Contemporary Drama and Performance module (EN41033)

This module introduces you to some of the most important and influential dramatic texts and modes of performance from approximately 2000 to the present, exploring the place of theatre, drama and performance in contemporary culture, with a particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on Britain and especially Scotland.

We will consider questions of what constitutes an archive of performance (text, recordings, reviews, photographs, notation, material objects such as costumes and props, and so on) and will engage with critical and theoretical approaches to drama and performance, examining the work of both critics and practitioners.

Wherever possible the module will respond to opportunities to see drama from the period staged locally, and the focus will, therefore, change each year.

The module will be taught by two weekly seminars (1.5 hrs each; total 3 hrs) over 11 weeks.

Coursework makes up 100% of the assessment, as follows:

• Close analysis essay: 3,000 words (40%)
• Research essay: 5,000 words (60%)