Drama and Theatre A Level

The A Level Drama and Theatre course is designed to follow on from GCSE as it assesses the same skills but at a higher and more focused level. There is more autonomy from the students in A Level and they are given the opportunity to do performance work and interpret texts independently. This, in turn, develops leadership skills and improving confidence. A key factor to this course is to be able to communicate your own ideas articulately and fully justify them by making links to various contexts of the original performance of the play you are studying.

The written skills follow from GCSE, looking at texts from an actor's, designer's and director's perspective but adding in more detail and analysis of choices. Being able to constantly self-reflect, self-evaluate and self-analyse as well as evaluate and analyse the work of others is additionally important to this course.

Component one

Devising Process – 40% - Students devise a piece of theatre which they then perform. They will record the process in a portfolio.

Component two

Text for Performance – 20% • Group performance from a performance text • Perform a monologue/duologue from a different text

Component three

Theatre Makers in Practice – 40%

Component one

This performance and the portfolio will be assessed by the teacher and externally moderated.

Component two

This component will be externally assessed by a visiting examiner.

Component three

This is an externally set and assessed two and a half hour examination.

Grade 5 GCSE in Drama, if taken

Skills developed and opportunities available:

This course will enable students to develop key skills, which employers and universities are looking for from applicants.

Communication

Teamwork

Leadership

Problem Solving

Self-reflection and evaluation

Understanding choices people make.

Opportunities to work with professionals from Sheffield Theatres

This course can lead to various career paths including Journalism, Law, Teaching, Social Work, Medicine and of course Performing or technical theatre.