Key information
Duration: 3 years full time or 6 years part time
UCAS code: W4W7
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
The course
Drama with Acting (BA)
BA Drama with Acting at Royal Holloway gives you the chance to step onto the stage or in front of the camera and learn the craft of acting, alongside also gaining a solid foundation in the study of Drama in general.
You'll explore the art of performance through dedicated actor training, as well as analysing key texts, so that the text and the body, the thinking and the doing, work together as one. By moving between the practical and the theoretical, you'll find your place as an informed actor, and by studying a variety of practices, by yourself and with others, you'll get knowledge of the industry as a whole, and learn how your interests could fit into the bigger picture. You’ll also get the chance to work alongside our MA Theatre Directing students, collaborating with them on their projects to bring ideas to life, as well as developing your performing arts industry networks.
We are top-rated for teaching and research, with a campus community recognised for its creativity. Our staff cover a huge range of theatre and performance studies, but we're particularly strong in contemporary British theatre, international and intercultural performance, theatre history, dance and physical theatre, and contemporary performance practices.
You'll be taught in incredible performance spaces you won't find anywhere else, each perfectly enhancing our teaching and research strengths.
- Enjoy a unique blend of academic Drama with actor training
- Work collaboratively with MA Directing students and share experiences together
- Flexibility in years 2 and 3 of your course to suit your passions
- Three performance-based final year projects
- Learn via research-led teaching, putting you at the cutting edge of the latest thinking
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1
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Skills Lab offers a broad introduction to key working methods and research approaches in theatre and performance studies.
Year 2
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Stage Acting provides an experiential foundation in practical voice, speech and body skills primarily targeted at the actor and the application of these to the interpretation of a range of written texts. You will be introduced to acting skills that will enable you to perform play texts from the 16th-21st centuries. The method of training will focus on a range of techniques developed by performance practitioners relating to Shakespeare, naturalism, absurdism and in-yer-face theatre practices. This unit aims to offer the opportunity for developing critical and professional awareness of issues and practices in the field of theatre and performance.
Year 3
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
No optional modules
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All modules are core
Year 2
You will take 30 credits worth of modules from each of the following subject areas. Such modules may include:
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All modules are core
Theatre and Text
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In this module you will develop an understanding of how theatre practitioners have frequently sought to represent social reality in order to critique it. You will look at the naturalist stage of the late nineteenth century through to contemporary verbatim performance, and explore the methods and implications of theatre’s 'reality-effects'. You will consider why so many theatre companies and practitioners in the twenty-first century have turned to documentary, tribunal, verbatim and other forms of reality-based performance, and examine a range of contemporary plays and performance texts from around the world, building an awareness of the politics, possibilities and limitations of 'staging the real'.
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In this module you will look at the work of debbie tucker green, one of the most exciting black playwrights of the early twenty first century, who's critical acclaim has recognised her original experimental linguistic virtuosity. You will explore the the performance possibilities of her playtexts, considering writing form alongside the topical social and political human rights issues she portrays, such as genocide, urban teenage violence, sex tourism and mental health. You will consider tucker green’s impact as a black British woman playwright by situating her plays in relation to trends in plays by other contemporary black British women playwrights, and examine her work within the context of 21st Century black British new writing.
Theatre and Culture
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In this module you will develop an understanding of children's theatre and the current success of theatre for young audiences. You will look at the innovative performance styles of theatre companies such as Oily Cart and Theatre-rites, and consider how their work has been pushing the boundaries of contemporary theatre. You will examine the Unicorn theatre, the first purpose-built theatre for children in London; playwrights such as Charles Way, Philip Ridley, Neil Duffield, Mark Ravenhill and David Greig; and the work of theatremakers such as Mark Storor and Sue Buckmaster, who bring a blend of visual art, puppetry and live art to performances for children. You will critically analyse how performance installations can excite children’s imaginations, focusing on the visual, tactile and aural elements of theatre and performance.
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In this module you will develop an understanding of the diverse art forms that investigate memory in dynamic conversation and the nature of art, history, and humanity. You will look at the disruption to the purpose, value, and nature of art in the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of the Holocaust, and move through the twentieth century to consider different cultures of memory, memorialisation, trauma, and witnessing. You will examine a wide range of cultural textual and performative genres, including first-hand testimony, plays, films, graphic novels, museums, and public monuments.
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Theatre and Ideas
Year 3
You will choose options from both our Advanced Seminar and Advanced Workshop modules. Such modules may include:
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All modules are core
Advanced Seminar
Advanced Workshop
Teaching & assessment
You will be taught in a range of different methods across all your modules including seminars, workshops, tutorials, and supervision. Outside of class, you will be expected to rehearse, read creative and critical works, watch performances, and conduct research. You will be assessed in a range of methods including performances, essays, presentations, and other creative projects. You will also have access to a personal tutor to guide you through your degree.
Entry requirements
A Levels: ABB-ABC
Required subjects:
- At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9-4 including English and Maths.
English language requirements
All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.
The scores we require
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
Country-specific requirements
For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here.
Undergraduate preparation programme
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers an International Foundation Year programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills.
Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Your future career
Graduates from the Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance go into a wide variety of careers, as well as further academic study. Many go into performance, stage management, broadcasting (including at the BBC), arts administration, journalism, teaching, health, marketing, and PR. Lots of our graduates also start their own performing arts companies. You'll be familiar and confident in performance situations – skills which are vital for meeting and networking, and make you viable for visible leadership roles.
You'll also walk away with considerable experience of technical, intellectual, imaginative, and practical skills, valued by most employers. Aside from these performance skills, you'll also get whole host of other skills in research and project management.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £25,900
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs with studying this course greater than £50 per item. It is a requirement to purchase a pair of safety boots in the first year, for which a range of cost options are available. Ticket costs for mandatory theatre trips are capped at £10.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should check their eligibility for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.
*The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.
**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. The increase for continuing students who start their degree in 2025/26 will be 5%. For further information see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
