Playwriting
MA, PGDip, PGCert

Modules

• Making Theatre Core

Making Theatre (Core)

Shows students how a production is put together and takes them through the process of putting together a show, from the moment that a show is programmed for performance to the final production. Ensuring playwrights fully understand the practical processes of how their work will be realised on stage.

This module is offered to London Theatre and Playwriting students.

Credits: 20

• London Fringe Theatre Core

London Fringe Theatre (Core)

Introduces students to the area of London theatre where they are most likely to find work in their initial career as a theatre writer, critic or researcher.

The module introduces students to those venues and production spaces most likely to produce innovative work including venues such as the Arcola in Hackney, the Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Soho Theatre, the Bush, the Dorfman at the National Theatre, The Orange Tree in Richmond. These theatres also encourage new playwrights to submit work for production at these theatres and so will be very useful to students of MA Playwriting.

This module is offered to London Theatre and Playwriting students.

Credits: 20

• London Physical Theatre and Live Art Core

London Physical Theatre and Live Art (Core)

Why is the most experimental kind of theatre presented in Fringe venues, and has physical theatre gone mainstream via the success of companies such as Knee High and Punchdrunk? Students will be encouraged to think about the future of experimental theatre and to consider Live Art as the future mainstream performance style. The nature of London Physical Theatre will be explored, and there will be an examination of what constitutes contemporary physical theatre and live art. The relationship between modern playwriting and creating narrative play work for new kinds of theatre will be discussed.

This module is offered to London Theatre and Playwriting students.

Credits: 20

• Researching and Working in Theatre Core

Researching and Working in Theatre (Core)

Gives students a solid foundation in research skills for postgraduate study – not only for academic study, but also the necessary skills to research theatre topics for playwriting or theatre commentary and critical writing. This is a forum for the development of critical understanding the contemporary theatre environment, as a critic, audience member, researcher and playwright.

This module is offered to London Theatre and Playwriting students.

Credits: 20

• London in Performance- the Art of Reading Plays Core

London in Performance- the Art of Reading Plays (Core)

Will consider the previous history of London plays and show how a series of key playtexts produced in London changed the nature of the British theatre canon – for example the works of Sarah Kane, John Osbourne and Edward Bond. This module gives practical, intensive scrutiny to some of London’s greatest works.

Credits: 20

• The Business of Playwriting Core

The Business of Playwriting (Core)

A strong industry focus connecting the playwright to networks for the reception and dissemination of their new work, giving students an insight into how to develop the necessary professional network to get their plays staged in London. The module also develops the students’ awareness of marketing and advertising as a tool to promote their own work as a new playwright and considers the value of YouTube trailers, advertising on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

Credits: 20

• Creative Workshop Core

Creative Workshop (Core)

Offers the student an opportunity to bring their work in progress in for discussion in small formative peer support groups and to for individual targeted specialist feedback from the tutor and visiting playwrights or guest-speakers leading a masterclass. This module leads to the student writing their own full-length play script.

Credits: 60