CONTINUAL ASSESSMENT, 100% [LO 1, 2, 3 and 4]

You will be assessed on your contribution to the rehearsal process through the use of vivas (in the form of semi-structured conversations) and blogs. These will then be averaged out to form your final mark. You will also be assessed on your professionalism of approach to rehearsals and workshops, including work ethic, attendance and punctuality.

The Journal/blog (Maximum 2,000 words) will allow you to contextualise your understanding and knowledge of different rehearsal methodologies as employed by professional theatre practitioners. The short viva (10 minutes) will then allow you to reflect and analyse your final practical project.

Taking the relationship between the actor, director and the text as the starting point, you will explore a variety of rehearsal methodologies in relationship to contemporary and/or classical texts. This will involve you in the study and practice of directing actors (and how to be ‘directed’ as an actor) in theatre plays and will examine the director's overall role and responsibilities.

You will explore and understand the creative techniques and decision making required of both the director and the actor in the professional rehearsal process and will learn several differing (and often contradictory) approaches to rehearsals through the examination of a range of playtexts, practitioners and genres of work.

Contemporary practitioners work will be explored, including that of Katie Mitchell, Ariane Mnouchkine, Mike Alfreds, Declan Donnellan and Max Stafford-Clark amongst others. You will undertake several of their rehearsal strategies and test their efficacy and reflect on the emerging ‘results’.

Finally, you will be given an introduction to the basics of stage combat and fighting and how this relates to the acting of a scene. You will also be given the optional opportunity to work towards your Level 1 BADC combat exam in the Independent Study Week if you wish. Finally, you will undertake several clowning workshops, exploring the performer’s relationship with the audience, vulnerability of the clown and the clown’s use of physicality.

This module will culminate in a showing of scenes, directed and acted by yourselves, applying the various strategies used and presented to an invited audience of staff and peers.

Workshops will enable you to examine the relationship between the director and the actor and the challenges involved in the production of short extract(s) of differing styles of text.

Workshops will examine some basic structures of directing a play such as: Pre- rehearsal research, casting, early rehearsal strategies, different approaches to arriving at physicalisation and staging of the text; script analysis, characterisation and middle/late stage rehearsal techniques and problem solving strategies. All of these will be presented as potential possibilities, as each text will require different strategies and approaches.

You will work on a number of extracts through which you can apply understanding and practically explore directorial techniques.

The module will also see you engage with a number of student led rehearsals and workshops (as part of the ‘guided independent study’), applying work from the contact sessions.

Drama Studios
Library
Internet
Seminar Rooms
Lecture Theatre
Rapiers and Daggers

Directing and Rehearsal-
Delgado, M & Reballato, D (ed.). 2010. Contemporary European Theatre Directors. Routledge
Heritage, H. (1996). In Contact With Gods - Directors Talk Theatre. Manchester U.P
Mitter, S. (1992). Systems of Rehearsal. Routledge
Manfull, H. (1992). Taking Stage - Women Directors on Directing. Methuen
Shevtsova, M & Innes, C (ed). 2009. Directors/Directing. Cambridge University Press.
Stafford-Clark, M (1989). Letters To George. Nick Hern Books.
Swain, R. (2011). Directing. Methuen
Taylor , D. (1996). Directing Plays. A & C Black
Unwin, S. (2006). So You Want To be A Theatre Director? .N.H.B

Clowning-
Simon, E (2012). The Art of Clowning. Palgrave Macmillan
Lecoq, J. (2009). Through the Body. Methuen

Stage Combat-
Suddeth, J (1996) Fight Directing for the Theatre. Focal Press

1. APPLY A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLES OF THE ACTOR AND/OR DIRECTOR AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACTOR, TEXT AND AUDIENCE.
[Creativity]

2. APPLY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE KEY TASKS OF TIME-MANAGEMENT, ORGANISATIONAL, PREPARATION AND PLANNING SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
[Problem Solving]

3. DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE INCLUDING ATTENDANCE, PUNCTUALITY AND ENSEMBLE WORKING.
[Creative Collaboration]

4. REFLECT UPON THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES AND KEY RELATIONSHIPS DURING AND FOLLOWING THE MODULE. DEMONSTRATE YOUR ABILITY TO ALTER YOUR PROCESS IN THE LIGHT OF FEEDBACK (STAFF OR PEER) AND SELF-ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION.
[Enquiry; Reflection]