Changing Stages: Theatre Industry and Theatre Art
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ENGL3100 | English | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- ENGL3100
- School
- English
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have seen major changes in the way theatre is financed, produced, and presented, on stage and on screen. This module delves into the fascinating world of theatre production, beginning with late nineteenth-century actor-managers and the development of long-running, commercial productions and moving through subsidised theatre, touring and national theatre companies, processes of remediation (particularly through film), and the advent of the mega-musical. The module utilises case studies including Shakespeare in production, new plays, revivals and international hits such as Les Miserables and Hamilton, to illustrate how theatre responds to changing contexts and audiences. Theatre trips will inform a portfolio assessment, allowing students to respond in a variety of ways to the module content.
Target Students
Available for final-year students on SH and JH English programmes, including 2+2 programmes; students participating in exchanges from the School partner institutions; and final-year students on the Liberal Arts programme.ENGL1001 Drama, Theatre and Performance is a pre-requisite for this module.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Portfolio: 2 x 1500-word pieces to make a 3000-word portfolio
- Coursework 1: 1 x 1000-word formative
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module will provide students with:An introduction to a range of professional theatre practitioners and institutions from the late nineteenth century to the present day, and their formative or sustained influence in relation to the contemporary U.K. theatre industry.An opportunity to engage with a range of different theoretical and historical ideas in order analyse, compare and contrast aspects to the creative and cultural industries.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
- Shows knowledge of critical and theoretical approaches to western performance.
- Shows knowledge of the social, political, and historical contexts of a developing theatre industry.
Intellectual skills
- Displays an understanding of complex ideas, and relates them to specific problems or questions;
- Conducts research in a range of media, and uses that material with intelligence to support ideas and arguments.
Professional practical skills
- Shows ability to carry out research (including the use of scholarly resources and databases), to evaluate the material so acquired and use it appropriately;
- Shows ability to analyse performances from different historical periods and communicates findings effectively;
- Shows ability to place individual research alongside the work of previous scholars.
Transferable skills
- Works productively with others;
- Communicates effectively in writing;
- Retrieves information from a range of written and electronic sources and present the results in a clear and accurate fashion;
- Organises and manages working time, including scheduling tasks and meeting deadlines.