand theatre. We aim to extend the aspiration to include all actors and all theatre-makers, whether onstage performers, backstage crew, designers, directors or technicians. We want to encourage students through drama to explore, imagine and create other worlds, and to understand and develop empathy with other chA Level Drama and Theatre promotes a balance between practical theatre-making and the theoretical understanding of drama and theatre. We use the Eduqas A Level specification, which is a stimulating and engaging course. It consists of three components as follows: Component 1 – Theatre Workshop. Learners participate in the creation, development and performance of a piece of theatre based on a reinterpretation of an extract from a published text. Learners are assessed on either acting or design and will use the techniques and working methods of an influential theatre practitioner or a recognised theatre company. As well as the performance, students will produce a creative log and together they are worth 20% of the qualification. Component 2 – Text in Action. In this module, students create and develop, perform or design, two pieces of theatre based on a stimulus supplied by the examination board. Learners are assessed as actors or designers and perform in front of an external, visiting examiner. A process and evaluation report will be completed within a week of the performance. This component is worth 40% of the qualification. Component 3 – Text in Performance, the written examination. Students study two complete texts and an extract from a third contrasting text. After exploring the plays, practically, students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in interpreting them for performance. One text is from pre-1956, such as Ibsen’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ and the other, post-1956, such as Dario Fo’s, ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’. The final text is the award-winning ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’.aracters.