A Level Drama & Theatre

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out” Alfred Hitchcock

A-level Drama and Theatre helps students to pursue their interests and skills in a range of practical drama elements including acting, directing and technical design. This course is for students who enjoy reading, watching and taking part in plays, whether performing, directing or designing sets and costumes. It provides a pathway for students to be at the centre of the creative process, creating original and innovative work, as well as developing a wide range of skills and their subject knowledge.

It is a definite advantage, though not essential, to have completed GCSE Drama before embarking on the A-level course. Please note that there is considerable emphasis on written work in this course; the written elements within both practical and exam components constitute a large percentage of your final mark.

Drama and Theatre A-level combines well with most other A-level subjects, either as a complementary or as a contrasting option. Drama and Theatre is, of course, ideal for students who wish to pursue Drama and other arts-based subjects at university but is also useful for a wide range of areas that require interpersonal and communication skills. Our past students are working in a wide range of areas from theatre, TV and film to law, marketing, personal relations, and education.

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Course Details

AQA A Level Drama and Theatre – 2 year course

Component 1 – Drama & Theatre

You will study two contrasting set texts, examining how plays are put together, their social/cultural/historical significance and the ways in which they can be brought to life on the stage.  Study is through workshops, research, theatre visits and discussion. You will also study the work of theatre makers through live theatre analysis and evaluation.  We will be expected to attend a number of live theatre productions across the two-year course.

40% Written exam 3 hours

Component 2 – Creating Original Drama

You will work with fellow students on the process of devising an original piece of drama for presentation to an audience. The piece must be influenced by the methodologies of a prescribed practitioner.

30% Practical and written notebook

Component 3 – Making Theatre

You will work in groups to rehearse and perform extracts from three different published plays.  The methodology of a prescribed practitioner must be applied to ‘extract 3’.  You will complete a reflective report analysing the theatrical interpretation of all three extracts.

30% Practical and written notebook

Course details and specifications can be found at:

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/drama/a-level/drama-and-theatre-7262

For further details, please contact – Sarah Glover – Head of Music and Drama

Joanna Baku – Teacher of Drama