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BA (Hons) Theatre Studies offers a broad foundation in the study of contemporary theatre, drama and performance whilst also providing increased specialisation in the subject at second and third year levels. We are distinctive amongst theatre departments at UK universities because of our primary concern with innovative contemporary performance and its cultural significance.
Students' understanding and creative abilities are developed through a stimulating cross-fertilisation of theory and practice, enabling students to think creatively and perform critically. Our teaching is designed to support and to encourage modes of independent thinking and collaborative performance making. Explorations of innovative and radical aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century theatre and performance are informed by staff research interests and include: multimedia theatre, site-specific theatre, dance and physical theatre, television drama, contemporary drama and dramaturgy, radical, political, community and feminist theatre.
Theatre Studies is part of the Lancaster Institute of the Contemporary Arts, and as a student in LICA you will benefit from its interdisciplinary environment, within which you will learn about theatre’s relation to the other arts and acquire skills in digital media.
LICA also offers additional training in digital editing, including video, to give you the basis for creative work across the arts. History and the contextualization of art works are the subject of the LICA-wide module Modernism in the Arts, which looks at the arts from 1850 to the 1970s and includes case studies drawn from art, design, film, music and theatre. This module, unique in its scope at this level in British higher education, will provide you with an interdisciplinary approach that will enable you to become an informed practitioner in the contemporary arts.
In year one students are offered an introduction to Theatre Studies that serves as a foundation for further study. The introduction of theoretical and critical tools is supported by a syllabus that includes a variety of genres, media and historical periods. An exemplary range of play scripts and performances provides the opportunity to encounter the texts and contexts of dance and physical theatre, popular film, tragedy, epic theatre, political and community theatres. Students have the opportunity to explore and to apply this knowledge in practical ways, making collaborative group performances related to and inspired by the works they have been studying.
Across years two and three, students build a portfolio of modules in Theatre Studies. The learning experience in year two focuses on the acquisition and application of theoretical and practical knowledge in relation to specific areas of study such as physical theatre and dance, television drama, performance composition, political theatre, avant-garde theatre, or European playwriting. In year three students are expected to deal with more abstract concepts and develop a more analytical and independent approach to their studies through a range of modular options that may include contemporary experimental performance, postmodern dance, television and the politics of identity, theatre administration, Contemporary European and British theatres. Year three includes the opportunity for dissertation study, while both years have applied theatre modules for students to create their own group performances.
Facilities at Lancaster include two well equipped performance spaces supported by generous technical assistance. Our Nuffield Theatre is one of the best university theatres in Europe and one of the largest and most adaptable professional black-box theatres in the UK. A major teaching and performance resource, funded through Lancaster University and Arts Council England North West, it offers an exciting programme of professional productions and student work.
The atmosphere in the department is lively and friendly as we foster independent thought and collaborative creativity through a close-knit community of staff and students. Creative industry links at local, regional, national and international levels ensure that our students are at the hub of exciting arts networks, creating opportunities for placements and the showcasing of student work to professional bodies.
Tuition consists of an integrated programme of seminars, lectures, and practicals. Students are assessed in variety of ways – through practical projects, presentations, essays, and dissertation writing – and are supported in their studies by a personal tutor system.
Staff have demonstrated teaching and research excellence. Outstanding records of academic publication and professional performance making ensure quality tuition and a syllabus that engages with the cutting-edge questions and issues of contemporary theatre and performance.
We provide our students with many opportunities for engagement with professional practitioners through shows, talks and workshops through our close relationship with the Public Arts, particularly the Nuffield Theatre. In addition we have well-established links with a number of theatre and performance artists who frequently make contributions to the course including artists who have been awarded Arts and Humanities Research Council ‘creative fellowships’ who work with us over a three-year period. Fellows have included the award winning poet, writer and performance artist Fiona Templeton, Forced Entertainment writer and director Tim Etchells, Rebecca Prichard, writer of Essex Girls (1995) and Yard Gal (1998), both of which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre London, and John Fox, founder and artistic director of Welfare State International.
Other nationally and internationally renowned practitioners contribute to the curriculum via part-time teaching or practical project work including Pete Brooks (Impact Theatre Co-op, Insomniac Theatre); dance-maker Wendy Houston (DV8); Adrian Howells (winner of Total Theatre Award Edinburgh Festival in 2009); performance artists and film makers Desperate Optimists; Peter Petralia (Proto-Type Theatre); Simon Wainwright (imitating the dog); Lois Weaver (Split Britches); director Mark Whitelaw; site-specific performance maker and designer Lou Wilson (wilson+wilson.); the performance makers Leentja Van de Cruys and John Dean in addition to the actor Roberta Kerr (Emmerdale, Coronation Street). Current members of Theatre Studies staff also undertake practice and research in a professional context (please see the People section).
Our graduates go on to work in a diverse range of theatre studies related fields. Past students are now working as administrators, researchers, technicians and producers in radio, film, television and theatre, as teachers and university lecturers in the UK and elsewhere, in social services, financial services, health services, in pop bands, in the Houses of Parliament, and in charities. Some graduates go on to work as performers for film and television including Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Little Dorrit), Ralph Ineson (The Office, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Chris Fox (The Bill, Ultimate Force). On graduation a number of students also set up successful small scale touring theatre companies, establish performance groups, or go on to work as solo artists. These include companies like Stan’s Café, Third Angel, Metro-Boulot-Dodo, Imitating the Dog and artists such as David Leddy and Ursula Martinez..
BA (Hons) Theatre Studies, 2006
"I came to Lancaster as the Theatre department has a strong reputation, fantastic facilities, and great staff. Everyone seems friendly and cooperative and wanted that environment to study within."
"Being able to use the Nuffield Theatre is a great opportunity. The range of performances and the ability to perform ourselves in this space is a huge bonus."
"The college system makes Lancaster. Being part of a college has really affected my social experience, bringing me into contact with students from a variety of different courses."
"The lecturers and practitioners around the Nuffield Theatre allow us to as students to really question our own styles of performance. They are all helpful and friendly too, something you don’t find at most universities!!"
BA (Hons) Theatre Studies, 2006
"Theatre Studies is a very close and friendly department. We can study a wide range of subjects from directing, through experimental theatre and theatre administration, to TV drama which is fantastic for achieving a broad understanding of theatre as a whole."
"I like having access to professional performances every week at a reduced price in the Nuffield Theatre and being able to see lots of contemporary theatre is exciting."
BA (Hons) Theatre Studies, 2006
"I am in my final year and the course is hard work but I’m still enjoying it. I think that the balance between theory and practical work is really good."
"I enjoy that there is a performance in the first seven weeks of the first term which means that everyone on the course gets to know each other quite well."
"I really like that the city centre is quite small and you are always guaranteed to bump into people you know. Having said that, there are plenty of great places to go for a night out."
Due to the demands of group work in Theatre Studies part-time study is not possible.
Roughly 50/50 but this can be varied through module choices in part two. We usually aim for an integration of theory and practice.
We recommend that you book online for a Visit Day or Campus Tour. Details can be found at: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/undergraduate/uk/visit.htm. On certain campus tour dates you can also ‘drop in’ to the department you’re interested in for a talk and tour. Remember though that if you apply to Lancaster you will be invited to an Open Day / Interview which includes a talk, tour and the opportunity to chat to current staff and students.
Start by searching for your course via the Online Course Search tool on the website: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/coursesearch/ . Once you have reached the summary page for your course, click on the link to the Online Courses Handbook. This will take you to a detailed course description including links to individual modules and their reading lists.
We may be able to offer you an alternative. However, due to the amount of applications we receive this may not always be possible.
If you have completed your first year at another institution you may be able to enter direct into Part II for all LICA undergraduate degree schemes. In most cases this requires you to submit a marks breakdown / transcript from your current institution as additional information when you apply.
