Undergraduate Course: Contemporary British Drama (ENLI10223)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This module explores a wide range of contemporary British drama, from the 1950s to the present day. We will read a broad spectrum of work, including plays by John Osborne, Shelagh Delaney, Samuel Beckett, Sarah Kane, Tim Crouch, Caryl Churchill, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Liz Lochhead, Jez Butterworth, Kieran Hurley, Anthony Neilson, Ella Hickson, Selina Thompson and Travis Alabanza. |
| Course description |
This module explores a wide range of contemporary British drama, from the 1950s to the present day. We will read a broad spectrum of work, including plays by John Osborne, Shelagh Delaney, Samuel Beckett, Sarah Kane, Tim Crouch, Caryl Churchill, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Liz Lochhead, Jez Butterworth, Kieran Hurley, Anthony Neilson, Ella Hickson, Selina Thompson and Travis Alabanza. Placing these playwrights and plays in context, we will consider the evolution of specific trends, movements and forms across twentieth- and twenty-first-century drama, including in-yer-face theatre, participatory performance and state-of-the-nation drama. You will be encouraged to consider practical issues of staging and performance, as well as thinking theoretically about questions of representation, style and politics. You will learn to closely analyse theatre playtexts, as well as developing the skills required to analyse specific productions and performances from existing evidence.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | A MINIMUM of three college/university level literature courses at grade B or above (should include no more than one introductory level literature course). Related courses such as civilisation or creative writing are not considered for admissions to this course.
Applicants should also note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. In making admissions decisions preference will be given to students who achieve above the minimum requirement with the typical visiting student admitted to this course having three to four literature classes at grade A.
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| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Other Study Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
1 hour autonomous learning per week.
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
2000 word coursework essay (30%) submitted mid-semester;
plus 3000 word final essay submitted during exam period (70%). |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
2000 word coursework essay (30%) submitted mid-semester;
plus 3000 word final essay submitted during exam period (70%). |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Construct original, clear and coherent arguments about the production of meaning and effect by contemporary British dramas both on the page and in performance;
- Analyse dramatic texts using recognised methodologies of literary criticism and performance analysis to substantiate and illustrate those arguments;
- Extrapolate, evaluate and assess ideas from a range of non-literary sources in order to bring them to bear on their analyses of the drama;
- Evaluate the ways in which themes and ideas in a written dramatic text can be communicated to an audience in theatre performance;
- Orally present the results of research undertaken individually and as part of a small group, respond judiciously to such research undertaken by others, and critically evaluate the importance of such material for an understanding of the chief themes of the course.
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Reading List
Topics
Theatre and audience
Theatrical revolutions: content and form
In-Yer-Face theatre
Participatory theatre
Staging the nation(s)
Staging gender
Staging sexuality
Staging the environment
Staging the mind
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Additional Information
| Course URL |
https://www.ed.ac.uk/literatures-languages-cultures/english-literature/undergraduate/current/honours |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
Numbers are limited, with priority given to students taking degrees involving English or Scottish Literature and Visiting Students placed by the Admissions Office. Students not in these categories need the written approval of the Head of English Literature before enrolling. In the case of excess applications places will be decided by ballot. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Seminar: 2 hour(s) per week for 10 week(s); plus attendance for 1 hour a week at Autonomous Learning Group - times to be arranged |
| Keywords | Contemporary,British,Drama,Theatre,Performance |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Hannah Simpson
Tel:
Email: h.e.a.simpson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Callum Lennie
Tel:
Email: Callum.Lennie@ed.ac.uk |
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