- Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
- Module co-ordinator: Prof. David Barnett
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
This module combines a theoretical and practical introduction to making political theatre with an implementation of these ideas in a short performance project. It will consider different ways of approaching 'the political' on the stage and offer students the opportunity to craft their own productions, usually on a specific political issue or theme.
Occurrence | Teaching cycle |
---|---|
A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
This module aims:
By the end of the module you will be expected:
You will spend the first six weeks of the module engaging with different theories, practices and examples of political theatre in order both to furnish
you with important theatrical approaches and to allow you to experiment with them. You will apply performance ideas to different published plays in
order to understand the possibilities of a political theatre. After this period, you will take this awareness of poltical theatre forward into your
development of a 30-minute performance, based on a theme set earlier in the semester, drawing on the ideas introduced in the first phase of the module.
In groups, you will produce, direct, act, research, write, design and stage manage the performances.
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Reflective Essay |
N/A | 60 |
Groupwork Live Performance : Group Performance |
N/A | 40 |
None
A formative essay task, based on the analysis of political elements in the set play and their performance, can be scheduled for midway through the module.
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Reflective Essay |
N/A | 60 |
Oral presentation/seminar/exam Presentation |
N/A | 40 |
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Aston, E. (1999). Feminist Theatre Practice: A Handbook. London: Routledge.
Barnett, D. (2014). Brecht in Practice. London: Bloomsbury.
Cantrell, T. (2013). Acting in Documentary Theatre. Houndsmills: Palgrave.
Case, S. (1990). Performing Feminisms. Maryland Johns Hopkins University Press.
Fischer-Lichte, E. (2005). Theatre, Sacrifice, Ritual: Exploring Forms of Political Theatre. London: Routledge.
Forsyth, A. and Megson, C. (eds.) (2009). Get Real: Documentary Theatre Past and Present. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Haedicke, S, et al. (2009). Political Performances: Theory and Practice. London: Rodopi.
Hammond, W.and Steward, D.(eds.) (2008). Verbatim, Verbatim: Contemporary Documentary Theatre. London: Oberon.
Heddon, D. (2007). Autobiography and Performance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Jurs-Munby, K, et al. (2013). Postdramatic Theatre and the Political. London: Bloomsbury Methuen.
Kelleher, J. (2009). Theatre & Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Martin, C. (2012). Theatre of the Real. Houndsmills: Palgrave.
Patterson, M. (2006). Strategies of Political Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.