Playwriting for Performance - TFT00019I
Module summary
This module seeks to build on your own scriptwriting practice as developed in Year 1's Playwriting in Practice, to give you tools and strategies to develop longer narratives and to consider the challenges of creating stageable work in more detail. The module will study a selection of full play texts as well as playwriting craft manuals to enhance your craft in planning, developing and delivering dynamic theatre scripts. The module also provides ongoing peer and tutor feedback for your own written work.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2026-27 |
| B | Semester 2 2026-27 |
Module aims
Module aims:
- To build on the tools and techniques developed in Playwriting in Practice in Year 1
- To engage with a variety of contemporary and significant playtexts and playwriting craft manuals, as a means to further develop skills in dramaturgical thinking, planning and application
- To provide you with a developmental workshop space to develop your idea for your summative playscripts
Module learning outcomes
- You will be able to engage with the process of conceiving, researching,planning and writing a short piece of work for the stage
- You will be able to work collaboratively with peers in a writing workshop setting, having developed the skills of giving, receiving and acting upon feedback
- You will have written a one-act script for the stage.
Module content
The weekly playscript reading will be set by the module convenor each year. In the past these have included:
East is East by Ayub Khan Din
Foxfinder by Dawn King
Country Music by Simon Stephens
A Number by Caryl Churchill
Belongings by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
The Container by Clare Bayley
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Formative feedback on developing scripts takes place during weekly seminars across the semester. Students will also receive a one-to-one feedback meeting with the tutor.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
You will receive written feedback on the summative assessment in line with standard University turnaround times.
The tutor and fellow students will give feedback on scenes brought into workshops. Additional verbal feedback from the tutor will be provided in one-to-one meetings.
Indicative reading
Edgar, D. (2009). How Plays Work. London: Nick Hern Books.
Jeffreys, S. (2019). Playwriting: Structure, Character, How and What to Write. La Vergne: Nick Hern Books.
Yorke, J. (2015). Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey into Structure. New York: The Overlook Press.
Neipris, J. (2005). To Be a Playwright. London: Routledge.