Drama and Theatre with Integrated Foundation Year
Drama and theatre is the study of live performance as an art form, a cultural practice and a social force. It encompasses the history of theatre from ancient tragedy to contemporary devised performance, the theories that explain how theatre works and what it does, and the practical disciplines, including acting, directing, design and dramaturgy, through which performance is made. Studying drama at university involves both scholarly rigour and creative engagement, developing your understanding of theatre as both a body of knowledge and a living practice.
At Royal Holloway, this four-year full-time programme includes an integrated foundation year, a sandwich year, a work placement and a year abroad. The foundation year is a thorough, skills-building course that prepares you to engage with drama and theatre studies with confidence. The sandwich and placement elements give you structured professional experience in theatre, arts organisations or related contexts.
The year abroad allows you to experience performance traditions and theatre cultures in another country, which broadens your creative and scholarly perspective.
You will study dramatic texts across periods and cultures, theatrical history and theory, performance practice, directing, design, devising and the relationship between theatre and the societies that produce it. Royal Holloway's location in the London commuter belt places you within reach of one of the world's major theatre cities, and the department has strong connections with the professional theatre world.
Graduates go on to careers in theatre, film and television, arts administration, cultural journalism, education, community arts, theatre in education and the wider creative industries. Many continue to professional training in acting, directing or stage management, while others go into postgraduate study in drama, performance or theatre studies. The critical and creative skills developed through the programme are valued across many sectors beyond the arts.