MA Dramaturgy (Taught)

Our MA in Dramaturgy focuses on the development of new work and individual artistry through collaborative practice.

Whether as a practitioner shaping theatre though storytelling, dance or music, or as a dramaturg in a literary department dissecting text, students will be introduced to a multitude of ways of creating new theatre.

Working with leading practitioners and institutions from across the North, students will learn the key components of storytelling, character and structure.

‘Dramaturgy’ has several definitions, due to the ever-evolving nature of how theatre is created. Students will explore them all and be encouraged to define it for themselves, leaving this MA not only with a comprehensive understanding of how things have been done, but a vision for how they want to do things in the future.

Assessment

You will be assessed at the end of each of three trimesters on the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Writing module and your Ensemble Devising module. These practical assessments will focus on putting into practice the skills received during that trimester. This may include one or more of the following: script reading, collaborating with writers and analysing and interrogating new work. Finally, you will be assessed on your Major Project, which culminates in a production/s in the third term. This assessment will cover the Project's inception, development and performance/s, largely based upon a dissertation you will produce.

Creative and Collaborative Thinking

Students will explore various methods of creative thinking and problem-solving, which will become the initial starting points for later development of new work.

Weekly sessions will focus on case studies of performers, work or artists to critically analyse how research is used in the development of new work and in the telling of personal narratives or stories.

Case studies may include practitioners such as Kate Tempest, Frantic Assembly, Pablo Helguera, Javaad Alipoor, debbie tucker green, Lin-Manuel Miranda or other contemporaries.

This work will be student-led, tailored to the student’s area of interest. Students will interrogate the role of the dramaturg by pushing the boundaries of what makes theatre through collaborative work with the other MAs.

Ensemble Devising

This module aims to develop key skills in creating devised material within an ensemble setting. Actor Musicians, Actors and Dramaturgs will be encouraged to explore performance material created from personal storytelling, narrative and experiences, working in small companies on various projects.

These practical sessions will be tutor-led, where students are taken through a range of methodologies to explore producing work using various storytelling techniques.

As the students develop as an ensemble company producing their own work, they will be given the opportunity to run these small companies themselves.

Students may explore practitioners/companies such as Red Ladder, Interplay, Frantic Assembly, Kneehigh and The Pappy Show, but will adapt and tailor techniques to their personal vision and intentions appropriate to postgraduate study.

Dramaturgy students will help shape these pieces as the performers bring them to life.

Dramaturgy and Dramatic Writing

Through both practical and theory-based sessions, Dramaturgy students will work with leading practitioners, theatre-makers and literary departments to build their knowledge and develop their skills for careers in script development, practical theatre-making and writing.

Students will deepen their understanding of the building blocks of performance; structure, character development, pace, tone, genre and language etc. In tutor-led sessions, students will learn the various ways to approach, analyse and develop texts, working with classics, adaptations, translations, contemporary plays and musicals, and (most importantly) new writing from both established and first-time writers.

Students will also explore the role of the dramaturg in other theatrical practices; dance, opera and puppetry. Students will then be encouraged to develop their own process and practise through individual development of their own work.

Major Project

The Major Project will be developed over a term and will be a based on the student’s area of interest, culminating in a performance and/or sharing . Major projects can be in collaboration with other MA students from across the Theatre MA’s or something entirely individual.