Drama with Acting

Drama with Acting is a degree for students who want to develop serious acting skills within a broader framework of critical and historical engagement with drama. Actor training and academic study of the theatre are not competing priorities; they are mutually enriching. Understanding the history of dramatic form, the theoretical perspectives on performance, and the cultural contexts in which plays have been written and staged makes you a more intelligent and adaptable performer.

And the direct experience of working in rehearsal and performance sharpens your reading of dramatic texts in ways that purely academic study rarely can.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, this three-year full-time BA combines actor training with the academic study of drama for stage, screen and beyond. You will develop acting technique through studio-based workshop and rehearsal work alongside critical and historical study of drama from multiple periods and traditions. Royal Holloway has strong connections to the industry, and London's position at the centre of UK theatre, film and television production means you are well placed to build professional networks while still studying.

The programme includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience and to encounter theatre in a different cultural and national context. Work placement is also built in throughout.

Graduates move into careers as actors in theatre, film and television, and also into directing, writing, stage management, arts administration, drama education, community arts, and the wider creative industries. Many combine performance work with teaching or other roles, reflecting the portfolio nature of professional life in the performing arts. Postgraduate study in performance, directing, or drama education is an option for those who want to deepen their training or develop research interests.