Drama Directing MA

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Course Overview

The Drama Directing MA has been specially designed to equip students with high-level skills and knowledge to work professionally as a drama director.

You will gain experience of production preparation and rehearsal techniques, including dramaturgy and collaborating with designers and other key creatives. The course will build your knowledge, skills and confidence through workshops, classes and projects. You will develop your practice of assistant directing and directing through your own workshop productions of a new script written by one of the School’s MA Drama Writing students.

There is a ‘permeable membrane’ between the Theatre School and the industry, so you will have the opportunity to learn from and work with high calibre professional practitioners as part of your training.

A key feature of the course is that it integrates with other drama disciplines. As a result, supported by experienced staff you will be working alongside writing, acting, design and technical students.

The School follows industry practice within its learning environment. You will be learning the protocols and processes involved in drama production by taking part in realised productions staged in professional theatre venues. You will be taught by School staff and experienced visiting industry professionals. The same approach is taken in the rehearsal room: you will be mentored as an assistant director by a professional director, learning within a structure that reproduces industry practice. You will learn by observation, by doing and from being steeped in the environment.

You will develop a sophisticated understanding of the process of acting and of acting methodologies and techniques, enabling you to work confidently and appropriately with actors in different styles and genres and will have experienced the technical demands of mounting a theatre production. You will also have a thorough working knowledge of working with writers, designers, lighting designers, costume makers and stage-managers.

You will graduate as a thoughtful, reflective and creative practitioner who is capable of making imaginative leaps and be an excellent collaborator, able to articulate ideas inspirationally and be sensitive to the values and creative contributions of others.

Career Prospects

Successful graduates will have extensive experience of working as an assistant to a range of directors and have successfully led a workshop production of a new play from inception through to completion.

You will graduate with the confidence to network and communicate using the language of the industry. You will be familiar with a range of theatre practices and have the potential to seamlessly transfer from the course to employment as a professional theatre director.

Recent MA Directing graduates have directed at Bristol Old Vic, the National Theatre, Gate Theatre, The Watermill Theatre and The Tobacco Factory.