Theatre: Writing (MA)

Course content

• Year 1 - six core modules.
• Year 2 - four core modules and two option modules.
• Year 3 - four core modules encouraging you to develop your research and practice through large-scale projects, and your choice of an Independent Group Production Project or an Independent Playwriting Project as the final culmination of your studies.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 1 Your first year offers a broad introduction to theatre, supporting your transition to university-level study. You'll gain hands-on experience in acting, directing, and playwriting, while developing analytical and writing skills through the study of play scripts from different historical periods. Learn how to turn ideas into memorable scripts and understand the journey from page to stage. You’ll explore how politics shapes theatre and performance, and how we engage with it as makers and spectators. Study dramaturgy, key practitioners, and the historical, cultural, and material forces that shape plays. Modules introduce core vocal and physical techniques, workshop practice, and the challenges of staging works from varied styles. You’ll also build essential skills in analysing live performance. Why Theatre? Theatre-Making Workshop Histories and Politics of Theatre-Making You'll begin to explore the challenges of characterisation in plays from different periods, and of ensemble work. You'll learn and experiment with key directorial preparation and rehearsal techniques, alongside design, enhancing your practical skills in a collaborative environment. You'll develop core playwriting skills, especially in creating characters, crafting dialogue, plotting a scene, and imagining dramatically effective stage visuals. Performance Project: Acting From Page to Stage: Directing and Design Playwriting in Practice Academic integrity module In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module . This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York. This module will: define academic integrity and academic misconduct explain why and when you should reference source material and other people's work provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources. Year 2 Your second year is an opportunity to curate your own studies, selecting options which will take you deeper into areas of theatre studies which appeal to you. The core modules ensure that the cohort strengthens its connections and continues to explore both practice and theory together, while you also expand your interests through your choice of option modules. Core modules Theatre Texts & Contexts Current Trends in Theatre Political Theatre Performance Project Collaborative Theatre-Making Option modules You will study two option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course. Playwriting for Performance Theatre as Industry Performance Design Elective modules You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module , studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic. Year 3 Your third year empowers you to create practical and research projects of your own devising, under close professional supervision. The cohort works together in the Main Stage Theatre Production modules to mount ambitious full-scale performances. You also get the opportunity to develop a research project exploring a topic of your own choosing, and a creative project - either a fringe-length group production or a full script of your own - which can act as your calling card in the industry. Core modules Independent Research Project: Proposal and Planning Main Stage Theatre Production: Practice Main Stage Theatre Production: Process Independent Research Project: Extended Essay Either Independent Group Production Project OR Independent Playwriting Project

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.