How to Revise A-Level Drama & Theatre

Prepare for A-Level Drama & Theatre with practice on set text analysis, live theatre evaluation, and performance techniques.

Revision Strategy

Revising Drama & Theatre is different from most academic subjects because it involves a significant practical or performance component alongside written analysis. Balance your revision between developing your practical skills and preparing for the written elements. Neglecting either side will limit your overall grade.

For the analytical and written components, build your subject-specific vocabulary. Being able to describe techniques, styles, and creative choices using precise terminology demonstrates your understanding and lifts your answers above generic description. Create a glossary of key terms for each area of study and use them consistently in your practice answers.

Study a range of practitioners, artists, or works beyond your set pieces. Having a broader frame of reference allows you to make more sophisticated comparisons and shows the examiner that you understand the wider context of the discipline. Keep concise notes on key influences, techniques, and the historical or cultural context of the works you study.

Study Tips for A-Level Drama & Theatre

✓ For each practitioner you study, create a detailed profile covering their key techniques, staging style, use of space, performer-audience relationship, and the social or political context of their work. Learn specific examples from their productions to reference in essays.
✓ Keep a detailed working notebook throughout your devised process, recording your creative decisions, rehearsal experiments, and reflections. This becomes the basis for your written analysis and demonstrates the quality of your creative process.
✓ Watch as much live theatre as possible and analyse it critically. Attend a range of productions — mainstream, fringe, physical theatre, immersive — and consider how the director and performers have applied techniques from practitioners you have studied.
✓ When rehearsing for performance assessments, record yourself on video regularly to identify habits you are unaware of, such as blocking issues, vocal projection problems, or unclear physicality. Self-review is one of the most effective rehearsal tools.

Exam Tips for A-Level Drama & Theatre

✓ In the written exam on set texts, demonstrate how you would stage specific scenes rather than writing literary analysis. Reference staging decisions (proxemics, lighting, vocal tone, set design) and explain how they communicate meaning to the audience.
✓ When analysing live theatre in the evaluation section, use precise theatrical terminology and reference specific moments in the performance. Describe what you saw, analyse the techniques used, and evaluate their effectiveness in communicating the production s intended message.
✓ In performance assessments, clarity of intention is essential. Every movement, vocal choice, and spatial decision should communicate something to the audience. Purposeful, committed performance scores higher than technically skilled but unfocused work.

Topics to Cover

8 topics in A-Level Drama & Theatre

Set Text Study

Live Theatre Review

Devising Theatre

Performing

Directing

Design Elements

Practitioners

Theatre History

Available Exam Boards

A-Level Drama & Theatre specification guides for each exam board

AQA Edexcel OCR WJEC

Frequently Asked Questions

How is A-Level Drama and Theatre assessed? +

Assessment typically includes a devised performance or design realisation with a written portfolio, a scripted performance or design, and a written examination on set texts and live theatre evaluation. The practical and written components are usually weighted roughly equally, though this varies by exam board.

Do I have to perform on stage to do A-Level Drama? +

Not necessarily. Most exam boards offer a design option alongside performance, allowing you to specialise in areas like lighting design, set design, costume design, or sound design. However, you will still need to engage with practical theatre-making and may need to contribute to group devising work.

Is A-Level Drama accepted by universities? +

Yes, A-Level Drama and Theatre Studies is accepted by virtually all universities. It is particularly relevant for performing arts, theatre, and film courses, but is also valued for its demonstration of creativity, collaboration, and communication skills across many other disciplines.

What careers does A-Level Drama lead to? +

Drama leads to careers in acting, directing, stage management, theatre production, arts administration, teaching, broadcasting, film and television, events management, public speaking coaching, and corporate training. Many drama graduates work in creative industries or roles requiring strong communication skills.

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