Drama and Theatre Studies

As part of a Block 3 carousel, Theatre Studies seeks to establish good practice for group work, encourage a love of theatre as well as lay the foundations for those who wish to continue with Drama as a Bedales Assessed Course.

They study units in Dance and Drama and look at physical theatre including elements of both disciplines. All units include warm up activities, discussion, activities, reflection and the learning of theatrical vocabulary. The focus is on process, performance and evaluation.

Pupils also have the opportunity, outside lesson time, to get involved with the technical aspects of the theatre, through wardrobe and stage crew.

Throughout the year we aim to see self-confidence growing through students' greater understanding of group dynamics, of the expressive nature of not only the voice but the whole body and in a growing awareness of the impact we make on each other as individuals and groups. We also aim to maximise the opportunities presented by the Bedales Events programme by linking work whenever appropriate.

Students can complement their curricular study of drama by taking peripatetic lessons in LAMDA, RADA or Trinity and by auditioning for the Summer Production (Blocks 3 and 4) which takes place at the end of the Summer Term.

BAC Theatre

The Bedales Assessed Course (BAC) offers two dynamic years of Drama, taught to GCSE marking standards but beyond the scope of what the GCSEs offer. It enables students of all abilities to explore a wide range of theatrical styles, offering real variety in terms of performance and design potential and providing many opportunities for individual development and group awareness.

There are five wide-ranging and contrasting modules, all with assessments on process, performance and with accompanying coursework. The course ends with a presentation of learning and a live theatre evaluation report which links what they have seen as part of the Bedales Events programme, how it has influenced their decisions and how they have developed throughout the course.

- Unit 1 Naturalism
- Unit 2 Greek Theatre
- Unit 3 Site-specific Shakespeare
- Unit 4 Scripted Theatre
- Unit 5 Devised Theatre

Units 4 and 5 are influenced by leading practitioners and established theatre companies and have public performance outcomes in the Bedales Theatre and are viewed by a visiting examiner to ensure standards are precisely maintained.

We follow the Eduqas specification of Drama and Theatre. This is an excellent course made up of three components, with practical exploration embedded throughout. The specification promotes involvement in and enjoyment of drama as performers and/or designers. Students can develop their practical skills in both fields or concentrate on their desired option. They are also given the opportunity to develop their skills as theatre directors.

In Component 1, students reinterpret a classic text to create a piece of theatre, influenced by leading practitioners and established theatre companies. In Component 2 they engage with a stimulus to create two pieces of theatre; one naturalistic interpretation of a contemporary text of their own choice and the other a devised piece, again following the styles and techniques of a studied practitioner or company. Component 3, the written examination, is linked to the practical study of the subject and we look at three texts from the perspective of performer, director and designer. Our current performance texts studied are; Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal, Lucy Kirkwood’s Chimerica and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. The Bedales Events programme provides countless opportunities to attend live theatre performances and to develop skills as informed and thoughtful audience members. This is complemented by virtual performances which are regularly analysed and evaluated and the students take ideas from these professional works to add to their own projects.

We chose this board due to the freedom it gives us to study and choose a wide range of study text from different historical periods. It also enables students to work in (and develop in) a breadth of genres and styles and we allow them to explore theatre practitioners and companies which are often only introduced at university level. We are proud that our current BAC specification is a thorough preparation for this A Level course but those who join us from outside will be given the necessary support from teachers who have a huge depth of subject knowledge in dramatic education.