Drama

DRAMA

Why should I come to Pendleton College?
AS/A2 Drama is an exciting and challenging course, which is ideal for people with a keen enthusiasm for theatre - performing, analysing plays, devising performances, and studying theatre texts. The department offers students a rich programme of extra curricular activities with the chance to participate in plays, musicals, cafe theatre, concerts and theatre trips. The department has gained a reputation as an exciting place to study.

What will I study?
In the first year (AS) of the course, students will study two set texts. Through practical sessions, students will explore characterisation, and develop their own performance pieces based on the text. Alongside this, there is also a written coursework component to be completed. Students will also work in groups towards a public performance of a published play, as well as completing a monologue or duologue. There is no written exam in the first year of this course. In the second year (A2), students are given the freedom to devise their own pieces of theatre, and perform these in front of an audience. Alongside this, working towards a written exam, students will study a Shakespeare text, as well as a classical theatre text.

What will I achieve?
The majority of students who have taken this course progress into Higher Education. Previous AS/A2 Drama students are currently studying at a variety of institutions, such as Cambridge University, Central School of Speech and Drama, Leeds University, RADA, and many others. Some students also progress straight into employment as an actor, including leading television and theatre roles, such as 'Coronation Street.'

How is the course assessed?
Assessment is completed via a variety of different methods: teaching workshops, lectures, class and group discussions, practical exploration, performance and written work and a written exam in the second year.

What else will I do?
Students have the opportunity to appear in college productions staged for the general public, as well as in-house events such as the annual college variety show and can expect to attend a number of theatre productions.