Sixth Form Options Booklet

20

C L Clarke Director of Drama cclarke@mtsn.org.uk

Drama and Theatre Studies A Level encompasses a range of practical skills and theoretical knowledge of all aspects of the theatre. The course is designed to build theatrical creativity whilst developing performance and design skills alongside an analytical understanding. The A Level course is made up of three units. Over the two years, these units offer a mix of coursework and exams, both practical and written. Candidates study plays from the point of view of a director, designer, performer and critic. The A Level requires students to work closely with their peers, to be imaginative and creative, intellectual and skilled. The first unit (40%) involves a study of two stimulating set plays and an analysis of the work of live theatre makers, assessed in the form of a written examination. As part of this unit, students have the opportunity to see a range of productions in the West End and to participate in theatre workshops with professional practitioners and companies. In the second unit (30%), candidates create a piece of original devised drama influenced by the work and methodologies of one prescribed practitioner, assessed via a devised performance and written notebook. The third unit (30%) is a practical exploration, interpretation and performance of three extracts, each taken from a different play with the methodology of a prescribed practitioner applied to one of the extracts. A reflective report evaluating the theatrical interpretation accompanies the practical performances. Further Education Candidates who take A Level Drama and Theatre Studies go on to study a wide variety of subjects at a range of Russell Group universities, from Law at Bristol University to Geography and History at King’s College, London, and French and Spanish at Exeter University. Another read Medicine at Imperial University. The course is highly valued by employers because of the transferable skills students gain: communication, social awareness, empathy, critical thinking and problem solving are areas of particular focus. The A Level is also obviously eminently suitable for those students wishing to study English and Drama at University and beyond. Many OMTs have had very successful careers in the theatre, media and film including Nigel Lindsay and Riz Ahmed.