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Collaborative Playwriting Project - TFT00064M

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Hannah Davies
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module summary

This module enables you to build on the writing and development skills learned in Thinking Through Playwriting and on your exploration of a variety of modes of writing in Playwriting and Form by working on a playwriting project conceived, devised and developed in a rehearsal room setting. Writing a finished script from initial concept to final rehearsal draft without the input of other artists is very rare in a professional setting and being able to collaborate at all stages of the process is an essential part of the playwright’s toolkit and the playwriting craft. This module has been designed to reflect the experience of a professional playwright working within an ensemble of other theatre-makers and practitioners. As such some of the seminars will bring together the cohorts of MA Playwriting and MA Theatre-making to enable students to share and develop their skills in a rehearsal room ‘research and development’ exploratory, creative environment.

The module will be delivered and co-taught by the programme leaders of MA Playwriting and MA Theatre-making, developing both cohorts’ skills in workshopping, collaboration and pro-active dramaturgy. Though some of the teaching and workshopping on this module will be combined across MA programmes, the assessment will remain separate. After a six week period of devising and collaborating in a rehearsal room process, the cohorts will split for the remaining 5 weeks of term to develop their work within their own discipline and cohort. At the end of the term MA Theatre-making students will be assessed on a live performance resulting from the initial collaboration process, and the MA Playwriting students will be assessed on individual scripts that respond in some way to aspects of the collaboration process, whether through theme, topic, genre or form, according to the individual playwright’s interests.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

The aims of the module are:

  • to equip you with tools, practices and approaches for working with other theatre practitioners to create, devise and hone performance and written material

  • to provide you with a live rehearsal room experience of developing an idea for theatre performance

  • to enable you to apply your dramaturgical knowledge to contribute to a developing piece of live theatre as well as complete a script informed by this process

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module you will be expected:

  • to have contributed actively to a workshop development process as both writer and theatre-maker

  • to have conceived, developed and completed a short script in response to the explorations of the ensemble work undertaken in joint teaching sessions

  • to understand how working collaboratively can inform, deepen and enrich the writing process and the playwriting craft

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Short play with reflective statement on collaborative process		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Formative feedback is embedded into the seminars.

Reassessment

None

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times, with an option of an individual follow-up meeting if any aspect of the feedback is unclear or if more guidance on interpreting the feedback is requested.

Indicative reading

Ball, D. (1983). Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.

Cole, T. (1961). Playwrights on Playwriting: The Making of Modern Drama from Ibsen to Ionesco. New York: Hill & Wang.

Goode, C. (2014). The Forest and the Field: Changing Theatre in a Changing World. London: Oberon.

Jester, C. and Caridad S. (eds.). (2017). Fifty Playwrights on their Craft. London: Bloomsbury.

Tichler, R. and Kaplan, B. (2012). The Playwright at Work. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

Sweet, J. (2017). What Playwrights Talk About When They Talk About Writing. New Haven: Yale University Press.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.