BA English and Drama
About this course
English and drama have been partners in education for good reason: they are both concerned with language, story and the way human beings communicate meaning. English develops your skills of close reading, critical interpretation and written argument through engagement with literature across periods and genres. Drama extends that engagement into performance, production, theatrical history and theory, asking how plays, scripts and devised work are brought to life and what they mean in the context of their audiences. Together, the two disciplines give you a comprehensive understanding of how language and story operate on the page and on the stage. At Royal Holloway, University of London, this three-year full-time degree allows you to move across an exceptionally broad range of material, from Shakespeare and Stanislavski to science fiction and Japanese Noh Theatre, from playwriting to poetic practice. You will develop your skills of literary analysis alongside practical experience of drama and theatre-making, engaging with both the critical and creative dimensions of each discipline. A sandwich year placement, a year abroad, and a work placement are all available, giving you significant professional and international experience that enriches your understanding of both subjects and broadens your sense of where they can take you. Royal Holloway's strong reputation in both English and drama, and its proximity to London's cultural life, are assets that run through the whole degree. Research, critical writing, creative production and collaborative working are all developed throughout. You will engage with a wide range of theoretical perspectives and learn to bring analytical and practical lenses to bear on the same texts and performances. Graduates move into theatre and the performing arts, publishing, teaching, journalism, broadcasting, screenwriting, arts administration, marketing and communications, and a wide range of other careers that value literary and creative intelligence. Postgraduate study in drama, English, creative writing or cultural studies is a well-established pathway.
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