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ROSE BRUFORD COLLEGE OF THEATRE & PERFORMANCE Module Specification

Module template 300311 1

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title The Industry in Context (Theatres at Work)

Module code TS401

Credit rating 20

Level Four

Contact hours See learning hours

Pre-requisite modules None

Co-requisite modules TS402

School responsible Performance

Member of staff responsible Jayne Richards

ECT* 10

Notional hours of Learning** 200

2. AIMS The Module aims to:

encourage you to analyse what you see on stage in relation to the policies and organisation of a working theatre or company;

help you to develop methods for the analysis of performance through a case study which places practice in a range of contexts;

develop your abilities to employ and evaluate a variety of research material from ephemeral journalism, personally conducted interviews and observation as well as more scholarly books and articles.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE Throughout the programme, you are encouraged to connect your study of theatre with contemporary practice and policy by observing theatres at work. As part of the obligatory study at Level 4, this module and its co-requisite module TS402 are designed to establish working methods and introduce a range of approaches for analysing contemporary theatre in its context. For the duration of the module, you will establish a link with an accessible professional theatre company, visit it regularly, study and analyse its productions, and build up a research portfolio on its work. These attachments are organised and overseen by a specialist Theatre Attachment Co-ordinator. Throughout the module, you will examine developments in production, artistic policy, marketing and perceptions of performance. In addition to research into your chosen theatre, the module will draw upon examples of policy and practice from a range of organisations. Particular attention will be given to the well-documented Royal Court Theatre, and comparative analysis of this venue and your chosen theatre will provide a basis for on-going research activity. The module enables you to undertake critical performance analysis and includes a detailed Glossary of key terms and concepts. * ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 20 UK credits, this will equate to 10 ECT. ** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 20 credits, this will equate to 200 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).



4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome You should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

identify and deploy strategies for the study of theatre in its context, and for the comparative study of theatre companies/venues;

identify a range of political and aesthetic issues of significance in contemporary British and European theatre.

Intellectual skills locate performance in a variety of social, political and artistic frameworks;

articulate the contribution and significance of, in particular, the Royal Court Theatre in post-war European theatre.

Practical skills undertake systematic performance analyses;

identify and deploy strategies for the study of theatre in its context, and for the comparative study of theatre companies/venues.

make connections between your own research and wider industry practice.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

respond to the precise terms of the brief;

present a structured argument in written assignments;

engage in independent scholarly research and discursive written analysis;

undertake a range of formal assessments to a range of specified briefings (assignments, portfolios);

engage in critical self-assessment.

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Teaching and Learning Methods The module is taught by online distance learning and operates from September to January or January to May (depending on your option). Your learning materials include Units of Study, a Reader, Bibliography and Assignment Briefing as well as access to a wide range of electronic resources via your module pages and the online Learning Resources Centre. Tutorial feedback follows each assignment, and you can contact your tutor by email, forum, online messaging or request an online tutorial. Online seminars will take place monthly and you are expected to participate. You will be able to contact other students through your module forums, online events and option on-site study events. You have access to a Theatre Studies Homepage which provides links to important programme documents, study support materials as well as a News Section. Each unit requires you to engage in a series of tasks, exercises and self-assessment questions which you will upload to your Portfolio of Coursework for access by your module tutor. The programme is designed to be developmental; each successive level represents a distinct phase in your development, and the level learning outcomes reflect this. At Level 4, induction and study support equip you for degree-level study, while regular tutor contact with core programme staff ensures that you are aided in putting all aspects of your studies into the context of the live performance industry and your developing knowledge of theatre and performance practices.

6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Assessment task Length Weighting within module (if relevant)

Assignment 1: Coursework Portfolio (10%) Multipart Assignment (30%) Assignment 2: Coursework Portfolio (10%) Written Assignment (50%)

n/a 2000 words +/- 10% (or equivalent) n/a 3000 words (or equivalent)

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Date of current version February 2012



INDICATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Note: some shorter extracts are provided as Reader items. Other module-specific resources including images, recordings, articles, news feeds and useful internet links are also available via the online module page and the Learning Resources Centre links.

Appleton, Ian. Buildings for the Performing Arts: A Design and Development Guide. Architectural Press, 2008. ISBN: 0750668350

Billington, Michael. The State of the Nation: British Theatre Since 1945. London: Faber and Faber, 2009. ISBN: 057121049X

Cochrane, Claire. Twentieth Century British Theatre: Industry, Art and Empire. Cambridge: CUP, 2011. ISBN: 0521464889.

Eyre, Richard. Talking Theatre. Nick Hern Books, 2011. ISBN: 1848421389

Hall, Peter, “The Case for a Company”. The Necessary Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books, 1999: pp. 37–59. ISBN: 1 85459 402 8.

Kelleher, Joe. Theatre and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230205232

Lacey, Stephen. Chapter 2: “Institutions and Audiences”. British Realist Theatre: The New Wave in its Context 1956–1965. London: Routledge, 1995. ISBN: 0415123119: pp. 40–62.

Mackenzie, Ruth. “Jump High!” in Live 5: “My Perfect Theatre”. Edited by David Tushingham. London: Nick Hern Books, 1997. ISBN: 1854593285: pp. 15–28.

Mackintosh, Iain. Architecture, Actor and Audience. London and New York: Routledge: Theatre Concepts Series, 1993. ISBN: 0415031834.

Pavis, Patrice. Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts and Analysis. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 2000. ISBN: 0802081630.

Pearson, Mike. Site-specific Performance. Pallgrave Macmillan, 2010. ISBN: 0230576710

Reid, Francis. Chapter 5: “Marketing”. Stages for Tomorrow. Oxford: Focal Press, 1998. ISBN: 0240515153: pp. 63–71.

Reid, Francis. Chapter 2: “The Theatre Building”. Designing for the Theatre. London: A & C Black, 1996. ISBN: 0 7136 4398 6: pp. 4–18.

Roberts, Philip. The Royal Court Theatre and the Modern Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0521479622

Royal Court Theatre: Personnel List from programme for Stoning Mary by Debbie Tucker Green, 2005. Strong, Judith. Theatre Buildings. Routledge, 2010. ISBN: 0415548942

Shank, Theodore, ed. Contemporary British Theatre. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1996. ISBN: 0312172249

Shellard, Dominic. British Theatre Since the War. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2000. ISBN: 0300087373.

Shepherd, Simon. The Cambridge Introduction to Modern British Theatre. Cambridge, CUP, 2009. ISBN: 0521690188.

Sierz, Aleks. Rewriting the Nation: British Theatre Today. Methuen Drama, 2011. ISBN: 1408112388

Stanton, Sarah and Martin Banham, eds. The Cambridge Guide to the Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 0 521 44654 6.

Turnbull, Olivia. Bringing Down The House: The Crisis in Britain’s Regional Theatres. Intellect, 2009. ISBN: 1841502081



Tusa, John. Chapter 12: “Which came First: The Market or the Art?” Art Matters: Reflecting on Culture. London: Methuen, 1999. ISBN: 0413738906: pp. 135–45.




Title The Production in Process (Theatres at Work)

Module code TS402

Credit rating 20

Level Four

Contact hours See learning Hours

Pre-requisite modules TS401




ECT* 10


2. AIMS The Module aims to:

Develop your understanding of differing organisational and artistic approaches to theatre-making and encourage you to analyse performance within these contexts;

enable you to develop your understanding of the analysis of performance to include observation of audiences;

develop your awareness of the economic and cultural contexts of contemporary theatre;

develop students’ abilities in using and evaluating a variety of research material from ephemeral journalism, personally conducted interviews and observation to more scholarly books and articles.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE Throughout the programme, you are encouraged to connect your study of theatre with contemporary practice and policy by observing theatres at work. As part of the obligatory study at Level Four, this module and its co-requisite module TS401 are designed to establish working methods and model approaches for analysing contemporary theatre in its context. This module builds on TS401 in requiring you to focus more closely on contemporary theatre practice and policy in context. For the duration of the module, you will continue your link with an accessible professional theatre company, visit it regularly, study and analyse its productions, and build up a research portfolio on its work. Funding policy and practice is given a specific focus in this module. You are asked to consider the artistic impact that these financial considerations might have. As your relationship with your chosen company develops, performance is foregrounded; both its production and its reception. The role of the audience and the critic are considered as well as the theatre’s actual and potential contribution to the community. The module concludes with a look to the future state of the industry. * ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 20 UK credits, this will equate to 10 ECT. ** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 20 credits, this will equate to 200 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).






identify and deploy strategies for the study of theatre in its context, and for the comparative study of theatre companies/venues;

identify a range of political, economic and artistic issues of significance in contemporary British and European theatre.

Intellectual skills locate performance in a variety of social, political and artistic frameworks;

articulate the contribution and significance of, in particular, the Royal Court Theatre in post-war European theatre.

Practical skills undertake systematic performance analyses considering both process and reception;

identify and deploy strategies for the study of theatre in its context, and for the comparative study of theatre companies/venues.



resent a structured argument in written assignments;





The module is taught by online distance learning and operates from September to January or January to May (depending on your option). Your learning materials include Units of Study, a Reader, Bibliography and Assignment Briefing as well as access to a wide range of electronic resources via your module pages and the online Learning Resources Centre. Tutorial feedback follows each assignment, and you can contact your tutor by email, forum, online messaging or request an online tutorial. Online seminars will take place monthly and you are expected to participate. You will be able to contact other students through your module forums, online events and option on-site study events. You have access to a Theatre Studies Homepage which provides links to important programme documents, study support materials as well as a News Section. Each unit requires you to engage in a series of tasks, exercises and self-assessment questions which you will upload to your Portfolio of Coursework for access by your module tutor. The programme is designed to be developmental; each successive level represents a distinct phase in your development, and the level learning outcomes reflect this. At Level 4, induction and study support equip you for degree-level study, while regular tutor contact with core programme staff ensures that you are aided in putting all aspects of your studies into the context of the live performance industry and your developing knowledge of theatre and performance practices.





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Belflore, Eleanor and Oliver Bennett. The Social Impact of the Arts: An Intellectual History. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. ISBN: 0230273513

Bennett, Susan. Theatre Audiences: A Theory of Production and Reception. Second Edition. London and New York: Routledge, 1997. ISBN 0415157234

Carey, John. What Good are the Arts? London: Faber and Faber, 2006. ISBN: 0571226035.

Dean, Peter. Production Management: Making Shows Happen – a Practical Guide. Crowood, 2002. ISBN: 0861264518.

Dorney, Kate and Ros Merkin: The Glory of the Garden: Regional Theatre and the Arts Council 1984-2009. Cambridge: CUP, 2010. ISBN: 1443820598

Eyre, Richard. Talking Theatre. Nick Hern Books, 2011. ISBN: 1848421389

Freshwater, Helen. Theatre and Audience. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 0230210287

Guidance Notes on Carrying Out Audience/Visitor Surveys. London: The Arts Council of England, 1999. http://www.worldofevents.net/em/em_chapter_six.html#TopSample Audience Survey Questions. London: The Arts Council of England, 1999.

Harman, Paul. A Guide to UK Theatre for Young Audiences. Aurora Metro Publications, 2009. ISBN: 1906582092

Jackson, Anthony. Theatre, Education and the Making of Meanings: Art or Instrument? Manchester University Press, 2007. ISBN: 0719065437

Kuppers, Peter. Community Performance: An Introduction. Routledge, 2007. ISBN: 0415392292

Lesser, Wendy. A Director Calls: Stephen Daldry and the Theatre. London: Faber and Faber, 1997. ISBN: 0571 190707

McConachie, Bruce. Engaging Audiences: A Cognitive Approach to Spectating in the Theatre. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. ISBN: 0230116736

Nicholson, Helen. Theatre, Education and Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. ISBN: 0230574238

Oddey, Alison. Modes of Spectating. Intellect, 2012. ISBN: 1841502391

Rebellato, Dan. 1956 And All That: The Making of Modern British Drama. London: Routledge, 1999. ISBN: 041518939X. (Esp. Chapter 4: “Oh for Empty Seats: The Royal Court and Its Audiences”.)

Reiss, Alan H. Cash IN! Funding and Promoting the Arts. Universe, 2000. ISBN: 0595089119

Roberts, Philip. The Royal Court Theatre and the Modern Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0521479622.

Rozik, Eli. Generating Theatre Meaning: A Theory and Methodology of Performance Analysis. Sussex Academic Press, 2007. ISBN: 1845192524

Sample Audience Survey Questions. London: The Arts Council of England, 1999.

Sierz, Aleks. In-Yer-Face Theatre: British Drama Today. London: Faber, 2001. ISBN: 0571200494.

Sierz, Aleks. Rewriting the Nation: British Theatre Today. Methuen Drama, 2011. ISBN: 1408112388

Strong, Judith. Theatre Buildings. Routledge, 2010. ISBN: 0415548942

Turnbull, Olivia. Bringing Down the House: The Crisis in Britain’s Regional Theatres. Intellect, 2009. ISBN: 1841502081

Wooster, Roger. Contemporary Theatre in Education. Intellect, 2012. ISBN: 1841501700




Title Reading a Play (The Critical Audience)

Module code TS403

Credit rating 20

Level Four



Co-requisite modules None



ECT* 10


2. AIMS The module aims to:

develop your understanding of a broad range of plays, genres, theatrical styles and concepts in writing for the theatre;

enable you to begin to locate historical and contextual strategies for the analysis of theatre;

to enable you to develop skills of close reading and analysis of plays in terms of their dramatic and theatrical potential;

Encourage you to identify and apply a range approaches to the analysis of plays.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE

Your ability to read a play as material for making theatre rather than as literature, is an essential skill of the programme. It is important for students to develop a disciplined and systematic methodology for reading and interpreting plays with potential performance in mind. The intention of this module is to focus on the development of these core skills and introduce you to ways of analysing dramatic writing in terms of its potential impact and meaning in the theatre. You will explore methods of scene analysis, looking closely at some of the techniques used to deliver moments of impact and significance, and exploring the variety of ways in which a play can be structured. TS403 will introduce ways of recognising how dramaturgical choices impact on an audience's experience and understanding of a play. You will explore some of the key principles and theories of dramaturgy, looking especially at Aristotle's ideas, and learn to recognise the ways in which dramaturgy is repositioned by performance contexts. A selection of contrasting plays will be studied in order to encourage comparative analysis Plays currently studied include: Spring Awakening, Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, Oedipus Rex, Speed-the-Plow, Ghosts, Three Sisters, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and A Doll’s House

* ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 20 UK credits, this will equate to 10 ECT. ** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 20 credits, this will equate to 200 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).






explain the relationship between formal dramatic structure and the “world view” of the play;

identify the relationship between historical dramatic conventions and the actual conditions of performance.

Intellectual skills identify the alignment of the spectator’s point of view in relation to dramatic character and situation;

demonstrate key skills in the systematic analysis of scenes and plays.

Practical skills undertake close and careful analysis of the means used to deliver moments of impact and significance in the theatre;













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Aristotle. On the Art of Poetry. Classical Literary Criticism. Edited by T.S. Dorsch. Harmondsworth:

Penguin, 1965. ISBN: 0 140 44155 7.

Ayckbourn, Alan. The Crafty Art of Playwriting. Faber and Faber, 2004. ISBN: 0571215106.

Brecht, Bertolt, Fear and Misery in the Third Reich. Translated by John Willett. London: Methuen, 2002. ISBN: 9780413772664.

Brecht, Bertolt. The Exception and the Rule. Translated by Tom Osborn. Collected Plays: Three. Edited by John Willett. London: Methuen, 1997. ISBN: 0 413 70460 2.

Chekhov, Anton. Three Sisters. (Any edition).

Clark, Barratt Harper. European Theories of the Drama: An Anthology of Dramatic Theory and Criticism from Aristotle to Present Day, in a Series of Selected Texts with Commentaries, Biographies and Bibliographies. Bibliobazaar, 2010. ISBN: 1143016645.

Edgar, David. How Plays Work: A Practical Guide to Playwriting. Nick Hern Books, 2009. ISBN: 1854593714

Fo, Dario. Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Translated by Ed Emery. Plays One. Edited by Stuart Hood. London: Methuen, 1992. ISBN: 0413154203.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House and Ghosts. Translated by James McFarlane, in Four Major Plays. Edited by James MacFarlane. Oxford: OUP, 1981. ISBN: 0192815687.

Ibsen. Ghosts. Translated by James McFarlane, in Four Major Plays. Edited by James MacFarlane. Oxford: OUP, 1981. ISBN: 0192815687.

Leach, Robert. Theatre Studies: the Basics. Routledge, 2008. ISBN: 0415426391

Mamet, David. Speed-the-Plow. London: Methuen, 2002. ISBN: 0413192806

Pickering, Kenneth. Key Concepts in Drama and Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. ISBN: 0230241476

Shepherd, Simon and Mick Wallis. Studying Plays. Bloomsbury Academic, 2010. ISBN: 0340985143

Smiley, Sam. And Norman A Bert. Playwriting: The Structure of Action. Yale, 2005. ISBN: 0300107242.

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex in The Theban Plays. Translated by E. F. Watling. Harmondsworth: Penguin 1947. ISBN: 0 140 44003 8.

Spencer, Stuart. The Playwright’s Guidebook. Faber and Faber, 2003. ISBN: 0571199917.

Thomas, James. Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers. Third Edition. Elsevier (USA) 2005.

Waters, Steve. The Secret Life of Plays. Nick Hern Books, 2010. ISBN: 1848420005.

Wedekind, Frank. Spring Awakening. Translated by Edward Bond with introductions by Edward Bond and Elisabeth Bond. London: Methuen, 1980/1998. ISBN: 041347620 0




Title Ways of Talking About Theatre (The Critical Audience)

Module code TS404

Credit rating 20

Level Four



Co-requisite modules None



ECT* 10



encourage students to view performances critically and recognise the importance of historical, cultural and artistic contexts in shaping meaning;

introduce students to a range of different types of performance;

introduce students to a range of contemporary theoretical perspectives.

The module aims to:

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE

You will watch recordings of a range of plays and devised material and then are guided through ways of analysing action and production choices, and articulating your experiences as a spectator. The module examines how production can challenge assumptions about the relationship between meaning and “text” by examining a range of approaches to performance and investigating how acting styles, conventions of genre, direction and design signify in different ways. By taking the role of ‘the critical audience’ you will explore how contemporary productions are shaped by their historical, cultural and artistic conditions of emergence and discover ways of re-framing them within contemporary critical perspectives.







identify a range of performance approaches through genre, form and style;

Intellectual skills identify ways acting style, staging, design and approaches to directing are shaped by context;

apply selective skills in critical analysis to different modes of performance and production choices;

Practical skills demonstrate skills in performance analysis;

employ analytical skills to performance and production;













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Bennett, Susan. Theatre Audiences: A Theory of Production and Reception. Second Edition. London and New York: Routledge, 1997. ISBN: 0415157234

Dolen, Jill. Theatre and Sexuality. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230220649

Fortier, Mark: Theory / Theatre: An Introduction. London, Routledge 1997. ISBN: 978-0415254373

Freshwater, Helen. Theatre and Audiences. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230210287

Kellerher, Joe. Theatre and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230205232

Knowles, Ric. Theatre and Interculturalism. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. ISBN: 0230205240

Kushner, Tony. Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches. London: Nick Hern Books, 1992. ISBN: 978-1559360616

Kushner, Tony: Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika. London: Nick Hern Books, 1994. ISBN: 978-1559360739

Leigh, Mike. Abigail’s Party & Goose-Pimples . London, Penguin, 1983. ISBN: 9780140481808.

Marber, Patrick . After Miss Julie. London: Methuen, 2003. ISBN: 978-0413711502

McConachie, Bruce. Engaging Audiences: A Cognitive Approach to Spectating in the Theatre. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. ISBN: 0230116736

Rae, Paul. Theatre and Human Rights. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230205240

Rozik, Eli. Generating Theatre Meaning: A Theory and Methodology of Performance Analysis. Sussex Academic Press, 2007. 1845192524

Strindberg, August: Miss Julie. Trans. Edwin Björkman. New York: Dover, 1992. ISBN: 978-0486272818

Styan, J.L. Modern Drama in Theory and Practice – Realism and Naturalism. Cambridge: CUP, 1981. ISBN: 978-0521296281.

Videography

Figgis, Mike (Director). Miss Julie [with Saffron Burrows, 1999]. MGM Entertainment. DVD: April 2001. ASIN: B00002NC0HG

Glenister, John (Director). Miss Julie [with Helen Mirren, 1972]. Slam Dunk Media. DVD: February 2008. ASIN: B000X6R8ZG.

Leigh, Mike (Director and writer). Abigail’s Party. BBC [1977]. DVD: May 2003. ASIN: B000096KEQ

Lloyd Newsome. DV8 – Three Ballets by DV8 Physical Theatre [featuring Enter Achilles, 1995; Strange Fish, 1992, Dead Dreams of Monochrome Men, 1988]. Arthaus Musik. DVD: Feb. 2007. ASIN: B000M2EBUG.

Nichols, Mike. Angels in America [with Al Pacino, 2003]. Screen play by Tony Kushner. Warner Home Video. DVD: Sept. 2004. ASIN: B0001P1B2K.

Carney, Ray & Quart, Leonard: The Films of Mike Leigh. Cambridge, CUP 2000. ISBN: 978-0521485180


Frost, Anthony & Yarrow, Ralph: Improvisation in Drama. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan 2007. ISBN: 978-1403936707

Geis, Deborah R. and Kruger, Steven F. (eds). Approaching the Millennium – Essays on Angels in America. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0472066230




Title Making Meaning (Elements of the Performance)

Module code TS405

Credit rating 20

Level Four






ECT* 10



enable you to identify the constituent elements of performance;

develop your understanding of key traditions of theatre and performance;

introduce you to a range of contextual and comparative modes of enquiry;

develop your awareness of intercultural perspectives on performance. 3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE

Module TS405 places particular emphasis on performance and theatricality, rather than textual and literary values. It is not a history of theatre or an exhaustive analysis of all performance forms, but selects aspects which best demonstrate the relationship between the play text, performer, space, stage and audience and the ways in which social relations and values are reflected in the construction of theatre space and embodied in performance. The module examines key modes of signification in performance, in relation to space, the body and movement. Make-up, mask and costume are examined in a variety of periods and cultures as well as gesture, dance, mime and movement. You will frame your enquiries with a range of perspectives to consider how they affect the body in performance (e.g. gender, transvestism, disability, race, age) and consider the significance of cultural and historical contexts in the creation of meaning through performance.







examine performances in terms of semiotics, and understand the make-up of a performance through signifiers;

demonstrate an awareness of selected non-Western theatrical traditions.

Intellectual skills identify varying systems of signification in performance in relation to cultural contexts;

identify the constituent elements of a performance and how these function.

Practical skills demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between audience and theatre space;

demonstrate skills in performance analysis.








The module is taught by online distance learning and operates from September to January or January to May (depending on your option). Your learning materials include Units of Study, a Reader, Bibliography and Assignment Briefing as well as access to a wide range of electronic resources via your module pages and the online Learning Resources Centre. Tutorial feedback follows each assignment, and you can contact your tutor by email, forum, online messaging or request an online tutorial. Online seminars will take place monthly and you are expected to participate. You will be able to contact other students through your module forums, online events and option on-site study events. You have access to a Theatre Studies Homepage which provides links to important programme documents, study support materials as well as a News Section. Each unit requires you to engage in a series of tasks, exercises and self-assessment questions which you will upload to your Portfolio of Coursework for access by your module tutor.





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Alrutz, Megan, Julia Listengarten and M. Van Duyn Wood. Playing with Theory in Theatre Practice.

Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. ISBN: 0230577806.

Barba, Eugenio and Nicola Savarese. A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology. London: Routledge, 1991. ISBN: 0415053080.

Bentley, Eric, ed. The Theory of the Modern Stage. London: Penguin, 2008. ISBN: 0141189185.

Bloom, Harold. The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. London: Macmillan, 1996. ISBN: 0333699157.

Bollard, D. A Guide to Kathakali. New Delhi: Sterling, 1996. ISBN: 821071833X.

Boucicault, Dion. Selected Plays (Irish Drama Selections S.). London: Colin Smythe, 1985. ISBN: 0861401514.

Brown, John Russell, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre. Oxford: O.U.P., 2001. ISBN: 0192854429.

Campbell, Patrick. The Body in Performance. Routledge, 2001. ISBN: 9057551454.

Carriere, Jean-Claude. The Mahabharata. New York: Harper & Row, 1989. ISBN 0060390794. (For Unit 2.1)

Charest, Remy. Robert Lepage: Connecting Flights. London: Methuen, 1997. ISBN: 0413706907.

Congreve, William. The Way of the World (any edition – also available online)

Conroy, Colette. Theatre and the Body. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230205437

Dattani, Mahesh. Bravely Fought the Queen. London: Border Crossings, 2003. ISBN: 1904718035.

Emich, John. Masked Performance. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780812213362.

Farquhar, George. The Recruiting Officer. 1706. (any edition – also available online)


Freshwater, Helen. Theatre and Audiences. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230210287

Gerould, Daniel. Theatre, Theory, Theatre. Applause, 2003. ISBN: 1557835276.

Johnstone, Keith. Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre. London: Methuen, 1981. ISBN: 04136430X.

Jonson, Ben et al. Volpone in Four English Comedies. Edited by J.M. Morrell. London: Penguin, 1981. ISBN: 0140431586

Jung, Carl. Man and his Symbols. London: Picador, 1978. ISBN: 0330253212.

Krasner, David, Ed. Theatre in Theory: 1900-2000. Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. ISBN: 1405140445.


Kennedy, Dennis, ed. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance. Oxford: O.U.P., 2003. ISBN: 0198601743.




Lambert, David. Body Language. London: Harper Collins, 2004. ISBN: 00071 89923.

Lecoq, Jacques. The Moving Body. Translated by D. Bradby. London: Methuen, 2002. ISBN: 0413771946.

Lepage, Robert and Ex Machina. The Seven Streams of the River Ota. London: Methuen, 1996. ISBN: 0413713709.

Marshall, Lorna. The Body Speaks: Performance and Physical Expression. Methuen Drama, 2008. ISBN: 140810682

Murray, Simon and John Keefe. Physical Theatre: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, 2007. ISBN: 0415362504

O’Connor, Garry. The Mahabharata: Peter Brook’s Epic in the Making. San Franciso: Hodder & Stoughton, 1992. ISBN: 0916515737. (For Unit 2.1)

O’Connor, Gary. The Mahabharata: Peter Brook’s Epic in the Making. San Francisco: Mercury House, 1992. ISBN: 0916515737.

Pavis, Patrice. Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts and Analysis. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 2000. ISBN: 0802081630.

Riley, Jo. Chinese Theatre and the Actor in Performance. Cambridge: C.U.P., 2006. ISBN: 0521035236.

Roach, Joseph. Critical Theory and Performance. The University of Michigan Press, 2006. ISBN: 0472068865

Rozik, Eli. Generating Theatre Meaning: A Theory and Methodology of Performance Analysis. Sussex Academic Press, 2007. ISBN: 1845192524

Schechner, Richard. Environmental Theatre. New York: Hawthorn, 2000. ISBN: 1557831785.

Sowerby, Githa. Rutherford and Son in New Woman Plays. London: Methuen, 1994. ISBN: 0 413 689506.

Styan, J.L. Restoration Comedy in Performance. Cambridge: C.U.P., 1986. ISBN: 0521274214.

Vergine, Lea. Body Art and Performance: The Body as Language. Skira Editore, 2000. ISBN: 8881186535.

Zarilli, Phillip B. Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play. London: Routledge, 2000. ISBN: 041519282X.




Title Theatre in Context (Elements of the Performance)

Module code TS406

Credit rating 20

Level Four


Pre-requisite modules TS405




ECT* 10



enable you to identify and analyse the constituent elements of performance;

allow you to navigate and contextualise key traditions in theatre and performance;

enable you to employ contextual and comparative modes of enquiry to a range of performance types;

enable you to apply and evaluate intercultural perspectives on performance.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE TS406 Theatre in Contexts develops the work undertaken in module TS405 Making Meaning, beginning with an examination of actor–audience relationships in a variety of periods and cultures. You will explore the importance of the audience as interpreters of theatre and the theatre space as a reflection of social structures. These perspectives are then mapped across different performance types and conditions such as Greek theatre as it related to society in fifth-century Athens and a variety of post-colonial contexts. Through these case studies you will learn to compare, contrast and analyse the evolution of contemporary forms from a fusion of cultural forces, and the relationship of such forms to their historical and social contexts.

* ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit

Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 20 UK credits, this will equate to 10 ECT.

** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 20 credits, this will equate to 200 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).






demonstrate an awareness of selected non-Western theatrical traditions.

Intellectual skills identify the constituent elements of a performance and how these function;

apply your study of semiotics to a range of different styles of performance.

Practical skills demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between audience and theatre space;

relate performances to their social, historical and cultural context

further develop and demonstrate their skills in performance analysis.













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Aeschylus. The Oresteia. Edited by Michael Ewans. London: Dent, 1995. ISBN: 0460875485.

Arnott, Peter D. Public and Performance in the Greek Theatre. London/New York: Routledge, 1991. ISBN: 0415062993.

Bandele, ’Biyi. Aphra Benn’s Oroonoko. Charlbury: Amber Lane Press, 1999. ISBN: 1872868258.

Banham, Martin, James Gibbs, and Femi Osofian, ed. African Theatre in Development. Oxford: James Currey, 1999. ISBN: 0852555997.

Barba, Eugenio and Nicola Savarese. A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology. London: Routledge, 1991. ISBN: 0415053080.

Bennett, Susan. Theatre Audiences: A Theory of Production and Reception. London: Routledge, 1997. ISBN: 0415157234.

Boal, Augusto. Theatre of the Oppressed. London: Pluto, 2000. ISBN: 0745316573.

Boucicault, Dion. Selected Plays (Irish Drama Selections S.). London: Colin Smythe, 1985. ISBN: 0861401514.

Campbell, Patrick, ed. Analysing Performance. Manchester: M.U.P., 1996. ISBN: 071904250X.

Carlson, Marvin. “Theatre Audiences and the Reading of Performance”, in Postlewait, Thomas, and Bruce A. McConachie, ed. Interpreting the Theatrical Past: Essays in the Historiography of Performance. Iowa: University of Iowa Press, 1996. ISBN: 0877452385.

Carriere, Jean-Claude. The Mahabharata. New York: Harper & Row, 1989. ISBN: 0060390794.

Chambers, Lilian, Ger Fitzgibbon, and Eamonn Jordan, ed. Theatre Talk: Voices of Irish Theatre Practitioners. Dublin: Carysfort Press, 2000. ISBN: 0953 425762.

Charest, Remy. Robert Lepage: Connecting Flights. London: Methuen, 1997. ISBN: 0413706907.

Crow, Brian et al. An Introduction to Post-Colonial Theatre. Cambridge: C.U.P., 1996. ISBN: 052156722X.

Congreve, William. The Way of the World Four English Comedie. Edited by J.M. Morrell. London: Penguin, 1981. ISBN: 0140431586.

Dattani, Mahesh. Bravely Fought the Queen. London: Border Crossings, 2003. ISBN: 1904718035.

Delgado, Maria M. and Paul Heritage, ed. In Contact with the Gods? Directors Talk Theatre. Manchester: M.U.P., 1996. ISBN: 0719047633.

Donohoe, Joseph I., and Jane M. Koustas, ed. Théâtre Sans Frontières: Essays on the Dramatic Universe of Robert Lepage. Michigan: Michigan State University Press, 2000. ISBN: 0870135686.

Dugdale, Eric. Greek Theatre in Context. Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN: 0521689422

Hall, Edith and Stephe Harrop. Theorising Performance: Greek Drama, Cultural History and Critical Practice. Gerald Duckworth and Company, 2010. ISBN: 0715638262

Jonson, Ben et al. Volpone in Four English Comedie. Edited by J.M. Morrell. London: Penguin, 1981. ISBN: 0140431586



Lepage, Robert and Ex Machina. The Seven Streams of the River Ota. London: Methuen, 1996. ISBN: 0413713709.



Mtwa, Percy, Ngema, Mbongeni and Simon, Barney. Woza Albert! (With Production Photos by Chris Harris and David Liddle). London: Methuen 1983. ISBN: 0413530000 (For Unit 3.2)

National Theatre. Platform Papers 3: Directors, 1993.

O’Connor, Garry. The Mahabharata: Peter Brook’s Epic in the Making. San Franciso: Hodder & Stoughton, 1992. ISBN: 0916515737.

Pavis, Patrice, ed. The Intercultural Performance Reader. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN: 041508153X.

Pavis, Patrice. Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts and Analysis. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, ISBN: 0802081630.

Schafer, Elizabeth. Ms-Directing Shakespeare: Women Direct Shakespeare. London: The Women’s Press, 1998. ISBN: 0704345447.

Skuse, Andrew, Marie Gillespie and Gerry Power. Drama for Development: Cultural Translation and Social Change. Sage Publications PVT, 2011. ISBN: 8132105915

Sophocles. Oedipus the King, in Theban Plays 1. Translated by Don Taylor. London: Methuen, 1986. ISBN ISBN: 041342460X.

Southerne, Thomas. Oroonoko, in Inchbald, Elizabeth. The British Theatre, vol. 02. London: 1808. [various early editions]

Sowerby, Githa. Rutherford and Son in New Woman Plays. London: Methuen, 1994. ISBN: 0 413 689506.

Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King’s Horseman. With commentary and notes by Jane Plastow. London: Methuen (1998). ISBN: 0413695506.

Virahsawmy, Dev. Toufann. London: Border Crossings, 2003. ISBN: 1904718000.

Weaver, Lois and Helen Freshwater. Theatre and Audience. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. ISBN: 0230210287

Wiles, David. Tragedy in Athens. Cambridge: C.U.P., 1999. ISBN: 0521666155.

Recommended Videography Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation. Directed by Jo Menell and Angus

Gibson. Island Pictures, 1995. ASIN: B0009BEWT8.

The Mahabharata. Directed by Peter Brook. Connoisseur Video, 1989. ASIN: B00092ZE64.

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