Drama

Performance, direction and design are explored in group-based activities relating to the devising process, live theatre and through the study of play scripts. The course rewards process as well as practice and introduces pupils to lighting, sound, set design, costume and directing, in addition to refining naturalistic and stylised acting ability.

Where can this subject take you? 

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts creativity, innovation and ideation will be key skills for the workforce of the future. When business leaders across the world were surveyed, they voted creativity as the most important workplace capability to help their businesses survive and grow. This means that the study of creative subjects, like Drama, is becoming even more important and relevant to young people to give you the chance to succeed – whatever your ambitions! At the same time, you will find many opportunities to develop and improve your personal well-being both independently and as part of a wider community.

Course Content/Structure 

Component 1:
Devised Piece with written Portfolio – 40% In groups, responding to creative stimuli, assessed for either acting or designing, work is developed and shown, which is written up as part of the process and evaluated after the showing in a 2,000-word portfolio.

Component 2:
Presentation of two key Extracts from a published text – 20% A play text is chosen and explored, resulting in two extracts being staged: monologue, duologue or small group. Design alternatives are available. 

Component 3:
Written Exam – 40% A section of a set text, which has been fully explored in class, is revealed in the exam room and five questions relating to acting, direction and design are asked. Two further questions are asked relating to live theatre seen during the two-year course.

Assessment

Component 1 – The Devised Piece carries 60 marks, 45 of which are allocated to the Portfolio, 15 marks for the performance. This amounts to 40% of the GCSE and is internally examined and externally moderated. 

The Extracts, Component 2, which form 20% of the GCSE, are marked externally out of 48. 

The 1 hour 45 minutes written exam, Component 3, focuses on answering questions about the set text that the pupils will have explored in class. It is externally assessed and forms the remaining 40% of the GCSE and is marked out of 60.

Additional Information

Exam Board:
EDEXCEL GCSE

Head of Department:
Charlie Youlton – cdby@rydeschool.net