Playwriting and Text - TFT00107M
Module summary
This module is a practice and research based module that engages with the critical analysis of texts and performance alongside the practical development of playwriting as a craft. Seminars will provide opportunities to engage with a variety of texts from a range of writers and theatre-artists, with a focus on critical analysis, and will also follow a programme of practical study of writing text for performance, covering key aspects of the craft of playwriting.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
The aims of the module are:
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to deepen your understanding and knowledge of writing for theatre and key theatre practitioners across a range of genres and a variety of socio-political contexts
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to expose you to a range of texts from a diverse collection of significant and contemporary playwrights
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to develop your ability to reflect critically on performance texts and their contexts
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to develop your skills in writing for performance
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module you will be expected:
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to have deepened your understanding of theatre writing through the study of a range of texts and practitioners
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to have developed skills in critical analysis and playwriting
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to have written your own original playscript
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 0 |
| Practical | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Formative: Reflective / Critical Analysis essay (2000 words)
Ongoing embedded formative feedback through sharing of script writing in workshops
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Indicative reading
Reading lists will vary on an annual basis according to the research areas of staff but may include:
Alex Sierz, (2001) In-yer-face theatre : British drama today, London : Faber and Faber.
Michael Billington, (2007) State of the nation : British theatre since 1945, London : Faber.
Steve Waters, (2010) The Secret Life of Plays, London : Nick Hern Books.
Stephen Jeffreys, (2019) Playwriting - Structure, Character, How and What to Write, London : Nick Hern Books
Sarah Grochala, (2017) The Contemporary Political Play - Rethinking Dramaturgical Structure, London ; Bloomsbury