Course Content

The course focuses on working with plays from the point of view of a director, designer and performer. As well as developing performing and analytical skills, students acquire an understanding of drama art within a local, national and international context. Throughout the course students deepen and expand their experience of what theatre is; drawing on their involvement with the JCoSS Drama Department’s extra curricular provision including working with National Theatre Connections and a sixth form production.  The course gives the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary way to celebrate innovative and imaginative theatre practice.

Component 1: Drama and Theatre

• Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre
• Study of two set plays, one chosen from List A and one chosen from List B.
• Analysis and evaluation of the work of live theatre makers.

Component 2: Creating original drama (practical)

• Process of creating devised drama
• Performance of devised drama (students may contribute as performer, designer or director).
• Devised piece must be influenced by the work and methodologies of one prescribed practitioner.

Component 3: Making theatre (practical)

• Practical exploration and interpretation of three extracts, each taken from a different play. Methodology of a prescribed practitioner must be applied to Extract 3. Extract 3 is to be performed as a final assessed piece (students may contribute as performer, designer or director).
• Reflective report analysing and evaluating theatrical interpretation of all three extracts.

Assessment

Component 1: 3 hours written exam, open book, 80 marks, 40% of A Level
Component 2: Working notebook (40 marks), devised performance (20 marks), 30% of A Level
Component 3: Performance of Extract 3 (40 marks), Reflective report (20 marks), 30% of A Level

Expectations

To be accepted onto the course students usually need at least a Grade 6 at GCSE in Drama and at least a Grade 6 in English Language.   Students may be asked to demonstrate their practical ability to gain access to the course.  Independent learning tasks will be set as practice for the written examination.  Students will also be expected to maintain consistently a journal of the practical work, in order to produce the exploration notes and the supporting written evidence document. Independent attendance at as much live theatre as possible is necessary in order to research, understand and develop the craft of theatre directing and design and to meet the requirements of the written examination.

Examination Board: AQA.    Course Number: 7262