Theatre and Performance

Theatre and performance is a discipline that studies the live encounter between performers and audiences as one of the most ancient and enduring forms of human expression and social life. It encompasses the analysis of plays and theatrical texts, the history of theatre across cultures and periods, performance theory, and the practical skills of acting, directing, devising, and producing. Theatre and performance studies takes the full range of performance practices as its subject, from the classical Greek theatre through to contemporary live art, site-specific work, and immersive performance forms, asking how performance works, what it communicates, and why it matters.

At Northumbria University in Newcastle you will study this three-year full-time programme, which includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a placement. This combination of professional and international experience is exceptional for a theatre programme, giving you direct engagement with professional practice in different contexts and building the networks and credits that are essential for a career in the performing arts. Across the programme you will study theatre history and theory alongside performance practice, developing your analytical understanding and your practical skills in a range of areas including acting, devising, physical performance, and production.

Newcastle's vibrant arts scene and proximity to major theatre organisations enrich the programme. The typical entry tariff is 136 points.

Graduates from theatre and performance programmes work as actors, directors, theatre makers, producers, arts administrators, drama educators, community theatre practitioners, and arts development officers. Many combine several of these roles across a portfolio career. The sandwich year and placement experience are particularly valuable in establishing the professional relationships and practical credits that the industry demands.

Further study in theatre practice, arts management, or applied theatre is taken by some graduates as a route to specialist skills or academic careers in performance studies.