Drama & Theatre

Drama & Theatre (Pearson/Edexcel)

Do you have an interest in how plays are brought to life in performance? Do you enjoy performing, designing and watching theatre?

Theatre has been a part of human life for thousands of years. In following this course you will gain a deeper understanding of how theatre works.

You will have the opportunities to be a performer, designer and an active audience member. This course allows you to develop both acting and design skills.

Course Content & Assessment

Component 1:

Devising 40%. Internally assessed externally moderated

Creating a devised performance, including:

exploring an extract from a text in light of a practitioner
using this exploration to create ideas for a devised piece
working collaboratively to develop these ideas
analysing and evaluating the development process and their contribution to it
analysing and evaluating their performance
recording their process in a portfolio.

Component 2:

Text in Performance 20%. Assessed by Visiting Examiner

Taking part in two extract performance from two different texts, one a monologue or duologue and the other a group piece (free choice of texts), including:

developing performance and design skills
understanding the context of the extracts within the text
articulating their intention for the character they are performing
communicating their intention in performance.

Component 3:

Theatre Makers in Practice 40%. Written exam 2 hours 30 minutes

Practical exploration of a set text, including:

understanding of style, genre, structure, form
interpretation of characters
consideration of staging, including lighting, set and sound
consideration of costume and make up
understanding of social, historical and cultural context
how meaning is communicated to an audience.

Re-imagining of a set text for a contemporary audience in light of a practitioner, including:

exploring the work of a practitioner and considering how that would affect their re-imagined production
interpretation of characters and understanding of style, genre, structure and form
consideration of staging, including lighting, set and sound and costume
understanding of social, historical and cultural context
how meaning is communicated to an audience.

Teaching

The classes will be taught through a mixture of practical workshops, rehearsals and classroom study.

Lessons at the start of Year 12 will develop your physical and vocal skills, and your understanding of how to communicate meaning to an audience. You will learn creative skills in how to create ideas and devise drama, exploring a range of different styles through the study of a variety of practitioners.

You will be expected to work much more independently across all units than you have at GCSE. You will be expected to independently explore themes and ideas, and bring your research and concepts to the group, to further develop into a dramatic performance using an ensemble approach to theatre.

In the classroom, we draw on your practical experience and knowledge to help you understand how drama is communicated:

as an actor
as a designer
as a director and
as an audience member.

Your Future

Many universities offer courses linked to this A level. Theatre Studies is the most obvious, but the wide-reaching benefits of the subject make it a highly desirable A level for many other courses. Pathways include; working in the performance industry, in media, such as radio, television, journalism, or any communications based courses.