The course investigates approaches towards contemporary devising through practice and discursive methods. It provides students with the opportunity to explore and develop their own devising practice through an individual project.

8 x 3 hour seminars/workshops

2 x 1 hour tutorials

1 x 2 hour supervised rehearsal/showing

1 x 3 hour presentation

Writing for Performance -THEATRE4016

Performing Character - THEATRE4085

None

■ Practical assessment of devising skills and knowledge through a 1/ short performance, or 2/ demonstration, or 3/ workshop: maximum duration 20 mins (50%)

■ Proposal: 1250 words (20%)

■ Critical Reflection: 2000 words (30%)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The course aims to:

■ increase students' awareness and understanding of the role and function of direction in a variety of contexts;

■ introduce students to practical approaches to devising, and to equip them with the skills and techniques required to develop and execute their ideas;

■ encourage students to develop an analytical approach to the contribution made to a theatre performance by direction;

■ enable students to explore and express a specific devising interest in considerable depth (through individual projects);

■ encourage students to develop a critically informed devising practice.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

■ exhibit an understanding of the contribution made to a piece of theatre by the director in a range of contexts;

■ show evidence of having developed practical approaches to devising performance and the skills necessary to explore, communicate and realise their ideas;

■ prove an ability to analyse and interpret the functions of direction and apply this understanding to finding and assessing their own directorial approaches;

■ show evidence of having developed a critically informed devising practice.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.