Course description
Programme description
- Unique collaborative practice/theory MA combining two world-leading institutions in their respective fields.
- Situated in the heart of theatreland in a world capital of theatre dedicated to expanding participants’ knowledge and understanding of their own cultural potential
- Expert dedicated faculty and regular artist associates including over the last year: Mark Ravenhill (writer), William Gaskill (director), Shobana Jeyasingh (cheoreographer), Dominick Johnson (live artist), Soutra Gilmour (designer).
This degree is taught and assessed collaboratively and jointly by the King's College School of Humanities and RADA with a range of rehearsal workshops directed by RADA staff, and seminar lectures on the breadth of European and North American theatre undertaken by staff from King's Humanities departments.
Major areas for study each year are Shakespeare and the Jacobeans (drawing on internationally recognised academic specialists such as Professor Ann Thompson, Dr Gordon McMullan and Dr Sonia Massai), Modern Drama from the UK and European traditions (including post-1956 British new writing and European political dramaturgy) and contemporary radical and avant-garde developments in live art and performance (including the work of Societas Raffaello Sanzio, Forced Entertainment and Goat Island).
You must be prepared to participate in challenging practical work as well as class discussion of textual criticism and be confident to debate and negotiate your understanding of text and performance within a supportive yet critical peer group ensemble.
The MA Text and Performance Studies is based at two locations: in the School of Humanities King's College London on the Strand (with - from 2007 - access to the interdisciplinary performance research centre in the Anatomy Theatre & Museum), and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts with state of the art studios at Gower Street and library and rehearsal facilities at Chenies Street (ten minutes walk from the Strand through theatreland). All students have access to the British Library, Senate House and Maughan libraries, the RADA library (with its unique and comprehensive collection of play scripts) and specialist theatre collections at the Theatre Museum archives.
Programme format and assessment
This degree is taught and assessed collaboratively and jointly by the School of Humanities and RADA with a range of rehearsal workshops, directed by RADA staff, and seminar lectures on the breadth of European and North American theatre undertaken by staff from King’s.
The programme consists of the following four elements: weekly RADA studio-based classes in Approaches to Theatre over two semesters assessed by practice; weekly studio and seminar room sessions over two semesters exploring Scene Study/Imprints of Performance assessed by portfolio and practice and 4,000 word essay; weekly seminar sessions over one semester engaging with Performance Research Methods assessed by 4,000-word essay; personal tutorials and ensemble sessions developing Dissertation in second semester (practice- based option or 10,000 word academic project).
Duration
One year FT, two years PT, September to September.
