Course options
Key information
Duration: 4 years full time
UCAS code: W44F
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
BA Drama and Theatre Studies (with Integrated Foundation Year)
This course is available to Home (UK) students and students from the EU who meet the English Language requirements.
Our Integrated Foundation Year for Arts and Humanities is a thorough, skills-building course that will give you everything you need to start your study of BA Drama and Theatre Studies with confidence.
Arts and Humanities subjects, like Drama and Theatre Studies, provide key ways of understanding our complex world, its histories, and current debates facing contemporary society. Identity, political and social conflict, our interaction with new digital and genetic technologies, our stewardship of the environment are all issues where the voice of creative and critical thinking are key. Literary texts, films, plays and digital games offer important ways in which societies have debated - and continue to represent - their values and their futures.
Our Foundation Year sets you up so you’re ready to explore those debates and issues, providing you with opportunities to gain knowledge and understanding of how to approach studying the humanities, including your chosen degree subject. Learning from friendly, expert tutors, you’ll explore modules designed to give you a solid start to your study of arts and humanities subjects, helping you to grow critical skills to explore a range of literary, visual, and cultural forms, including plays, films, and digital media.
Once you have completed your Foundation year, you will normally progress onto the full degree course, BA Drama and Theatre Studies. There may also be flexibility to move onto a degree in another department (see end of section, below).
Choosing to study Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway will put you at the centre of one of the largest and most influential Drama and Theatre departments in the world. Here, you'll grapple with the big questions: about ourselves and our cultures, about how we make meaning and tell stories, and about ourselves in relation to other cultures, other times, and other forms of storytelling.
You'll create performances, analyse texts, and bring a range of critical ideas to bear on both. On this course the text and the body, thinking and doing, work together. There's no barrier between theory and practice: theory helps you understand and make the most of practice, while practice sheds light on theory. By moving between the two, you'll find your place as an informed theatre-maker, and by studying a variety of practices, by yourself and with others, you'll get knowledge of the industry as a whole, and learn how your interests could fit into the bigger picture.
We are top-rated for teaching and research, with a campus community recognised for its creativity. Our staff cover a huge range of theatre and performance studies, but we're particularly strong in contemporary British theatre, international and intercultural performance, theatre history, dance and physical theatre, and contemporary performance practices.
You'll be taught in incredible performance spaces you won't find anywhere else, each perfectly enhancing our teaching and research strengths.
On successful completion of your Foundation Year, you may be able to choose an alternative pathway which may include a joint or minor degree within Drama, or degrees within the Humanities (English (except pathways with Creative Writing), History, Media Arts, Classics, Philosophy, Comparative Literature and Culture, Liberal Arts). If you'd like to do this, you may take your Foundation Year Department Based Project in one of the other departments in Humanities.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Foundation Year
Term 1:
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Global Perspectives and Academic Practice provides a survey of world history that identifies key events and ideas from the Enlightenment to the present day through an examination of a range of issues related to the broad theme of globalisation. The unit takes a broadly chronological approach to the core issues but considers the overarching theme of globalisation from innovative and interesting angles such as the experience and participation of women, the significance of black, ethnic minority or third world perspectives, contributions and experiences, and the role of science as a driver of global interdependence.
The seminars and workshops take the core academic themes covered in the lectures as their starting point but centre around the development of academic skills that will enable transition, ‘upskilling’, confidence building and effective participation in the academic practices associated with humanities disciplines. This is complimented by weekly tutorials provided by your dedicated CeDAS personal tutor, a suite of skills workshops delivered by the Library, and fortnightly personal tutorials within your chosen academic department.
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‘Cultures of Reading’ is an exciting re-evaluation of what it means to read critically, and for the purposes of academic study. From Homer to Audre Lorde, William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou, this course explores a diverse selection of source materials from various historical periods in order to challenge our perception of how we read, why we read, and what we read. Can you ‘read’ a body? How should we read history? How is meaning generated? The course will pay attention to historical and political contexts, introduce philosophical concepts, and explore how meaning changes when texts are employed and re-employed in differing forms and genres.
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This course will explore critical approaches to and analysis of a wide range of visual media, including (but not limited to) paintings, films and photography. It will highlight and hinge on relevant historical contexts, such as the evolution of the printed press (c19th) and digital media (late c20th) as well as the impact of social/economic history on the consumption and production of visual arts more broadly from the mid c18th – the present day. After focussing upon key genres, comparative readings and analyses form a key part of the course, you will be introduced to comparative considerations of topics such as the landscape and environment through to portraiture from Classical times to the age of Instagram.
Term 2:
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Global Perspectives and Academic Practice provides a survey of world history that identifies key events and ideas from the Enlightenment to the present day through an examination of a range of issues related to the broad theme of globalisation. The unit takes a broadly chronological approach to the core issues but considers the overarching theme of globalisation from innovative and interesting angles such as the experience and participation of women, the significance of black, ethnic minority or third world perspectives, contributions and experiences, and the role of science as a driver of global interdependence.
The seminars and workshops take the core academic themes covered in the lectures as their starting point but centre around the development of academic skills that will enable transition, ‘upskilling’, confidence building and effective participation in the academic practices associated with humanities disciplines. This is complimented by weekly tutorials provided by your dedicated CeDAS personal tutor, a suite of skills workshops delivered by the Library, and fortnightly personal tutorials within your chosen academic department.
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How do we shape our understanding of the world around us through our interaction with material objects? How do we give greater meaning to our lives through performing and repeating particular social practices? This unit takes a close look at these two questions, inviting you to challenge your assumptions about the ordinary. No matter the degree you are going on to study, our deep dive into ideas surrounding material culture and social practices will enhance your capacity to think critically about the world around you. The course will explore the critical uses of ‘material culture’ and ‘ritual’ as terms and tools of analysis; examine objects and rituals from different periods, and also how the body, the built environment, and spatial aesthetics, all exemplify social practices. We'll encounter coffee cups, Cuban dancing, and carnival - among other topics - not to mention a few ghosts that haunt the buildings of Royal Holloway itself. Along the way you will develop critical and creative skills that will allow you to deliver effective poster presentations (an increasingly popular form of assessment in many Humanities degree pathways).
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‘Digital Cultures’ explores the intersection between the digital revolution of the past fifty years and the study of humanities in Higher Education, in order to consider the implications of this ‘encounter’ of the digital with the humanities. With the decline in public and private support for the humanities in full swing, this module questions whether the digital is a necessary ally to ensure that the humanities are continuing to communicate with, and adapt to, the needs of our contemporary, digitalised society. It will frame this ‘encounter’ by turning to moments in history where similar scientific advancements have reshaped the humanities.
Term 3:
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On this unit you’ll undertake a short, intensive course introducing key aspects of your chosen subject or discipline. The course will be assessed by Personal Development Plan (PDP) which is a structured and supported process undertaken to reflect upon your own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for your personal, educational and career development. Through structured tasks convened through a specially designed Moodle site, the PDP will guide you through a process of self-reflection, self-evaluation, and forward planning. As well as helping you to understand how you learn best, the PDP tasks will encourage you to conceive of and understand your subject learning in terms of transferable skills. Such knowledge will assist you in communicating your skills effectively in a non-HE setting and helps you with forward planning for life after the degree. Practical career planning will be an aspect of the process, with prompts around the value of work experience and the range of co- and extra-curricular activities and opportunities available to them during your course of study.
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The aim of the individual project is to enable you to engage in theoretical work on an agreed specific area relevant to your chosen subject. Topics will be proposed by supervisors from which you can state three (rank ordered) preferences or you may propose your own topic subject to agreement. The course will culminate with a joint Poster Presentation with all students on the Foundation Year.
Year 1
- Theatre and Performance Making 1
- Theatre and Text 1
- Theatre and Culture 1
- Theatre and Ideas 1
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Skills Lab offers a broad introduction to key working methods and research approaches in theatre and performance studies.
Year 2
- All modules are optional
Year 3
- Group Project
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
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All modules are core
Year 2
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In this module you will develop an understanding of non-traditional approaches to performance making that constitute the broader term ‘devised’ practice. You will look at methods of engaging with contemporary life, focussing on a number of key areas of devised practice, including their contexts, forms, and modes of documentation. You will consider the generative roles played by autobiography, the body, political activism and everyday life and use theoretical and practical research to develop your own performance pieces.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the methods of theatre directing. You will look at the role of the director from preparing a play text to staging a successful production, considering the collaborations between actors, designers, playwrights and producers. You will exmaine a variety of approaches to classic texts and new writing, and hone your skills by directing your peers in short scenes from a play of your choice.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the difference between stage acting and acting for camera. You will learn techniques for 'translating' your stage acting skills to mediated performance. You will collaborate through the year with directing students in the Department of Media Arts on an internal monologue film, a silent film, and a short scene, and these can later be used as part of an audition reel.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of a range of theatre forms that integrate dance and drama. You will look at the variety of ways that practitioners have chosen to bring text and movement into creative dialogue, using scores, play texts, choreography and movement processes. You will examine the values and principles that drive such experimentation and reflect on the historical, political and cultural contexts within which these practitioners worked. You will consider the work of practitioners such as Pina Bausch, DV8, Frantic Assembly, Complicite, Caryl Churchill and Martin Crimp, and develop a small group performance devised in response to selected texts and styles of movement/dance.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the role of spatial design in a performance context. You will look at how designers respond to and make space for theatre to happen, and through the study of visual composition and visual langauge, will explore the role of spatial design in a performance context. You will consider the the work of a variety of practitioners and will test out your design ideas in a series of practical and performance workshops focusing on textual analysis, space and place, object, performer and the spectator.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how theatre practitioners have frequently sought to represent social reality in order to critique it. You will look at the naturalist stage of the late nineteenth century through to contemporary verbatim performance, and explore the methods and implications of theatre’s 'reality-effects'. You will consider why so many theatre companies and practitioners in the twenty-first century have turned to documentary, tribunal, verbatim and other forms of reality-based performance, and examine a range of contemporary plays and performance texts from around the world, building an awareness of the politics, possibilities and limitations of 'staging the real'.
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In this module you will look at the work of debbie tucker green, one of the most exciting black playwrights of the early twenty first century, who's critical acclaim has recognised her original experimental linguistic virtuosity. You will explore the the performance possibilities of her playtexts, considering writing form alongside the topical social and political human rights issues she portrays, such as genocide, urban teenage violence, sex tourism and mental health. You will consider tucker green’s impact as a black British woman playwright by situating her plays in relation to trends in plays by other contemporary black British women playwrights, and examine her work within the context of 21st Century black British new writing.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the wide-ranging discussions of ecology and environmentalism in Shakespeare's plays. You will look at the relations between humans and the natural world, and consider contemporary environmental debates and theatre practices. Guest speakers, such as David Haygarth, Head of Energy and Sustainability at Royal Holloway, will address scientific and commercial topics such as the UN 15 sustainable development goals, and the Caryl Churchill Theatre’s green credentials. You will explore a range of plays by Shakespeare which stage the natural world, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, King Lear, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. You will also examine how environmentalism can impact both theatre and Shakespeare in performance.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of children's theatre and the current success of theatre for young audiences. You will look at the innovative performance styles of theatre companies such as Oily Cart and Theatre-rites, and consider how their work has been pushing the boundaries of contemporary theatre. You will examine the Unicorn theatre, the first purpose-built theatre for children in London; playwrights such as Charles Way, Philip Ridley, Neil Duffield, Mark Ravenhill and David Greig; and the work of theatremakers such as Mark Storor and Sue Buckmaster, who bring a blend of visual art, puppetry and live art to performances for children. You will critically analyse how performance installations can excite children’s imaginations, focusing on the visual, tactile and aural elements of theatre and performance.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the diverse art forms that investigate memory in dynamic conversation and the nature of art, history, and humanity. You will look at the disruption to the purpose, value, and nature of art in the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of the Holocaust, and move through the twentieth century to consider different cultures of memory, memorialisation, trauma, and witnessing. You will examine a wide range of cultural textual and performative genres, including first-hand testimony, plays, films, graphic novels, museums, and public monuments.
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In this module you will develop an embodied understanding of culture. You will look at different cultural contexts for dance production, considering the context of where, when and how you dance. You will examine the cultural production and consumption of dance, exploring theories grounded in cultural studies and their implications on dance and dancing bodies, such as Marxism, post-modernism, feminism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, gender and sexuality, and psychoanalysis. You will focus on popular dance, global popular culture, and dance on screen, and investigate the relationship between dance practices and the social, political and economic context in which they emerge. You will be encouraged to devise performances which creatively engage with cultural studies.
- Theatre and Ideas: Ideas of Gender and Sexuality
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of Tragedy
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of Adaptation
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of the Musical
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of Acting
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of Money
- Theatre and Ideas: The Idea of Casting
Year 3
- Creative Learning and Theatre
- Physical Theatre
- Shakespeare on Camera
- The Actor's Voice
- Actor Training in a Globalised World
- Love, Gender and Sexuality
- Race Relations in Theatre, Film and Television
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In this module you will develop an understanding of Shakespeare’s dramatic and literary craft. You will look at the historical context of the plays and the relevance of the plays today. You will examine a range of Shakespeare’s work from the Elizabethan Comedies and Histories, including 'Twelfth Night', 'Henry V', 'Hamlet'. 'King Lear' and 'The Tempest'. You will analyse key critical approaches to Shakespeare and consider the performance history of the plays.
- Naturalist Theatre in Context
- Final Year Project - Special Study
- Final Year Project - Dissertation
- Taught Dissertation
Teaching & assessment
In your Foundation Year, teaching methods include a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, individual tutorials, and supervisory sessions. Outside of the classroom you’ll undertake guided independent reading and study. You will also be assigned a Personal Tutor, who’ll be with you for the duration of your degree, and will have regular scheduled sessions to support learning and the development of study skills. Assessments are varied; quizzes, short written exercises, essays, examinations, poster preparation and presentation, blog/vlogs, short digital films, dissertations and personal development plans. In addition the Foundation Year offers a full range of skills-based training and also the opportunity to take a micro-placement to enhance your employability.
Once you progress onto your full degree course, you’ll be an active partner in your learning process. Our most important teaching tool is the seminar/workshop, a two to three hour class with a maximum of 20 students consisting of discussion, presentation of your research and practical experimentation, with or without written texts.
IT applications are used to explore many aspects of the subject, and we support your capability in this area through an Information Technology Skills course. Private study and preparation remain essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the university’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle.
You will also take a study skills course during your first year, designed to equip you with and enhance the writing skills you will need to be successful in your degree. This course does not count towards your final degree award but you are required to pass it to progress to your second year.
Assessment methods match the course content. For most course units, you will be assessed on two pieces of work, one of which is usually an essay, while the other might be an assignment such as a seminar presentation or a performance. Practical assignments include model box set designs, lighting designs, acting, directing and stage management tasks, physical theatre and movement presentations, or work with schools and other community groups. You will sometimes be assessed as part of a group. We do not operate formal timed examinations.
Entry requirements
A Levels: CCC
Required subjects:
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Mathematics.
T-levels
We accept T-levels for admission to our undergraduate courses, with the following grades regarded as equivalent to our standard A-level requirements:
- AAA* – Distinction (A* on the core and distinction in the occupational specialism)
- AAA – Distinction
- BBB – Merit
- CCC – Pass (C or above on the core)
- DDD – Pass (D or E on the core)
Where a course specifies subject-specific requirements at A-level, T-level applicants are likely to be asked to offer this A-level alongside their T-level studies.
Other UK and Ireland Qualifications
EU requirements
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
Your future career
Graduates from the Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance go into a wide variety of careers, as well as further academic study. Many go into performance, stage management, broadcasting (including at the BBC), arts administration, journalism, teaching, health, marketing, and PR. Lots of our graduates also start their own performing arts companies.You'll be familiar and confident in performance situations – skills which are vital for meeting and networking, and make you viable for visible leadership roles.
You'll also walk away with considerable experience of technical, intellectual, imaginative, and practical skills, valued by most employers. Aside from these performance skills, you'll also get whole host of other skills in research and project management.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250
Eligible EU students tuition fee per year**: £23,800
Foundation year essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course. It is a requirement to purchase a pair of safety boots in the first year, for which a range of cost options are available. Ticket costs for mandatory theatre trips are capped at £10.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
** This figure is the fee for eligible EU students starting this degree in the academic year 2024/25, and is included as a guide only. The fee for eligible EU students starting this degree in the academic year 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. Please be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree. The upper limit of any such annual rise has not yet been set for courses starting in 2025/26 but will be advertised here once confirmed. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
***These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing etc., have not been included.
