MA Theatre Practice

Our interdisciplinary MA Theatre Practice provides an opportunity for you to develop advanced knowledge of different processes of theatre-making, international performance traditions, approaches to practice-as-research (PaR), and methods of writing, directing and devising in professional contexts.

You will explore a diverse range of artistic approaches, gain insights into related critical discourses and develop an in-depth understanding of the possible interrelationships between ‘practice' and ‘research' – investigating how practitioners at the cutting-edge of the performing arts make their ideas a tangible reality.

Our course gives you the opportunity to advance your skills in your chosen area of:

• Acting
• Applied theatre
• Devising
• Directing
• Playwriting/dramaturgy

Your teaching is research-led by staff in our Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies. It will often be complimented by engagement with invited professional theatre practitioners and guest speakers. You also have the option to choose selected modules delivered by our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Students would usually attend a two-hour seminar for each module each week. Seminar groups would usually have about 10-15 students.

Our expert staff

Become part of the theatre industry by studying with people who currently work within the industry. All staff in the Centre for Theatre Studies are professional theatre-makers as well as leading academics in their individual fields. They share a passion for creative and engaging teaching, and will introduce you to ideas and practices informed by their global research interests.

Our high ranking in the Guardian University Guide is made possible because we are a community of award-winning playwrights, directors, performers and practitioners, as well as pre-eminent critics and theoreticians. Alongside specialist guest tutors in acting, directing and stage-management, our core teaching staff includes:

Liam Jarvis is Co-Director of Analogue and a playwright and theatre practitioner. He also writes and publishes widely on contemporary theatre theory and practice, with a specialism in immersive, interactive and digital theatre.

Elizabeth Kuti is also a playwright, and is currently Writer-in-Residence for Hampton Court. She has won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Stewart Parker Radio Award; and has been commissioned by the National Theatre; the Abbey Theatre, Dublin; and writes regularly for BBC radio. She also researches in the field of eighteenth-century theatre.

Annecy Lax is a specialist in Applied Theatre and human rights in performance, with over a decade of experience in testimonial and verbatim theatre. She has worked in numerous community and educational settings as a facilitator and playwright, and has had work produced by the National Theatre, Soho Theatre and the Bush Theatre.

Jonathan Lichtenstein is a playwright who has written for Radio 4 and the National Theatre. His awards include a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival and his plays have been performed internationally. He is a recognised expert in teaching playwriting and dramatic form.

Mary Mazzilli is a renowned specialist in World Theatre and is also a practicing playwright and Creative Director of Lumenis Theatre company. As well as touring her work internationally, Mary has published on Chinese Theatre, dramaturgy, translation and digital theatre.

Specialist facilities

• The Lakeside Theatre is a purpose-built 200-seat venue at the heart of the University campus. We stage productions by leading touring companies and new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students.
• Additionally, the Lakeside Studio is an intimate fully equipped black box theatre. Each year, we invite proposals from current and former Essex students to make work for this space as part of our Homegrown Shows programme.
• The Lakeside Theatre also makes a connection to the cultural hubs of our country as a host of the prestigious National Theatre Live and Royal Shakespeare Company Live screenings.
• We programme practical workshops by world-leading invited artists to help you develop new performance skills.
• Our weekly research seminars provide further opportunities for students to hear writers and practitioners discuss their craft.
• The Research Laboratory creates unique opportunities for our students to contribute to the testing of new ideas over the course of a full rehearsal process. Students collaborate with professional writers, actors, directors, musicians, and choreographers. As part of a creative team, new research questions are explored in practice, with opportunities to share work-in-progress with audiences.
• As well as our high-spec theatre spaces, our campus is home to a wealth of non-theatre venues, including The Hex and Art Exchange, that we use to innovate new site-based work.
• Our students have access to the University's Media Centre, equipped with state-of-the-art studios, cameras, audio and lighting equipment, and an industry-standard editing suite.
• There are also opportunities to write for our student magazine Rebel or host a Rebel Radio show.
• Students can view classic films at weekly film screenings in our dedicated 120-seat film theatre.

Your future

Be an actor, a writer, a director, a stage-manager, a producer – or something even more exciting! An MA Theatre Practice degree opens many doors. Creativity, communication and versatility are highly valued skills in our rapidly changing world.

We work with the university's Careers Services to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree in one of the following subjects:

• American Studies
• Art History
• Creative Writing
• Film and Media Studies
• History
• Journalism
• Law
• Literature
• Modern Languages
• Music
• Performance Studies
• Philosophy
• Politics
• Sociology
• Theatre/Drama Studies

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum component score of 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in all other components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course structure

We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Assessment

You work either collaboratively (within an ensemble) or independently during the Spring term, focusing on your chosen area while realising an original self-led practical project.

You will also have the option to substitute a taught module, or the dissertation for a professional placement in a work-based environment that complements your research focus in a relevant professional context – linking the learning outcomes of the MA to hands-on experience within the cultural industries.

Dissertation

Your final assessment is by dissertation which can be a written submission, or by practice.