Drama & Theatre

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The WJEC Eduqas A level in Drama and Theatre is an exciting and inspiring course which prepares learners for further study in Higher Education. This highly practical specification provides learners with the opportunity to work as either performers and/or designers on three different performances.

In Component 1, learners reinterpret a text to create a piece of the Sixth Form Performance atre which is a combination of the selected text and original ideas.

In Component 2 learners engage with a stimulus to create two pieces of theatre; one an interpretation of a text of their own choice and the other a devised piece.

Both Components 1 and 2 are designed to encourage learners to make connections between dramatic theory and their own practice. While preparing their practical work, learners will explore the work of two theatre practitioners (individuals or companies) of their own choice and then apply their research to their performances or designs. Learners are also required to watch at least two live theatre productions and learn about the processes and practices involved in interpreting and performing theatre.

In Component 3, learners explore two complete performance texts and one extract from a third text. There is an exciting and diverse list of texts to choose from; centres must select one which was written before 1956 and one which was written after 1956.

Theatre visits and workshops with outside agencies are organised on a regular basis to help inform and develop students’ knowledge and understanding. A Level Drama and Theatre is suitable for any student who wishes to work creatively and develop their personal skills. Drama & Theatre also helps develop personal skills such as teamwork, organisation, time management, public speaking, and creativity. All of these skills are desirable from employers and universities.

"Young people that studied arts subjects tend to have higher employability and are more likely to maintain employment than those that did not study arts subjects. In addition, young people who took two or more arts subjects at standard grade tend to have a higher rate of employment than those who took only one arts subject.”

DTZ Consulting & Research, Arts and Employability

Minimum GCSE Grade Requirements

Grade 5 in Drama or if not studied, Grade 5 in English Language or Literature

Future Opportunities

This course is highly regarded by universities and requires a high level of personal commitment; it can be extremely rewarding in terms of students' personal development, general knowledge and interpretative skills.

Why choose A Level Drama & Theatre Studies?

The WJEC Eduqas A level in Drama and Theatre offers a practical and challenging course of study.

Learners are encouraged to:

develop and apply an informed, analytical framework for making,performing, interpreting and understanding drama and theatre
understand the place of relevant theoretical research in informing the processes and practices involved in creating theatre and the place of practical exploration in informing theoretical knowledge of drama and theatre
develop an understanding and appreciation of how the social, cultural and historical contexts of performance texts have influenced the development of drama and theatre
understand the practices used in twenty-first century theatre making
experience a range of opportunities to create theatre, both published text based and devised work
participate as a theatre maker and as an audience member in live theatre
understand and experience the collaborative relationship between various roles within theatre
develop and demonstrate a range of theatre making skills
develop the creativity and independence to become effective theatre makers
adopt safe working practices as a theatre maker
analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others

Workshops & Theatre Visits

Gecko Theatre Company Workshop (February 2024)
Ķīn, The National Theatre (January 2024)
The House of Bernarda Alba, The National Theatre (December 2023)
Workshop/Talk in Theatre from the University of Portsmouth (December 2023)
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Noël Coward (November 2023)
Life of Pi, Milton Keynes Theatre (September 2023)
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Milton Keynes Theatre (June 2023)
Dancing at Lughnasa, The National Theatre (May 2023)
Woman, Beware the Devil, Almeida (March 2023)
Phaedra, The National Theatre (March 2023)
Best of Enemies (January 2023)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (December 2021)
East is East, The National Theatre (October 2021)
I Think We Are Alone, The Oxford Playhouse (May 2020)
Nora: A Doll’s House, The Young Vic (February 2020)

Course Content & Assessment

Content

Drama & Theatre helps develop personal skills such as teamwork, organisation, time management, public speaking, and creativity. All of these skills are desirable from employers and universities. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the theoretical side of theatre as well as performance. Drama & Theatre also helps develop personal skills such as teamwork, organisation, time management, public speaking, and creativity. All of these skills are desirable from employers and universities. The course is designed to allow students to take responsibility and ownership of their own work which we encourage within the department.

Assessment

Component 1

Theatre Workshop Non-exam assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated - 20% of qualification.

Learners will be assessed on either acting or design and will participate in the creation, development and performance of a piece of theatre based on a reinterpretation of an extract from a text chosen from a list supplied by WJEC.

The piece must be developed using the techniques and working methods of either an influential theatre practitioner or a recognised theatre company.

Learners must produce:

a realisation of the performance or design
a creative log

Component 2

Text in Action Non-exam assessment: externally assessed by a visiting examiner - 40% of qualification.

Learners will be assessed on either acting or design and participate in the creation, development and performance of two pieces of theatre based on a stimulus supplied by WJEC:

a devised piece using the techniques and working methods of either an influential theatre practitioner or a recognised theatre company (a different practitioner or company to that chosen for Component 1)
an extract from a text in a different style chosen by the learner

Learners must realise their performance live for the visiting examiner. Learners choosing design must also give a 5-10 minute presentation of their design to the examiner and produce a process and evaluation report within one week of completion of the practical work.

Plays we have previously selected for exploration for Text in Action (C1) and Theatre Workshop (C2):

Our Town, Thornton Wilder
Jane Eyre, Adpt. John Caird
The Red Shoes, Jule Styne (Music) and Marsha Norman (Book and Lyrics)
The Ash Girl, Timberlake Wertenbaker
Lovesong, Abi Morgan
Breaking The Code, Hugh Whitemore
Dancing At Lughnasa, Brian Friel
Brontë, Polly Teale
Everyman, Adpt. Carol Ann Duffy
Market Boy, David Eldridge
Girls Like That, Evan Placey
London Road, Laurie Lee
The Memory of Water, Shelagh Stephenson
Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) and James Lapine (Book)
One Man, Two Guvnors, Richard Bean
All My Sons, Arthur Miller
Present Laughter, Noël Coward
Di, Viv and Rose, Amelia Bullmore

Component 3

60% coursework and 40% examination

Text in Performance Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes 40% of qualification

Set Text for assessment up to and including 2026:

Section A and B Open book: clean copies (no annotation) of the two complete texts chosen must be taken into the examination.

Two questions, based on two different texts, one written pre -1956 and one written post -1956.

Section A post -1956: Chimerica, Lucy Kirkwood
Section B pre -1956: Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
Section C closed book: The extract of text required for answering the questions will be printed on the examination paper

A question based on a specified extract from: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens

Details of the 10-15 minute extract will be released during the first week of March, in the year in which the examination is to be taken.