DRAMA & THEATRE STUDIES
Examination Board: EDEXCEL
What will I study?
Drama is an exciting and demanding course in which you will have to call on a wide variety of skills: academic, creative, technical and imaginative, if you are to succeed at the highest level. The reward for success is not only a valuable A-level qualification, but a great sense of satisfaction and achievement, an enormous increase in confidence, and much more highly developed organisational and communicative skills. These are invaluable in both employment and at university.
Drama at AS/A2 levels is a modular examination and is structured in the following way:
- Area 1
- Devised performances before an audience (AS+A2)
- Area 2
- A written evaluation of a live theatre performance, exploration through drama using dramatic texts and styles - approached using practical workshops, through experience of live theatre and individual research. Practitioners and texts will be related to historical and cultural contexts. (AS/A2)
- Area 3
- A visiting external examiner will mark a scripted teacher directed performance. (AS)
- Area 4
- This will consist of producing a structured record containing an evaluation of all the activities in which you have participated for Papers 1 and 2, and using this to write 2 one hour answers in a written examination with one creative question to be answered in one hour. (AS/A2)
What are the opportunities after A level?
You don't have to want to be an actor to do Drama A Level. Though obviously essential if you are looking towards a career in the theatre, it is a useful qualification for any career which requires initiative and an ability to organise and deal with people: advertising, marketing, PR work, retail management, journalism and personnel work are just a few of these careers. Drama A-level is recognised by all universities and most subject departments, but is particularly welcomed by departments of Media Studies, Film Studies, English Literature, Cultural Studies and Humanities subjects generally.
What are the entry requiremnets?
GCSE Drama, A*-C, plus four other GCSE grades A*-C including English Literature. If Drama is a new area, five GCSE grades A*-C, including English Literature, plus experience of Drama outside school.