Drama and Theatre Studies

Key facts
Location: Canterbury
Award: MDrama (Hons), BA (Hons)
Type: Full time
Options: Year abroad
Further information
Download: Subject leaflet
Online: Department
Profile: Student profile

Kent offers one of the most exciting and popular Drama and Theatre courses in the country, which was praised as ‘innovative and leading in the field’ by the external Periodic Review panel in 2008. For us, studying drama means helping you to develop creative competence for the theatre profession. We have our eyes firmly set on theatre as it happens every day, in its various forms, from traditional text-based theatre to innovative performance practice; from theatre management to community theatre. Our close links with the profession are reflected in regular guest lectures, workshops, and opportunities for placement learning, leading to an excellent employment record.

For this reason, we offer a unique four-year single honours course leading to the exclusive award of MDrama, an undergraduate Master’s degree. The programme has a pre-professional year where you focus on one selected professional specialism such as directing, producing or designing or following a research pathway. Our degrees also include the opportunity to apply for a year’s study abroad in Europe or the US.

The course is taught by a team of international experts in their fields. Modules covers topics such as Shakespeare, stand-up comedy, Greek theatre, acting, physical theatre, theatre management and performance art, so you can develop your in-depth knowledge of methodological approaches, creative ideas, and historical evidence.

Degree programmes

Single honours
Did you know?

Kent was ranked 7th in the UK for Drama in The Complete University Guide 2009.

  • Drama and Theatre Studies (W421)
Joint honours

These are some of the more popular joint honours degrees. For other combinations, see the Honours Degree Quick Reference Guide (pdf).

Drama and…

  • Classical & Archaeological Studies (QW84)
  • Comparative Literature (QW24)
  • English and American Literature (QW34)
  • Film Studies (WW46)
  • French (RW14) 4
  • German (RW24)
  • Hispanic Studies (WR44)
  • History (VW14)
  • Italian (RW34)
  • Multimedia (GW44)
  • Philosophy (VW54)

Core modules

Stage 1
Core modules
  • Modern Theatre
  • Performance Skills
  • Texts for Theatre (single honours only)
  • Theatre Workshop
Options

If you are a joint honours student, you take Modern Theatre and either Theatre Workshop or Performance Skills, and modules from your other subject.

 
Stage 2

Single Honours students take one compulsory module and a choice of options. Joint honours students choose two 30-credit modules.

Compulsory module
  • Explorations in Theatre Practice (single honours only)
Options
  • Acting
  • American Drama
  • Greek Theatre
  • British Theatre 1860-1940
  • Commedia dell’arte
  • Contemporary European Theatre
  • English Theatre: Restoration to Victorian
  • European Naturalist Theatre and its Legacy
  • History of Performance Art
  • Making Performance 20th and 21st Century
  • Multimedia Theatre
  • Physical Theatre 1
  • Playwriting for Beginners
  • Popular Performance
  • Shakespeare’s Theatre
  • Site-specific Performance
Stage 3
Options

Single and joint honours students have a choice of options.

  • British Theatre 1945 -2005
  • Cultural Policies
  • Dance and Discourse
  • Dissertation Option
  • Drama and Society in the Age of Shakespeare
  • Making Performance
  • New Directions
  • Performing Classical Texts
  • Performing Lives
  • Performance: the Seminar
  • Physical Theatre 2
  • Places of Performance
  • Scenography: Practice and Theory
  • The Shakespeare Effect
  • Stand-up Comedians
Stage 4

You take one of the following options as a year long pre-professional specialism:

  • Applied Performance
  • Contemporary Performance Practice
  • Creative Producing
  • Design for Performance
  • Directing
  • European Theatre (Research Specialism)
  • Stand-up Comedy
  • Theatre Dramaturgy.
A year abroad

Single honours students can apply to spend a year abroad studying at a university either in Europe or the USA in your third year and return into the fourth year on the MDrama with a Year Abroad programme. Joint honours students may be able to spend a year abroad with their other subject.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is through workshops, seminars, lectures, and practical projects. Drama and Theatre modules are continuously assessed, based on coursework, projects and presentations (practical or research), essays and dissertations.

Entry requirements

Passing the Kent Foundation Programme for International Students guarantees you entry onto the first year of these degree programmes.

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Offer levels

Single honours: A level 340 points (over 3 A level equivalents) inc AAB at A level, BTEC DDM overall, IB Diploma 33 points or IB Diploma with 17 points at Higher inc 6 in Theatre where taken.

Joint honours: A/AS level 300/320 points (3.5 A level equivalents) inc BB/AB at A level, BTEC DDM/DMM overall, IB Diploma 33 points or IB Diploma with 15/16 points at Higher inc 6 in Theatre where taken.

Required subjects

Careers

Past graduates have become theatre producers, literary managers, journalists, authors, directors, performers, scriptwriters for television, stand-up comedians, casting agents, event managers, arts administrators, community theatre officers for local councils, drama teachers, and many have gone on to further postgraduate study.