Theatre Studies

Theatre studies is a discipline that takes the art of performance seriously as both a practice and an object of inquiry. It examines how theatre has been made and understood across different cultures and historical periods, asks what theatre is for and what it can do, and develops the analytical and creative capacities needed to engage with performance as a form of human expression. It sits at the intersection of the literary, the visual, and the live, drawing on literary criticism, history, philosophy, cultural theory, and the practical knowledge of making and staging work.

At Birkbeck College, theatre studies is studied in a department embedded in London's uniquely rich performance culture, giving you access to a city that is one of the world's leading centres for theatre, performance art, and live culture. Birkbeck's traditions of evening and flexible study mean the department attracts students who bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the seminar room, enriching the intellectual environment in which you learn. You will develop your understanding of dramatic texts and performance traditions, explore the theories and methods that theatre scholars and practitioners use, and build the analytical, research, and communication skills that the discipline demands.

The relationship between text and performance, between the playwright, the director, and the actor, between the stage and the audience, and between theatre and the social world it inhabits, are all central concerns.

Studying theatre in London gives you unparalleled access to productions, rehearsals, archives, and practitioners, making the city itself an extension of your learning environment.

Graduates go on to careers in theatre making and production, arts administration, cultural journalism, education, broadcasting, publishing, community arts, and the cultural sector more broadly. Many pursue postgraduate study in theatre and performance studies, drama, or related arts disciplines, building specialist knowledge for research, teaching, or advanced practice. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are also valued across many professional contexts beyond the arts.