Drama, Theatre and the Idea of the Play: Concepts, Cultures, Contexts provides different learning environments in which you will begin your essential theoretical and historical study of drama. You will focus broadly upon the rise of Western European practices but draw on contextual examples and theoretical perspectives from around the world. The module defines fundamental concepts, examines theoretical perspectives and explores diverse practices in the field of drama, subjecting each to critical scrutiny. The module addresses, at an introductory level, the challenge of dramatic theory and its impact on our understanding of practice, seeking preliminary answers to some fundamental questions: What is drama? How did it originate and develop? How does it work? What is it for? Why do we need it? The module focuses especially on the nature and evolution of dramatic form, confronting the range of dramatic genres and styles as they appear in both historical and contemporary examples of the dramatic text.

The History of the Actor: Traditions and Styles provides an overview of the historical development of acting from ancient times to the dawn of the modern period of drama. The module equips you with an introductory knowledge and understanding of the socio-cultural role of actors in different historical contexts. Broadly focusing upon the development of Western performance traditions, the module also draws on contextual examples and theoretical perspectives from around the world.

Introducing the Art of the Actor: Text, Voice, Chorus is an introductory practical exploration of the art of the theatre actor in a number of different historical and cultural contexts, ranging from ancient times to the dawn of the modern age of drama. The module provides a creative environment in which your own performance awareness of the art of the actor through theatre history can be developed.

Staging the Play: Text into Action provides a performance laboratory environment in which you will experience the creation of small-scale practical production projects, transforming play-texts into dramatic action, and culminating in the presentation of performance texts to an audience. You will explore traditional and innovative approaches to rehearsal and theatrical performance, enhance your improvisational, rehearsal and performance techniques, and collaborate as part of a creative group. Through the practice of making theatre, your theoretical understanding of dramatic performance will be broadened and changed and your awareness of the processes that turn text into action will be developed.

Analysing Theatre Productions: Interrogating the Performance Text examines how theatre productions are made, and how the conditions of performance, style of delivery and the various elements of mise-en-scène, work together to create and communicate meaning in the theatre. You will learn to interrogate the signs of live performance and subject a professional theatre production to closely detailed critical interpretation and explanation.

Drama Technique Workshops 1: Basic Practical Skills Development enhances your skills as a reflective practitioner in practical workshop environments. The module will focus on the foundation development of your acting technique and theatrical awareness. Integrating practice and theory, the module combines practical exercises with discussion, debate and research based tasks.

The Modern Age of Drama: Forms, Movements, Modernity focuses principally on Western drama and examines the development of the idea of the play in the social and historical context of the modern age (from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century). The module also investigates the position and role of drama within the diverse artistic movements arising in the period, and interrogates forms, movements and manifestos in order to find out what the dramatists of the modern era stood for, what purposes they believed the art of the modern theatre served, and what creative processes they went through in making work that spoke to and about modernity. The aim is to focus your critical and theoretical engagement on modern ideas about the play as a form, process and purposeful activity.

Modern Theatre Practitioners: Principles, Practices, Purposes focuses principally on Western drama to examine the role played by key theatre practitioners in the developmental story of drama in the modern period (from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century). You will explore the ideas, aims, beliefs and strategies of key practitioners and interrogate the principles, practices and purposes at the heart of their work.

Modern Rehearsal Strategies: Process Research investigates the processes underpinning theatre making in the modern era. You will analyse key theatre practitioners in the history of Western modern drama and interrogate their rehearsal strategies, exploring their different conceptions of the actor-director relationship in the rehearsal room. The aim is to develop your knowledge and understanding of modern approaches to the rehearsal process and study the creative working relationships which are necessary for that process to succeed.

The Making of Modern Theatre: Staging Classic Modern Plays examines approaches to theatre production in the modern era. Focusing on key theatre practitioners in the history of Western modern drama, the module provides the opportunity for you to present work, as part of an ensemble, to an audience where the piece is informed stylistically by your study of modern practitioners’ ideas about acting, training, directing and the art of theatre production.

Costume for Performance engages with the impact and role of costumes within theatre and live performance. You will research the wider notion of costume and examine the social, cultural and artistic context of costume. The module will guide you in exploring different aspects of interpretation and entail the research-informed construction of costumes for live performance.

Imagining Better Worlds: Theatre, Learning and Development examines the histories of performance interventions in local and global contexts and explores critically, using historical and contemporary case studies, the consequences and meanings of those interventions. There will also be opportunities for observation and practical experience of group creative projects. The module provides an essential introduction to creating performances and facilitating workshops in response to the identified needs of a specific community, a particular community grouping. You will experience and interrogate theatre practice in diverse cultural, social and political contexts as you focus on theatre making that takes place in a range of settings.

Drama Technique Workshops 2: Advanced Practical Skills Development enables you to enhance your skills as a reflective practitioner in a performance laboratory learning environment. You will focus on the advanced development of your acting technique and theatrical awareness in the context of the drama of the modern period. Integrating practice and theory, the module combines practical exercises with discussion, debate and research based tasks.

The Art and Craft of the Playwright is a practical and theoretical interrogation of the historical and cultural significance of the playwright, in addition to the idea of the play-text. The module provides you with a developed level of practical knowledge and theoretical understanding of the idea of the play. You will learn about the art of the playwright, subject that art to close analysis, and put your learning into practice. Investigating the historical and contemporary role of the writer in the context of live performance, the module will enhance your appreciation of what the scripted play does and how its elements function in the theatre, informing your own critical interpretations and supporting your individual creative attempts to grapple with the making of a play-text.

The Art of the Actor and Rise of the Director interrogates the cultural significance of acting and directing in the modern era of drama. The module will enhance your practical knowledge and theoretical understanding of the skills, technique and role of both the actor and the director in modern theatre. You will further your insight into the nature of theatrical performance, from the perspective of acting for live performance, and at the same time build your critical awareness of the historic rise of the role of the director in the context of live performance. The aim is to examine the role of the actor and director, experiment with the diverse processes of acting and directorial strategy, and scrutinise a variety of approaches to the analysis, rehearsal and realisation of text-based dramatic work.

The Dramatic Art of Comedy: Making Purposeful Laughter in the Theatre will be of particular relevance if you are interested in examining the genre of comedy in drama. The module focuses on plays and other forms of comic dramatic practice through the course of theatre history and across cultures. The module investigates the nature and meaning of the idea of comedy on stage in a range of historical contexts, interrogating the continuing power and resonance of the comic dramatic arts.

Researching Contemporary Drama: Theatre and Postmodernity advances your specialised knowledge and understanding of dramatic theory and dramatic practice, with particular emphasis on developments in the art of the theatre from the 1960s onwards. The module is an intellectually challenging exploration of the work of some of the key practitioners and companies in the contemporary field of dramatic theory and practice, tracing some of the paths and directions that theatre is taking today.

The Contemporary Ensemble: Theatre Manifestos examines exemplary theatre companies from the 1960s to the present, exploring different ideas and strategies regarding contemporary ensemble practice. The module is designed to be an inspiring examination of the work of some of the key ensembles in the contemporary field of theatre. You will investigate the aims, principles and styles of performance of these ensembles and apply this insight to form a creative, imaginative vision of contemporary company practice.

Ensemble Production Project immerses you in producing creative work that investigates and interrogates approaches to theatre and performance making in the contemporary era. You will examine the work of key performance practitioners in the contemporary field of performing arts and make ensemble productions that respond to the aesthetic directions being taken in contemporary performance practice, or which are inspired by a contemporary production ethos.

Dissertation provides the opportunity for you to undertake an independent investigation of an identified area of interest within relevant fields of current practice. You will identify areas of inquiry according to your own interests and strengths, and negotiate the parameters for independent study with your appointed supervisor. You will apply your research to the creation of a dissertation, which may take the form of a performance, creative, applied or written project.

Scenographic Costumes engages with the impact and role of costumes within scenography and live performance to enable you to master the design, development and construction of a variety of scenographic costumes. You will research the wider notion of scenography and costume and explore different aspects of the interpretation and construction of costumes. The module places you at the forefront of contemporary thinking about costume for performance and the performing costume and enables you to investigate the blurring boundaries between site, body and costumes.

Acting and Directing Reconsidered entails both reconsidering and re-evaluating modern conceptions of the art and cultural significance of the actor and the director in the theatre. The module also introduces contemporary theories and practical strategies relating to the art, craft and role of the theatre actor and director in contemporary cultures. You will investigate and interrogate their respective identities and working relationships in the context of live theatrical performance today.

Theatre, Gender and Sexual Politics explores a range of different types of dramatic text and theatrical experience linked to the fundamental themes of gender and sexual politics.  The module interrogates themes of gender and sexual politics and examines the ways in which playwrights and practitioners have sought to use theatre as a forum to challenge gender roles and sexual ideology.

Theatre of War: Ideological Conflict and Political Commitment in Drama explores a range of different types of dramatic text and theatrical experience linked by the fundamental theme of war. The module examines ways in which playwrights spanning the history of world theatre have sought to dramatise ideological conflict, political commitment, ideas about nation, and responses to colonialism and imperialism. The social, political and ethical roles and responsibilities of the playwrights who respond to war through the making of play-texts will also be debated.

On the Road: Enabling Better Worlds enables you to experience and interrogate interventionist theatre practice in diverse cultural, social and political contexts. Working individually or as part of a group, you will have the opportunity to plan, create and implement a company-based practical project. This will involve all aspects of conceptualising, forming a sustaining an interventionist theatre company. You will generate an original company profile and devise a clear company purpose and intent. From applying for funding, through to project completion and evaluation, you will design and implement placement-based events which explicitly address the needs of an agreed target audience or client group.  Viable creative and administrative structures will also need to be established.

Contemporary Popular Performance explores and examines the variety of contemporary forms of performance that speak to notions of ‘popular culture’. This might mean, for example, that they specifically address audiences from a broad range of class, gender and racial backgrounds, that they intentionally engage with settings and environments beyond the conventional places of performance, or that they use forms and tackle content that are seen as more democratic, accessible, everyday, oppositional, critical, or political. The aim is to analyse the meaning and significance of ‘popular performance’ in contemporary cultures, examine the history, development and current status of ‘popular performance’, enabling you to understand the ways in which it can speak to, but also challenge, the meaning of the idea of ‘popular entertainment’ today.

PFA3107 Contemporary Popular Performance (20 credits) added as an optional module in Year 3.

112-120 UCAS Tariff points are required to join this programme with effect from September 2020 entry.