In general terms, the purpose of this module is to help students understand how theatre and performance demands different critical tools for interpretation to prose and poetry. It will help to extend their knowledge of literary, critical and cultural theory into the overlapping field of theatre and performance studies. For those interested in making theatre as a career, it will help them to critically assess what theatre is, what it is for, and how it relates to other forms of performance (performance art, dance etc.).

Specifically, this module will help students to:

- Understand how the key approaches to analysing theatre and performance.
- Understand how theories of theatre and performance have been shaped by historical, social and political context and how this related to broader questions of citizenship and justice.
- Be able to adopt key theoretical approaches when analysing specific performance texts.
- Be able to think critically about ways of approaching the interpretation of theatre and performance.
- Be able to think critically about what theatre is, what it does, and why people make it.
- Be able to apply and develop these ideas for both oral/presentation and written assessment.

(LO1) Students will acquire analytical skills and vocabulary appropriate to university-level work and be able to use them appropriately in relation to a range of sources from different historical periods and social contexts.

(LO2) Students will demonstrate the ability to construct and support argument in written or spoken forms suitable for academic work and be able to participate constructively in group discussions.

(LO3) Students will demonstrate an awareness of cultural, theoretical and historical contexts of literature and language use.

(LO4) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the dramatic genre and theory in relation to various contexts.

(S1) Students will have the ability to analyse and interpret sophisticated texts closely and critically.

(S2) Students will have the ability to relate literary and theoretical texts and approaches to different kinds of context (e.g. historical, sociological and political).

(S3) Students will have the ability to write with appropriate subject knowledge, using appropriate approaches and terminology.

(S4) Students will have the ability to apply theoretical approaches to dramatic text and performance.

The syllabus may typically include, but is not limited to:

Key approaches to analysing theatre and performance
Historical, social, and political contexts of theatre and performance
Issues of citizenship and justice in relation to performance
Applying key theoretical approaches when analysing specific performance texts
Thinking about what theatre is and why people make it

Library resources will be accessible through the module reading list, other key learning resources will be accessible through Canvas

This module will be taught by 1 x weekly 1-hour tutorial with small group and 1 x weekly 1-hour workshop with whole cohort (F2F or online, as appropriate).

Schedule directed student hours: 2 hours weekly for 11 weeks = 22 hours
Unscheduled directed student hours: 128 hours
Attendance recorded: Yes

Notes:
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: To complete required reading for each week’s workshop and tutorial and to supplement this required reading with relevant secondary reading.

The majority of teaching will be delivered face to face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience.