Drama

Drama as a university subject is concerned with the study and practice of theatre and performance in the broadest sense, encompassing dramatic literature, theatre history, performance theory, directing, devising and acting. It asks fundamental questions about how and why people have told stories through embodied performance across cultures and throughout history, and it develops both your analytical understanding of theatre as an art form and your practical skills as a maker and performer of theatre. Drama graduates are creative, collaborative and articulate, and the discipline develops capabilities that are highly transferable across many sectors.

At the University of East Anglia, this three-year full-time programme benefits from UEA's long tradition of excellence in the creative arts and humanities. The programme combines the academic rigour of a university drama education with practical performance and production work, and UEA's commitment to integrating critical and creative approaches is evident throughout. The typical entry tariff for this programme is around 136 UCAS points.

You will study the history of Western theatre from ancient Greece to the present, engaging with key playwrights, movements and theatrical traditions. Performance theory and practice-as-research feature alongside more conventional critical approaches, and you will have opportunities to direct, devise and perform as well as analyse and write about theatre. The programme is likely to expose you to a range of theatrical forms including contemporary performance art, physical theatre, community theatre and scripted drama, developing your understanding of the range of contexts in which theatrical practice occurs.

UEA's strong connections to the regional arts sector in East Anglia, including the Norwich theatre scene, provide a professional dimension to your studies.

Graduates of drama programmes work across the arts, education and creative industries. Performance, directing, writing for stage and screen, arts administration, community arts facilitation, drama in education and theatre-in-education are common paths. Many graduates also work in sectors outside the arts where communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving and presentation skills are valued, including management, marketing, public relations, event management and teaching.

Postgraduate study in drama, theatre studies, applied theatre, screenwriting or performance studies is available for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.