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  • Theatre Studies and English (BA)
  • 2012/2013 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • Assessment for theatre studies modules is by a mixture of continuous assessment of written work, portfolio and examinations: one three-hour examination in Year 1; one three-hour examination in Year 2; essays and other forms of assessment in Years 2–4; a research project in Year 4; and a viva voce examination on the portfolio course in Year 4.

      For details of assessment in English, please see entries for BA English.

  • Attendance
      • Two–three evenings a week.
      • October–June.
  • Duration
      • Four years part-time.
  • Entry requirements
      • Over 21: no formal qualifications required.
      • Under 21: normally BBB at A-level or equivalent, although we may waive these formal entry requirements and make our own assessment of your skills and knowledge.
  • Fees and funding
  • Location
    • Central London in our building dedicated to theatre studies at Tavistock Square.
  • Teaching

    • Lectures and seminars, demonstration workshops, theatre visits, contact with theatre institutions and guest speakers. Theatre visits are a mandatory part of the course, but students will be expected to attend performances in their own time. Students will not be expected to do any group work or rehearsals beyond their contact time in class. Students may be asked to undertake some online discussion work in between class times.

      We offer help and support to all our taught students.



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Theatre Studies and English (BA) - 2012/2013 entry

Are you passionate about live performance and theatre practice, but equally interested in literature? Birkbeck’s location in Bloomsbury in London’s West End makes it an ideal location to study theatre and English – and this is the only part-time BA incorporating theatre studies offered in central London. Taught by world-leading experts, explore a diverse and exciting range of theatrical and literary histories, theories, practices, texts and contexts. Combining lectures, seminars and workshops, and visits to theatres and cultural institutions, there is no better place to pursue your love of theatre and English, and to gain a high-quality qualification.

Please note that the BA Theatre Studies and Humanities is no longer running in 2012/2013.

  • Course structure

    • For the theatre studies component of the degree, you will explore the complex and exciting ways in which theatre practice has operated in different cultural and historical contexts. Alongside the modules in theatre studies, you will follow a structured programme of study in English.

      Year 1

      Two preliminary theatre studies modules:

      • Theatre Languages: examines the various languages, histories and contexts that make up theatre performance. These include: the actor; space and décor; the text; and design. The course focuses on the history of theatre from Ancient Greece to the nineteenth century, combining historical and practical work with theatre visits and close performance analysis.
      • Portfolio on London Theatre Histories.

      You will also take one preliminary English module.

      Year 2

      Core module:

      • Theories of Theatricality and Performance: you will examine the conceptual underpinnings of theatre practice and look at how the concept of theatricality and performance has been used in disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, anthropology and identity politics. The course focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century theatre, combining historical and practical work with theatre visits and close performance analysis.

      Years 2–4

      Three option modules, chosen from a range which may include: 

      • Censorship and Anti-theatricality
      • Community and Youth Theatre
      • Cross-Dressing in Performance
      • Empire and Theatre
      • Histories and Theories of the Audience
      • Musical Theatre
      • Political Theatre
      • Technological Performance
      • The Ethics of Directing
      • The West End.

      Portfolios on: London theatre spaces (Year 2); London theatre policies (Year 3); contemporary theatre in London (Year 4).

      In addition, you will take four English modules.

      Year 4

      A research project on an area of your choice in either theatre studies or English. The theatre studies research project will focus on theatre in London.

      Find out more about this programme in our departmental handbooks: Year 1 and Years 2–4.

  • Study resources
  • Further study opportunities
  • Careers information

    • Many of our students take degrees with us for reasons of personal development and interest. Some study with us for career development however, and the kinds of industries you might expect to work in after graduating with a theatre degree include: teaching and education; advertising, marketing and public relations; theatre, media, film and the creative arts; journalism; arts administration and outreach; policy and strategy for political organisations, charities or NGOs; publishing.

      Theatre studies is included in the top 10 subjects for employability nationally, as outlined by Palatine (the Higher Education body for Drama): As well as specialist and professional skills, generic skills such as time and project management and communication skills are core throughout the subject and perhaps account for the great success of drama graduates in terms of employability across a wide range of careers. One study, for example, recorded 70.7 per cent of drama graduates from 2002 surveyed as entering employment, well above the average for all first degree subjects of 66.9 per cent.

    • To speak to an independent careers advisor, booking onto one of our Future Focus — Careers Workshops
  • Apply now
    • Application deadlines and interviews
      • We suggest you apply as early as possible.
      • Interviews April to September.
    • Online application
      You can apply online from the link below.
    • Our Application Workshop will give you an overview of what Birkbeck looks for in an undergraduate degree application and includes practical writing exercises to help you write a more effective personal statement