Theatre

Drama and Theatre - BA (Hons)

UCAS code W400

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2017

You study traditional theatre and contemporary performance practice, developing the skills and creative vision needed for a career as a theatre professional. Come to Kent if you want to shape the theatre of the future.

Overview

Drama and Theatre is based in the School of Arts, a creative and academic hub for students in drama, film, media studies and art history.

As a Drama and Theatre student, you get the best of both worlds with experienced academic teaching staff working alongside research and theatre professionals who have worked in theatre design, directing, stage management, stand-up comedy, acting and arts funding. You can also learn from our technical team, which includes a production manager and three technicians.

We are renowned for our innovative teaching methods, which include devising modules that allow you to:

  • create exhibitions or work in the community
  • write a stand-up routine or a theatre review
  • produce a variety show or a site-specific performance.

Our degree programme

At Kent, we challenge the distinction between practical and theoretical study, which means many of our modules include both written and performed assessments.

In your first year, you learn basic performance skills, technical theatre disciplines, and how to work creatively and safely on and behind the stage.

In your second year, you begin to shape your own degree with a wide range of modules to choose from. For example, you could focus on European theatre, costume and fashion, Shakespeare, avant-garde theatre movements or popular performance.

In your final year, you complete an independent or creative project and can choose modules on playwriting, performance or further develop the areas studied in your second year.

You graduate with an understanding of theatre in all its forms and the creative competence to succeed in a future career.

Year of professional experience

It is possible to spend a year on placement gaining valuable workplace experience and increasing your professional contacts. You don’t have to make a decision before you enrol at Kent but certain conditions apply. 

Year abroad

We offer the option to study abroad for a term or a year at one of our partner institutions in Europe, the USA or South Africa. You don’t have to make a decision before you enrol at Kent but certain conditions apply. 

Study resources

Facilities to support Drama and Theatre students include:

  • studios with lighting rigs and a spacious control box housing the latest equipment
  • the 120-seat Aphra Theatre
  • the Lumley studio
  • a fully equipped construction workshop
  • a sound studio
  • the 340-seat Gulbenkian Theatre
  • rehearsal and teaching studios
  • the University’s Templeman Library, which is renowned for its drama and theatre manuscripts, including collections of playbills, prints, programmes and other theatre ephemera
  • Digital Theatre Plus, which provides full-length films of British theatre productions, in addition to interviews with the cast and the creative and production teams.

Extra activities

There are a whole range of student-run societies. In previous years, students have had the opportunity to join:

  • T24 Drama – produces and puts on six shows a term
  • Musical Theatre – produces musicals and musical showcase
  • Circus – a collective of artists and creative characters
  • Glee – a choir for people who love to sing
  • Costume for Stage and Screen – design and sew costumes.

The School of Arts organises special events that you are welcome to attend. These may include:

  • symposia
  • seminars
  • conferences and exhibitions
  • guest lectures by professionals from the world of theatre.

Professional network

The School of Arts has developed links with some of the major players in the industry:

  • Bobby Baker
  • C&T theatre
  • Gulbenkian Theatre
  • Little Bulb Theatre
  • Marlowe Theatre
  • Oily Cart
  • Reckless Sleepers
  • Shakespeare’s Globe.

Independent rankings

Drama at Kent was ranked 16th in The Complete University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 92% of students were satisfied with the quality of teaching.

For graduate prospects, Drama at Kent was ranked 9th in The Complete University Guide 2017. Drama and Theatre students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Year in industry

Your placement year takes place between your second and final year. It is a great opportunity to gain workplace experience, increase your professional contacts and acquire new skills, and is a valuable addition to your CV.

You can take your placement year in the UK or abroad with a wide range of employers in areas including the arts, education and cultural heritage. While you are responsible for finding your placement, we offer support and guidance through the application process. 

Tuition fees for the placement year are greatly reduced and employers may offer expenses or a salary. 

The placement year is assessed on a pass/fail basis and does not count towards your final degree classification.

Year abroad

Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability. 

All students within the Faculty of Humanities can apply to spend a term or year abroad as part of their degree at one of our partner universities in North America, Asia or Europe. You are expected to adhere to any progression requirements including achieving a merit at Stage 1 and Stage 2 to proceed to the term or year abroad. 

The term or year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. To find out more, please see Go Abroad.

Teaching and assessment

We use a variety of teaching methods including seminars, lectures, practical workshops, screenings and one-to-one tuition. Many modules include theatre visits, and theatre practitioners regularly visit us for guest lectures and workshops. We want our students to develop the creative competence to succeed in a future career in the theatre profession, or the wider creative industries.

Modules assessment is based on coursework, projects and presentations, performances, essays and dissertations.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

  • provide a stimulating environment which encourages and assists you to achieve your creative and intellectual potential
  • produce independent, motivated graduates who are equipped to meet the needs of, and to contribute creatively to, the theatre and associated media and professions
  • develop critical judgement and personal organisation skills to enable you to respond positively to the challenges of further study, training or employment in relevant career destinations
  • enhance the learning experience through a range of teaching and assessment methods that reflect and respond to the values and diversity inherent in drama and theatre studies
  • provide teaching that is informed by research and current developments in the pedagogy of drama and theatre as well as theatre practice and the arts
  • provide a broad grounding in the subject in the early stages of study, becoming increasingly specialist in the later stages
  • provide you with creative competence and understanding that is grounded in (and prepares for) professional practice
  • offer you the opportunity to apply to undertake a term or year abroad or a year’s placement in industry.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You develop knowledge and understanding of:

  • key practitioners, practices and theorists of performance, including writers, critics, directors, actors, artists, designers and producers
  • historical and contemporary contexts of the production and reception of performance
  • the relationship of performance to its material, cultural and historical context.
  • histories, forms and traditions of performance and theoretical explanations of their impact
  • traditional and contemporary critical perspectives that inform the academic study of performance
  • the interplay between theory and practice
  • the processes by which performance is created, realised and managed including: the reading of written text and other source material; processes of rehearsal; writing and dramaturgy; devising, directing, design, stage and technical management and producing
  • the impact of theatre and performance within a range of social, educational and community contexts
  • the reading, analysis, documenting and interpreting of performance
  • the role of the audience; the performance and production skills necessary to communicate with audiences.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in how to:

  • read, understand and engage analytically with a range of texts, performances and other source material
  • research, evaluate and productively apply information from a number of sources (written, visual, aural) in order to develop and present a coherent understanding of the theory and practice of performance
  • critique performance events and processes
  • undertake and manage extended independent and creative research
  • understand processes of creativity and deploy and critique these in your own work
  • record, document and analyse processes of making performance
  • understand and apply appropriate interdisciplinary practices, concepts and skills
  • present coherent arguments verbally and in writing
  • understand the relationship of performance to a range of critical, historical and cultural frameworks for its production and reception.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

  • reading and evaluating scripts, performance texts and other theatre documents from a range of critical and practical perspectives
  • envisioning the performance possibilities of a play text, script and other textual or documentary sources
  • realising performances derived from a range of starting points (for example, a script; a theoretical position; documentary material; a specific location) and using a range of techniques, structures and working methods to develop those performances
  • engaging and collaborating in production and performance
  • engaging with current debates on theatre arts, productions, cultural policy and funding
  • practising creative, physical and vocal skills for practice-based work, including appropriate warm-up exercises and techniques
  • using technical apparatus and associated resources necessary to realise the demands of production in live and recorded performance safely, efficiently and effectively
  • documenting performance processes and events
  • engaging in research, whether independent, group or practice-based
  • considering theories of spectatorship, developing an awareness of the audience or client group for performance, and an ability to respond and adapt to it through flexible means.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

  • working collaboratively with others utilising a variety of team structures and working methods, understanding group dynamics and handling interpersonal issues
  • developing and pursuing creative projects within specified resource constraints (for example, time, space and/or budget), therefore, developing problem-solving skills
  • managing workloads to meet deadlines and sustaining focus for extended periods working on independent creative projects, developing autonomy and self-management
  • using information retrieval skills to gather and critically evaluate material
  • applying critical and creative skills in diverse forms of discourse and media
  • identifying health and safety issues and undertake risk assessments.  
  • negotiating effectively with a variety of agencies (inside and outside the programme), developing interpersonal skills
  • effectively and professionally communicating coherent arguments and propositions in a variety of media, verbally and in writing
  • undertaking basic design, engineering, construction, and technical work
  • demonstrating numeracy using scale, simple equations, simple geometry, basic arithmetic, data collection, presentation and analysis
  • reflecting on your own learning and progress, identifying strategies for development, exploring strengths and weaknesses and developing autonomy in learning and continuous professional development.

Careers

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have developed careers as:

  • journalists
  • authors
  • literary managers
  • directors
  • performers
  • scriptwriters for television
  • stand-up comedians
  • casting agents
  • event managers
  • arts administrators
  • community theatre officers for local councils
  • drama teachers.

Some have gone on to work for major players in the West End and for theatre companies. These include:

  • Mark Rubinstein
  • Sonia Friedman
  • Bill Kenwright
  • DV8
  • Complicite.

We also support past students to set up companies and remain in Kent with the Graduate Theatre Scheme. Successful professional companies who started with us include:

  • Little Bulb Theatre
  • The Pantaloons
  • The Noise Next Door
  • Three Half Pints (stars of Spot Bots).

Our graduates include:

  • Lyn Gardner, theatre critic (The Guardian)
  • Alan Davies
  • Claire Marshall of Forced Entertainment
  • Charlotte Knight, literary agent
  • Russell Bolam, director (Bristol Old Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company)
  • Matthew Gordon, theatre producer (Associate Producer, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd)
  • Kevin Walsh (Operations Director at Graeae theatre company)
  • Louise Arnold, novelist
  • Jimmy McGhie and Tiernan Douieb, comedians
  • Matt Evans, scriptwriter (EastEnders, Law & Order, New Tricks)
  • Adam Brace, playwright
  • Julian Woolford, director (Head of Postgraduate Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting).

Help finding a job

The School of Arts works hard to maintain strong links with professionals throughout the industry, as well as with major players such as:

  • Gulbenkian Theatre
  • Marlowe Theatre
  • Shakespeare’s Globe.

We run the Kent Arts Network (KAN), which connects students, staff, alumni and friends from the creative industries. It gives you the chance to discover possible career paths and establish connections with current professionals.

The University’s Careers and Employability Service offers advice on how to:

  • apply for jobs
  • write a good CV
  • perform well in interviews.

Career-enhancing skills

Alongside specialist skills, you also develop the transferable skills graduate employers look for, including the ability to:

  • think critically 
  • communicate your ideas and opinions 
  • work independently and as part of a team.

You can gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.

Independent rankings

For graduate prospects, Drama at Kent was ranked 9th in The Complete University Guide 2017. Drama and Theatre students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).

According to Which? University (2017), the average starting salary for graduates of this degree is £16,600.

I was never planning to do stand-up until I performed comedy at a student show. Instantly, it felt natural.

Alex Smith Drama and Theatre BA

Entry requirements

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice. 

It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

New GCSE grades

If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

ABB

Access to HE Diploma

The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above

BTEC Level 5 HND

Distinction, Distinction, Merit

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 16 points at HL

International students

The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.

If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.

Meet our staff in your country

For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events. 

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme. 

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

UK/EU fee paying students

The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.

In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Fees for Year Abroad/Industry

As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status. 

Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.

Additional costs

The following course-related costs are included in your tuition fees:

  • Props and costumes for practice/performance pieces/student work
  • Tickets [excluding travel costs] for compulsory theatre trips

The following course-related costs are not included in your tuition fees:

  • Optional textbooks (approx. £50 in stage 1; £50 in stage 2; £50 in stage 3)
  • Optional trips/theatre tickets (around £45 per year, based on 2-3 theatre trips per year) and travel costs

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.