The aim of this module is to develop theoretical understanding and knowledge based on the theatre style and language of source material applied and practiced through the rehearsal and production of extended scenes. In addition you will attend master classes in a variety of areas (including rehearsal techniques, staging, communicating with actors) which will provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary challenges and approaches for directors, and you will undertake to direct at least two extended scenes of increasing complexity.
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The aim of this module is to develop practical applications of understanding and knowledge in rehearsing and developing a new live theatre production culminating in a performance in the department's theatre. The module will begin with a placement or case study, which will allow you to examine the professional practice of a company or a theatre artist in depth, and will culminate with a preview performance of your own festival production. The placement is not organized by the department but we will provide guidance and, because of the nature of the industry is flexible in length in order to make it work for host theatres/companies/projects. You will have individual mentor support, which will underpin your ability to plan, negotiate and lead this project through to completion.
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This module will focus on theatre design, on the elements of visual and sound design. You will acquire a knowledge of the history of design in theatre from Greeks to present day. You will critically explore and generate ideas on how to use space, visual and aural elements of theatre language to animate and interpret text and achieve a coherent conceptual vision of that text. Through knowledge, role play and practical application of ideas you will understand how to plan and produce professional standard methodologies from page to stage and be able to engage in creative, critical dialogue with collaborating artists such as composers, set designers, costume designers and other stakeholders in the production process.
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This module develops your advanced understanding of how dramatic stories are constructed and how structure shapes meaning, exploits tension, and creates an audience experience. You will explore a range of narrative models and structural techniques, analysing how character, plot, theme, and theatrical form interact to create compelling dramatic arcs. Through practical etudes, collaborative rehearsal processes, and a short placement with a staff director, you will learn to integrate critical analysis with creative decision making. By the end of the module, you will be able to apply structural principles with originality, exercise leadership in rehearsal contexts, and articulate the relationship between story, structure, and performance practice with professional clarity.The module combines lectures, masterclasses, tutorials, and project based etudes to introduce a wide range of approaches to dramatic storytelling. You will examine elements such as character, dialogue, plot, theme, visual and aural design, and explore structural forms from linear narrative to more complex manipulations of time and perspective. Across the trimester, you will complete four practical etudes, each focusing on a different aspect of story and structure, and you will undertake a short placement as an assistant director to observe professional rehearsal processes. Weekly tutorials support your development, and the module culminates in a final etude and a reflective analytical essay.
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This module focuses on launching your professional career, along with creating and potentially presenting work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Working from your reflective analysis and tutor feedback of the preview production this is a fundamentally self-guided module/process of re-rehearsal and revision whereby you will seek to develop, alter and enhance the production to a professional standard and present your work publicly at the Fringe Festival, working to bridge your experience as a training director into the world of professional work. Meeting with your tutor in the early stages, you will outline a development plan and rehearsal schedule, production/tech schedules and marketing plan. The module is tutorial based where your development of the production will be reviewed by your tutor in dialogue with the opportunity to seek guidance on the written aspects of the module.
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The module aims to extend your abiity and challenge your creative thinking to bring to life complex texts and styles and develop work for an international festival context. Lectures, observations and tutorials will suport your learning through dialogue with your Module Leader. You will develop strategies for enhancing creativity, mrketing strategies, effective group communication, setting the stage for innovative work, sympathetic listening and responding, and enhancing group problem-solving abilities.
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In this module you will be introduced to the necessary business and self-management skills required by the theatre profession. The areas you will cover will include business planning, production and small company finance, effective marketing, including online presence and social media, how to set up and run a small theatre company, self-promotion and networking. You will be introduced to industry professionals who will share their professional journey and insights into career progression.
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Throughout the module, you will work in small tutorial groups to explore a range of plays from Greek drama to the present day. You will undertake contextual research and carry out detailed literary analysis of form, style, structure, language, and thematic ideas, while also examining the specific production challenges each play presents in practice.Weekly peer led analytical presentations will support collaborative knowledge building, allowing you to investigate the relationships between language, character, and narrative, and to test your ideas through structured discussion. These sessions create an inclusive, dialogic learning environment in which diverse perspectives contribute to a shared understanding of dramatic storytelling.The module culminates in an individual presentation in which you analyse a chosen play in terms of its production demands and propose a series of creative, practical solutions. Both your presentations and the resulting peer exchange form a significant part of the learning experience, enabling you to integrate theoretical insight with practical dramaturgical reasoning.
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