A Level Drama and Theatre Studies is for students who love performance, storytelling and creativity.
You will explore plays, practitioners and live theatre, while developing your own work as a performer, designer or director.
“Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to.”
Willem Dafoe
Are you interested in...
Performing and bringing characters to life
Exploring plays, theatre styles and practitioners
Creating original drama from your own ideas
Watching and evaluating live theatre
Working practically, creatively and collaboratively
Designing sets and exploring technical aspects of drama
Component 1: Devising (40%)
You will create an original piece of theatre from a stimulus. This involves exploring ideas practically, applying the methods of a chosen theatre practitioner, rehearsing collaboratively and reflecting on your creative decisions through a written portfolio. Internally assessed, externally moderated.
Component 2:
Text in Performance (20%)
You will perform extracts from published plays, developing your skills as a performer, designer or director. This component focuses on interpretation, characterisation, rehearsal discipline and communicating meaning clearly to an audience. Externally assessed.
Component 3:
Theatre Makers in Practice (40%)
You will study set texts from the perspective of a theatre maker and learn how to analyse live theatre. This written exam explores how performance, design, staging and directorial choices shape meaning for an audience. Examination, written paper.
ASSESSMENT
Devised project (Component 1) – Performance and Portfolio. Internally assessed and externally moderated.
Text in Performance (Component 2). Externally assessed by a visiting examiner.
Written paper (Component 3) – 2 hours 30 minutes. Externally assessed.
SUBJECT EXPERTS
Mr McGinley, Subject Lead – Drama
Mr McGinley trained at Rose Bruford College and worked as an actor and stage manager for several years before training as a teacher. He has over 20 years' experience teaching Drama in Secondary schools in North London and Hertfordshire.
Mr McGinley also has run a successful weekend Performing Arts academy in North London and directed many of their productions, including four shows at His Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket.
Mr McGinley has also run his own Youth Theatre company, directing productions for the National Theatre Connections Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He is also an experienced tutor of LAMDA Speech and Drama exams.
Enrichment opportunities
Theatre visits to experience live professional performance.
Practical workshops with visiting theatre practitioners.
Opportunities to take part in school productions and showcases.
Rehearsal, performance and design opportunities beyond the classroom.
Support for auditions, portfolios and wider arts pathways
DRAMA CAN LEAD TO A CAREER IN:
Acting, directing or theatre-making
Teaching, education or youth work
Film, television, radio or media production
Arts management, events or cultural leadership
Law, public speaking, marketing or communications
Business management