Bachelor of Arts - Drama (W401)

Studying theater and drama at Essex enables students to examine some of the most influential play-texts ever written, and to be ready to take part in shaping the essential performances of tomorrow. This degree is a chance to unlock and explore their creativity. Students will be performing and producing work in the professional context of their state-of-the-art Lakeside theater, and will be developing a wide range of creative, critical and practical skills that will open the door to a future in the theater, cultural industries or a wide range of other graduate careers. At Essex, they offer a rich combination of practical workshops, critical seminars and lectures, and employability opportunities delivered by an experienced team of playwrights, directors, and actors, as well as leading academic theater specialists.

Areas of exploration in their modules include, but are not limited to:

• Dramatic literature from Ancient Greek tragedy and Shakespeare, to modern plays from around the world • Contemporary playwriting and devising techniques • Staging political ideas, human rights and social justice issues • Gender, identity, orientation and sexual politics on stage • Creating Applied theater in educational and community contexts • Emergent trends in interactive performance-making and audience participation

Through classroom teaching, practical experiment and professional experience, they help students craft the skillset that will be essential in their creative development. This approach reflects their core belief that engaging with both practice and theory produces a deeper understanding of how theater works.

The commitment to the student experience is why the Department is ranked first for drama in the Guardian University Guide 2020 and top 5 for dance, drama and cinematics in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020. The students love them too - 94% of their Drama students expressed overall satisfaction with their course in the 2020 National Student Survey. Other courses within the Department of Literature, Film and theater Studies, including Literature, Creative Writing, Filmmaking and Journalism, are available as options to all their students.