module specification

Theatre and Performance: History and Craft provides an opportunity to study the development of the genre via a number of canonical texts and transformative moments in the history of the form. Students study the formal characteristics of representative playtexts and the political, social and cultural concerns of the societies in which they were first performed. This is combined with a study of developing theatrical practice and performance, where students examine how writing and performance intersect, inform, and inspire each other. Students will specialise in the production of a playscript. The module is taught in weekly three-hour sessions comprising a lecture and writing workshop, and is assessed by presentation and script.

This module aims to examine a range of playtexts and theatrical forms within critical and historical contexts, to familiarise students with the vocabulary and awareness necessary to discuss texts and the creative process, and to encourage students to explore differences between texts as literature and texts for performance. Additionally, students will develop their scriptwriting skills.

Available for Study Abroad? YES

In this module students will discuss a range of dramatic texts which best exemplify key developments in drama from the Classical period to the Renaissance and the modern period, including movements such as naturalism, expressionism, absurdism and epic theatre (LO2). We will examine the interrelations between playtext, playscript and theatre (LO1). Students will be introduced to theories of performance, audience reception and intercultural theatre (LO2), and students will have the opportunity to specialise in writing workshops focussing on the function of scripts, the adaptation of playtexts and the creation of original scripts (LO3). All students will be able to workshop ideas in conjunction with students from the Theatre and Performance Practice degree (LO3), and the transferable skills developed will enable students to meet the challenges of employment in a society in which the creative industries play a central role (LO4).

Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. Students are expected to, and have the opportunity to, continue with their studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice.

The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, seek help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.

On successful completion of Theatre and Performance: History and Craft Part 1, students will be able to:

Cognitive intellectual abilities
LO1 evaluate the generic qualities of dramatic texts for a performance context;

Knowledge and understanding
LO2 demonstrate understanding of the history and development of theatre performance and performance texts across a number of periods, locations, genres and styles;

Subject-specific skills
LO3 criticise, write and/or produce performance texts and evaluate them in terms of context, theme, genre, audience and dramatic effect;

Transferable skills
LO4 adapt work in response to criticism of technique and understanding raised in seminar, workshop and feedback on written work.

Students will submit written coursework during the middle and at the end of the module and overall will require students to engage with at least two of the syllabus blocks. These assignments will allow students to specialise in creative or critical practice. Typically the written coursework will take the form of an essay, short story with commentary, memoir or set of reviews.

Presentations will require students to introduce a popular fiction text to the class and analyse it with reference to academic concepts and comparative texts studied in the main syllabus. Presentations may be individual or group (typically 5 minutes per student) or in poster form. A schedule for presentations will be arranged during the module, to be completed by week 27

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