KS5 Drama and Theatre Studies

A Level Drama and Theatre (AQA)

Who is the course for? Where might it lead?
This lively and challenging course cultivates attributes that are invaluable in all employment areas: personnel, marketing, public relations, broadcasting, politics, management, the legal profession, teaching, nursing, the police, as well as preparing students for areas of stage work, arts administration, design and theatre management.

Former students have gone on to study drama at Russell group universities such as Bristol and Exeter and acting at prestigious drama schools such as Rose Bruford and East 15.  Other students have studied costume design and stage management at the famous Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol.

Course Requirements:
Grade 5 or above in GCSE Drama and GCSE English (Language or Literature).
Excellent attendance is a must and students will be expected to undertake a considerable amount of self-supported study.

Course Content:
Lessons involve practical work, including collaborating with others, exploring ideas in different forms through a study of theatre history, text based work, improvisation, physical theatre and technical elements. Theory work includes reading and analysing texts and the ideas of different theatre practitioners. Students need to see live theatre both with the school and independently which will be discussed and analysed in lessons.

Assessment

Component 1 – Drama and Theatre:
40% of the A-Level
3 hours written examination
80 Marks
One question from each of three sections:
Section A – one question (from a choice) on one of the set plays (25 Marks)
Section B – one three part question on a given extract from one of the set plays (30 marks)
Section C – one question (from a choice) on the work of theatre makers in a single live production (25 marks)

Component 2 – Creating Original Drama:
30% of the A-Level
Working notebook (40 marks)
Devised performance (20 marks)
60 marks in total
This component is marked by your teachers and moderated by AQA. This is a group performance of a devised piece that has been influenced by the work and methodologies of a prescribed practitioner.

Component 3 – Making Theatre:
30% of A-Level
Reflective report (20 marks)
Performance of extract 3 (40 marks)
60 marks in total
A practical exploration and interpretation of three extracts, each taken from a different play. The methodology of a prescribed practitioner must be applied to Extract 3, which will be performed as a final assessed piece to a visiting examiner.