A Level Drama and Theatre Studies Course

Ashbourne follows the AQA specification for Drama and Theatre AS level and A level.

A level Drama and Theatre tests your practical and theoretical understanding of theatre as you explore a wide range of play texts throughout the two-year course.

Practical lessons focus on performance work – getting on your feet and creating real theatre. In theory lessons, you will analyse and study the meanings behind play texts, such as forbidden love in Romeo and Juliet. In both types of lesson, you will be assessed primarily as an actor and how well you can perform a character or play style.

We look for your ability to convey emotions believably, take on roles of people unlike yourself and use your voice and movement differently on stage.

Exploring different roles in theatre
As a theatre maker you will be required to create your own plays and direct, by leading ideas and guiding other students in how best to show the play.

You will also need to show your skills as a designer, creating ideas for set, costume and lighting, which could create moods, atmospheres, or replicate specific time periods, as well as a theatre critic, analysing live professional theatre.

Performance skills
The majority of lessons will have a practical focus and develop your performance skills, such as character work, in studying the acting methods of Stanislavski and others; vocal control and movement, or understanding how best to stage plays and devised work. These lessons will always start with a physical and vocal warm-up. The warm up includes cardio exercise, rhythm practice, yoga and voice stretches.

Extracts from a studied script will be read together, before acting it out, by creating a mini-performance using a specific acting genre or style – a specific category of acting that follows set guidelines. For example, the genre of‘Realism’ focuses on making the performances as true to real life as possible, dealing with real issues. Whilst ‘Expressionism’ looks to place the main character in bizarre and unexplainable situations, in order to look at social oppression.

In these lessons your contribution will either be from an actor or director’s perspective. Skills developed include: acting craft, character development, directing others, staging work and creating director’s concept – focusing on specific themes within the script that you, as a director, really want to push to the front of the work to display to the audience.

Creating theatre
When devising theatre, you will have total freedom to create with the teacher giving feedback and advice on how best to improve the presentation elements of the work.

The work is led by you and the other students in your group, with total creative control. Skills developed include; creating theatrical ideas, storytelling, script writing, directing, acting, character creation and staging work.

In script writing, the teacher will support your understanding of how to structure a story, creating a narrative arc and ensuring there is a clear beginning, middle and end, surrounded by the desired conflict.

Theory
Some lessons will have more of a theoretical focus, for example looking at historical context (what was happening at the time the play was written and what effect it might have had on the play’s themes or ideas).

There is also a detailed focus on examine technique and how best to achieve the highest marks in written tests. Individual attention is given and feedback personal.

Lessons will support your ability to articulate creative ideas, develop your theatrical vocabulary, structure your writing for exam purposes and share own personal opinions on theatre and your views on it.

Lifelong drama
A level Drama & Theatre Studies is designed to inspire and enable students to become life-long theatre practitioners, actors, directors and writers.

It is a highly creative course, which requires students that are hard working, passionate and willing to give 100% to rehearsals (even at weekends) and performances, as well as theoretical elements like essays and written exams.

The subject provides a great opportunity to express and showcase creativity and performance talent.

Jo-Lee Schwaeble

BA (Hons) Drama; BA Drama & Theatre Studies; PGCE (Stellenbosch University)

Jo-Lee is a very active member of Ashbourne community and is always ready to share her love for the arts and learning. She has high expectations for her students so they are challenged and alway striving for excellence. Her aim is to help them unlock their love of learning so that it will become a fulfilling, enjoyable and lifelong pursuit.

TimeOut Magazine
Check out what’s on and where in London every week, plus reviews.
Frantic Assembly
Vivid and dynamic physical theatre that combines movement, design, music and text.
National Theatre Bookshop
Browse through a huge selection of plays and books on theatre at the National Theatre on the Southbank.
Royal Court Theatre Bookshop
Great value plays and plenty of new writing. Situated in Sloane Square.
Foyles
Wide range of plays and books on theatre and theory.