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DRAM20030

Academic Year 2026/2027

Devising Theatre: A Practical Approach (DRAM20030)

Subject:
Drama Studies
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Paul Halferty
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course introduces students to issues of collaborative approaches in the creation and staging of performance. Key issues examined are: the creation of material; the body and gesture, developing text, use of space, and the staging of performance. Students research experientially, methods of creative techniques of leading international theatre makers such as Anne Bogart, Tim Etchells, and Elizabeth LeCompte among others, to generate original concepts for performance in group collaborative settings. The course has a practical focus and students work towards a final in-class group presentation of their original material in performance. The course develops and enhances students' understanding of how theatre is made and staged, and have first hand experience of generating original material for performance.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

- Understand how material for performance can be generated in collaborative group settings
- Analyse and apply select creative processes of select leading theatremakers
- Understand the role of the body, space, and text in performance making and staging
- Develop skills to create, stage, and present a group collaborative presentation /performance
- Apply and test techniques of theatre making examined on the course
- Demonstrate reflective and evaluate assessment of original material generated

Indicative Module Content:

Weeks:
1. Introduction
2. You and the Story: Biography as source material for text and performance
3. The Words. The Body.: Generating concepts through text and movement
4. Devise and Edit: Creating a Story to Distill
5. In Search of a Notion: Selection and Election of an Idea
6. Unpacking the Road Map: Looking at Methodology to Create
7. Excavate and Dig: Being Robust in Decision-making
8. Continue and Dig: Questioning Form, Style, and Content
9. Rehearsing Performance Assignments: Assignment Presentation 1
10. Feedback and Rehearsing Assignment
11. Final Presentation: In-class Assessment
12. Course Review and Feedback



The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Practical

24
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Each class has a practical and theoretical/research-driven focus. Students are encouraged to generate original material from a range of prompts/sources to include: biography; current affairs and trends in media; and research of historical material. Students are introduced to practical methods of compiling their individual research with recourse also to research of the required readings of precedence of theatre practitioners.
Key aspects of the teaching and learning approaches are: the support of students' individual creativity and their developing work in collaborative settings, and the encouragement of student reflection on the role and potential of theatre to examine social and topical issues in performance.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

None.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Dress Rehearsal: in their small groups, students will present a dress rehearsal of their final presentation, and will receive feedback from module instructors. Week 11 Graded No
20
 No
Group Work Assignment: Working in small groups, students will collectively devise a short piece of theatre. Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
40
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on contribution to in-class activities, submission of advance of preparatory task(s) for class, and/or submission of three-point summaries of required reading(s) for class. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7 Graded No
20
 No
Reflective Assignment: Students will write a critical reflection/essay on what they learned throughout the module and in the process of making and staging their final performance. Week 14, Week 15 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

As students work in group settings, attendance is required and expected at all classes so that work can be developed sequentially over the course of the module and Feedback on students work is delivered individually and in groups on a continuous weekly basis throughout the module. Following student group presentations in week nine, formal feedback is given in week 10 to prepare students' final assessment in week 11. Class 12 is a group Feedback session and preparation for the Essay (Critical Reflection Document). Feedback on the essay (CRD) is available in the post- assessment period.

Name Role
Mr Feidlim Cannon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Paul Halferty Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 16:00 - 17:50
Spring Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 16:00 - 17:50
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