Drama
Do you enjoy performing devised and scripted drama, working collaboratively with others, problem solving, studying plays from different periods and cultures, and watching and analysing live theatre? If so, this might be the course for you.
Course structure
During the course, students study two of the following options:
- Devised thematic work for performance to an audience
- Acting
- Improvisation
- Theatre in Education presentation
- Dance/drama
- Set
- Costume
- Make-up
- Properties
- Masks
- Puppets
- Lighting
- Sound
- Stage management
When considering set texts and live plays, consideration is given to elements of performance that include: characterisation, voice (volume, accent, pace, timing, emotional range), physical qualities (movement, posture, gesture, facial expression), visual qualities (costume, make-up, properties), design qualities (scale, shape, colour, texture), the use of scenic devices, including lighting and sound, the play’s social context and genre, as well as an awareness of health and safety factors.
Although the emphasis is very much on delivery of the course through practical workshops, potential students should bear in mind that a willingness to develop note-taking and essay writing skills is an essential requirement for the course.
Assessment details
The one-year Drama course consists of two components:
A Coursework component, worth 60% of the total mark, requiring participants to work as a group to produce at least two pieces of work for performance. These might include scripted work, a devised drama, a theatre-in-education project, a dance-drama or a project which focuses on a design skill such as sound, lighting or stage management.
A two-hour written paper, which constitutes 40% of the total mark, requires the study of and response to Set Texts such as Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle or Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills and/or on live productions seen over the course of the year.
After the GCSE course
As well as acquiring creative skills, students will also have the opportunity to develop confidence, communication skills, concentration and self-discipline.
