Advanced Higher

About

With the Advanced Higher Course achieving the same SCQF level points as a HNC it allows a higher quality of creativity and skills within theatre, acting, production and design to be explored. The course allows individuals to become independent in their processes and expects them to become independent researchers and practitioners, studying a wide variety of theatre practitioners and styles.

What will be different in Advanced higher?

There will be four lessons a week and an arranged individual consultation with your teacher.
Candidates are still expected to produce a play from a stimulus but the work is completely written, produced, cast and directed own their own. The candidates work must be inspired by a key practitioner they have studied, meaning the play will be in a certain style of theatre.
As in Higher Drama, again candidates will be expected to produce a work from a text. This time they should incorporate the techniques of a different practitioner they have studied to produce a work focusing on a particular element of the text.
Candidates are expected to work towards a 2500-3000 word dissertation on a performance issue of their choice, analysing an element of any form of theatre. This is an important piece of work which is similar to university level work and is marked to a high standard. This piece of work will be monitored by the teacher throughout the year before being sent away to an external examiner.
An assignment is completed under timed conditions on an assigned question from the SQA. This involves analysing the work of a practitioner by watching a performance. There is no word count on this but 1 hour and 30 minutes is given to complete it.
Final Practical assessment allows you to choose the role of actor, designer or director with stronger focus on the individual’s response to the text they have been provided with.

How will I learn?

Work is mostly individual this year with only some group work necessary as part of the learning.
Research will be an essential part of the course to develop indepth understanding of the themes, contexts and theatre styles
You will complete self and peer evaluations for next steps including keeping folios documenting your research and devising.

Practical Exam

The practical exam is 50 marks worth 50% of the course. Both design and directing are 50 marks for all work created and carried out on the day wereas the acting is divided 30 marks for the interactive piece and 20 marks for the monologue.

Acting

All actors are required to perform in one interactive acting piece lasting 17-20 minutes.

The other acting piece should be a monologue lasting 3 minutes.

These acting pieces should be taken from a published text of work which is challenging enough for the level of the student.

Directing

Directors must prepare a substantial extract, for example an act, from their chosen play. On the day of the performance, the visiting assessor selects approximately three consecutive pages for the candidate to direct in a rehearsal lasting approximately 35 minutes. It is not advisable for candidates to direct actors who are performing the same scene for their own assessment

Design

Candidates demonstrate their overall set design concept for their chosen play by creating a scale model set and planning concepts for two additional production roles from the following: lighting, sound, multimedia, props, costume, make-up and hair.

Written Exam The written component of the course is divided in to two parts. The dissertation is worth 30 marks and is completed throughout the year. The assignment is worth 20 marks and is prepared for in advance but written under exam conditions, completed in 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Dissertation

Candidates identify a performance issue, carry out research and communicate their findings in a dissertation of 2,500 to 3,000 words.

Candidates choose an aspect of drama that interests them and carry out independent research. The dissertation allows candidates to demonstrate a depth of knowledge and understanding of:

influential theatre practitioners and their impact on
professional theatre practice performance theories, processes and practices within the context of their identified performance issue

Candidates must decide on the focus and nature of their dissertation. The performance issue can be the same, different, or a combination of, the production role candidates use in their performance assessment. Candidates may find some appropriate performance material from discoveries made during their own practice; however, the project–dissertation requires candidates to identify alternative perspectives to their own, and to synthesise the evidence from all of their sources to produce a coherent line of argument.

Assignment

Candidates analyse a professional theatrical production and the work of at least one theatre practitioner (actor, director, and/or designer) involved in the production, in an extended response.

The analysis could be of a live performance, a live-streamed performance, a recorded ‘live’ theatrical performance or a historical performance. The performance must be a play: it must not be a musical, pantomime, ballet or opera.

Candidates must not use the same theatrical production and/or theatre practitioner that they use in their project–dissertation.

Candidates prepare a 250 word resource sheet which if not submitted can lose 4 marks of the overall 20 marks

How will I know I am progressing?

You can perform and design for various aspects of theatre confidently.
You can identify particular techniques and styles used by theatre practitioner and apply these to your own practice.
You can explore complex themes and issues through your acting, directing and design.
You can identify complex features of drama drawing comparisons of other works.
You can use design resources and technology to create, design and build for plays.
You will discuss with your teacher your achievements, next steps and targets.

What will my home learning commitment be?

Both units of work require the up-keep of folio work and practical requirements such as learning lines, director’s commentary, designs etc. These should be completed as homework or in study.
Research for all aspects of the course must be continued out with class time rigorously, to ensure high quality work throughout all aspects of the course, but particularly for the dissertation.
Pupils should also be able to organise their own rehearsals out with class time to prepare for final assessments.

Where can I progress to with this course?

The transferable skills in Drama are not only fundamental for performing and creative courses but can be beneficil in a number of career paths including:

Acting
Directing
Teaching
Drama Therapy
Set Design
Lighting Design and Production
Sound Design and production Make-Up and Hair Design: - Wig Making, Special effects,
Costume Design
Fashion
Media Studies
Film and Television
Medicine and Psychology
Law
Dance and Events.