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Drama and theatre studies

Why study drama and theatre studies?

Through the study of A-level drama and theatre, a subject which is both practical and theoretical, students will develop their skills of creativity, performance, analysis and essay-writing. The course can help to build a student’s confidence, improve their inter-personal skills and to develop their leadership qualities. Covering topics such as script-writing and theatre design, as well as the study of set texts and live theatre, students will gain a full insight into the world of professional theatre.

What our students say

“Studying drama at A-level allowed me to express my creativity where it lacks in my other subjects. The lessons are engaging and more academic than you may first think.” Charis

The range of theatre that we explore is great! I’ve learnt so much about different practitioners. The free flowing nature of the lessons allows us to take ownership of our learning through creating our own drama.” Lucy-Anne

“After getting involved in the school production, I realised drama is something I want to pursue as a career. GSAL drama is a perfect balance between creative, physical theatre and interesting studies of plays.” Ollie

Entry requirements

Grade 5 in English GCSE.

Potential courses

  • Acting
  • Performing arts
  • Drama studies
  • Theatre studies
  • Technical theatre
  • Journalism & broadcasting
  • Education
  • Media studies
  • Law

Potential careers

  • Acting and performing arts
  • Stage manager
  • Director
  • Costume and makeup designer
  • Television/film work
  • Community arts
  • Law
  • Sales and marketing
  • Public relations
  • Teaching

The A-level course

Unit% of A-levelContent
Performance Workshop20Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre. Key drama skills. There is an option to be assessed on either acting or as a technical/design candidate.
Text in Action40Process of creating and performing one scripted and one devised drama. Evaluation of both the creative process and their own performance.
Text in Performance40There are three elements to this examination: • Textual Study of a pre-1956 play and a post-1956 play from a set list • A response to a question on an extract from ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Or, if you prefer to chat to someone please call our admissions team. For Senior School call 0113 228 5121 and for Primary School call 0113 228 5113.