Advanced Higher Drama

WHY STUDY DRAMA?

Advanced Higher Drama helps you develop essential skills for the modern world and supports your personal growth.

It is also a recommended subject for pupils looking to venture into Law, and a desired subject for Medicine.

What careers can I work in?

Drama offers a variety of career pathways.

Find out more

What jobs use drama?

Many modern day jobs utilise key skills developed in Drama.

Find out more

🎭 Course outline for ADVANCED HIGHER DRAMA 🎭

In this course, you will be assessed in 50% practical skills and 50% Theory.

ASSIGNMENT

(20% of your final grade)

In exam conditions, you will write a 3000 word extended essay based on a professional production and theatre practitioner.

DISSERTATION

(30% of your final grade)

Throughout the course, through your own independent research, you will write a dissertation based on a 'performance issue' which intrigues you.

PERFORMANCE

(50% of your final grade)

You will present an interactive acting piece and a monologue as an actor, or be presented as a designer in three production roles.

🎭 PRACTICAL EXAM PREPARATION 🎭

ACTORS

You will present two extracts - one interactive acting piece and a monologue.
These are presented to an external examiner around Easter time and we work on these for the whole year.
You are assessed on the following criteria as an actor:
Interactive Acting Piece: Understanding and Interpretation, Portrayal, Voice skills, Movement skills, and audience impact.

Monologue: Characterisation, Voice, Movement, and audience impact.

DIRECTORS

Do you prefer to lead a rehearsal and bring a vision to life?

Similarly to Higher Drama, you will study a play of your choosing throughout the course.
You are assessed on the following criteria as a director:
Understanding of the text
Communication of directorial concepts
Interaction with cast
Movement
Voice

DESIGNERS

Fancy working as a theatre designer? Here's what you would do.
You will be assessed in three production roles, with set design being the first for all production candidates.
You are assessed on the following criteria as a designer:
Set Design: Design concept, a scale model set to scale with a theatre of your choice, created with design specifications.
Additional Production Role 1 and 2: you are assessed through your coherence of the design concept and the awareness of practicalities.
You can choose from lighting, sound, hair and make-up, costume, props, multimedia.
Towards the end of the year, you will present your work to a visiting assessor, demonstrating your research, journey and practical skills.

🎭 COURSEWORK 🎭

There is no written exam for Advanced Higher Drama, however you will complete a dissertation throughout the year. Furthermore, you will complete your assignment in class, in exam conditions. You will be guided by your teacher, however this work is to be completed independently.

DISSERTATION (30%)

This is something that you build over the course.

You need to find a ‘performance issue’ which intrigues you – research and investigate this through professional productions and practitioners.

You are assessed on 3 elements:

A – Analysing theory and performance examples that explore a chosen performance issue.

B – Synthesising by comparing and contrasting different ways the performance issue has been explored. This is basically the structure of your essay.

C – Expressing an argument leading up to an evaluative conclusion.

It is a maximum of 3,000 words.

ASSIGNMENT (20%)

The questions are released before the summer break.

You choose 1, then you research, investigate and analyse a professional production as well as the work of at least 1 practitioner involved in the production.

Finally, in timed exam conditions, you answer that question as an extended essay.

You can take in some brief notes to help you, but then you hand all of this into the SQA once the time is up.

🎭 META-SKILLS YOU DEVELOP IN DRAMA🎭

Choosing Higher Drama will allow you to develop all of the meta-skills, which will help you become a creative and adaptable learner, promoting your success for the future, whilst also making you stand out in the job market, as someone who can creatively collaborate and think outside of the box.