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Drama

Presentation: Drama

“The Theatre, which is in no thing, but makes use of everything - gestures, sounds, words, screams, light and darkness. To break through language in order to touch life is to create or recreate the theatre.” Artaud

Drama and Theatre A level is a dynamic and exciting and subject that introduces you to the world and wonder of live theatrical performance. You will learn about, engage with and develop an understanding of theatre practitioners and contemporary styles of performance, and will bring text to life through characterisation and performance skills. The course will enable you to a broaden your knowledge and understanding of current playwrights, classical texts and theoretical understanding of the genres and processes of recognised theatre practitioners.

This course is engaging, practical, academic and as a well-regarded subject can lead to further study at degree level in a wide variety of pathways.

Component 1: Devising Theatre (40%) - Practical coursework

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to work collaboratively with others to explore a range of stimuli in order to create an original performance piece.

You will develop skills in group work, research and negotiation, while also developing creativity, performance and design skills. You will consider the impact that you can make on an audience, as you develop the ideas that you want to communicate. There are three areas of focus.

Creating and developing a devised piece from stimuli. (Practical)
Group performance of the devised piece. (Practical)
Analysing and evaluating the creative process and group devised performance. (Written coursework)

Component 2: Performance of Text (20%) - Practical exam

Performance texts have been at the core of drama since the inception of theatre. You will interpret a text and rehearse and refine two key extracts, leading to a final performance. You will demonstrate and use a wide range of acting and/or design skills to communicate your interpretation in performance. There are two areas of focus:

Interpreting and exploring two key extracts from a chosen performance text
Performing or realising a design of two key extracts from this text.

Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice (40%) - Written exam

You will explore practically how a complete performance text might be interpreted and realised from ‘page to stage’. You will also analyse and evaluate your experience of a live theatre performance as informed members of the audience. You will develop skills to recognise the meaning created in the theatre space in order to communicate ideas to an audience. This will give you a more critical and varied approach to your own work as theatre makers. There are three areas of focus:

Study of one complete performance text – From page to stage (Woyzeck by Buchner)
Study of one complete performance text – Interpreting a performance text (Equus by Shaffer)
A live theatre evaluation.

A G5 or above in GCSE Drama or a Merit or above in Btec Performing Arts Level 2 are essential for Drama and Theatre. GCSE English or English Literature at a minimum of G6 is also required.

For further details please contact Anna Cookson ac@pershore.worcs.sch.uk or Loren Howland lh@pershore.worcs.sch.uk

Specification

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/drama-and-theatre-2016.html