FT1ATP: Analysing Theatre and Performance

Module code: FT1ATP

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Lucy Tyler, email: l.s.tyler@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to familiarise students with a range of critical and interpretive tools for the close analysis of theatre texts and performances; to enhance their understanding of the ways that meaning is produced and organised in plays and performances; to enable them to recognise mainstream theatrical conventions, and to describe them in appropriate terms; to enable them to recognise departures from mainstream convention, and to understand these systematically, and describe them in appropriate terms; to extend their understanding of the specificities of theatre texts and performances. Students will engage with a diverse and inclusive syllabus through the texts and performances they study, which will mainly begin from the late nineteenth century to the contemporary and concentrate on their historical and cultural contexts, as well as the stylistic and performative nature of these works.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate skills of close analysis appropriate to the study of theatre and performance.
2. Examine texts and performance through critical and interpretive tools such as semiotics and performance analysis.
3. Investigate the central conventions of theatre, and their interrelationship, in order to make informed comparative judgements and to develop clearly argued interpretations.
4. Evaluate in written work a critical understanding of the institutions and contexts of theatre and performance from the late nineteenth century to the present.
5. Achieve the following skills and competencies appropriate to the level of study: oral communication and argument in group situations; deployment of research using printed and electronic resources; critical analysis and coherent argument; undertaking self-directed, independent work; presentation of written work using IT; identifying and addressing problems in the analysis of theatre.

Module content

The module provides an introduction to methods of textual and performance analysis in theatre. Working with play texts and theatre performances, the module develops approaches to the close analysis of theatrical performance. The module introduces a critical vocabulary for theatre as well as more specific terms and approaches to the medium including:

• lectures, seminars
• reviewing a specific production, analysing the creative choices made in: space, scenography, costume, performance, text, story, etc.
• May include guest speakers and visiting practitioners

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module employs a wide variety of teaching and learning methods: lectures, seminars, exams, essays of different lengths, set readings, assessed presentations, one-to-one tutorials, screenings, and field trips. There is a charge for theatre trips. These are compulsory and will take place throughout the module as a necessary part of the teaching. The majority of these trips will take place in London, but trips in the past have involved visits to Oxford and Bristol and local Reading venues.

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs