Drama and Theatre
Create. Perform. Explore. Think.
Drama and Theatre at Aquinas is about much more than performing on a stage. It is a subject for creative thinkers, confident communicators, curious performers and people who love exploring ideas through theatre.
You will have the opportunity to explore exciting and challenging plays, work with professional theatre makers and practitioners, create your own original theatre and develop your skills as an actor, director or designer.
And, importantly, 60% of the course is practical.
You will spend a significant amount of your time making and performing theatre – working collaboratively, experimenting with different theatrical styles, developing characters, devising original performances and bringing play texts to life for an audience.
Alongside this practical work, you will develop the academic skills needed to analyse and evaluate theatre, explore the intentions of playwrights and practitioners, and consider how drama can communicate ideas to a contemporary audience.
60% Practical | 40% Written
Component 1 – Devising: 40%
Create an original piece of theatre inspired by a performance text and the work of a theatre practitioner. You will develop ideas collaboratively, experiment practically and create a final performance, supported by a portfolio reflecting on your creative process.
Component 2 – Text in Performance: 20%
Bring scripted theatre to life through performance. You will perform a group extract and a monologue or duologue, developing your vocal, physical and characterisation skills and creating a clear artistic interpretation for an audience.
Component 3 – Theatre Makers in Practice: 40%
Explore how theatre is made, interpreted and performed. You will practically explore performance texts, consider the work of actors, directors and designers, analyse live theatre and develop your ideas for staging plays for a contemporary audience.
Our Drama students don’t just study theatre – they make it, experience it and see it.
Lessons are active, collaborative and creative, with practical exploration at the heart of the course. You will work with other students to experiment, rehearse, perform and develop ideas, while building the independence and confidence expected at A Level. Throughout the course, you’ll also take part in workshops and masterclasses led by visiting practitioners and performing arts specialists, gaining insight and skills directly from those working in the industry.
You will also have opportunities to experience live theatre and develop your understanding of theatre beyond the classroom. Our students engage with the vibrant theatre scene across Manchester, Salford and beyond, bringing professional productions and experiences back into their own practical and written work.
We organise two to three theatre trips each year, giving students the chance to see a range of professional productions such as Billy Elliot, Things I Know to Be True and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. These visits are a vital part of the course, as second-year students are required to write a live theatre review as part of their final exam – so seeing professional work first-hand is essential preparation.
We also offer extra-curricular opportunities with a drama production and musical theatre showcase.
Drama develops skills that are valuable far beyond the stage. You will become a more confident communicator, creative problem-solver, collaborative team member and independent thinker.
Whether you want to progress into acting, directing, theatre design, stage management or the wider creative industries, continue to university or drama school, or simply develop skills that will set you apart in any career, A Level Drama and Theatre gives you the opportunity to find your voice, take creative risks and make something that matters.
Related Courses
Skip CoursesCreative Media Practice
The Creative Media Practice qualification equips students with professional skills to work in the media and creative industries. The course is 100% practical and all work is assessed internally by[...]
English Literature
If you enjoy reading and discussing literature, you will enjoy this course. You will gain a detailed understanding of a broad range of poetry, prose and drama, while developing different[...]
Media Studies
Students who take A Level Media Studies find that they are challenged in different ways to other subjects. We study areas of representation including gender, sexuality, age and ethnicity in[...]
Music
Music A Level supports students in forming personal and meaningful relationships with music through the development of musical knowledge, understanding and skills including performing, composing and appraising.
Music Foundation Diploma
This qualification equips students with the professional skills needed to go to work or further study in music performance and the wider music industry. The course is 100% practical and[...]
Music Technology
Music Technology A- Level supports and develops skills in Music Production and Recording. In addition, students are challenged to listen critically to music and analyse how the appropriate use of[...]
Latest From Aquinas
Two representatives from Waterbear Music College visited Aquinas on 7th October 2026 to deliver a presentation on the Music Industry and related careers. Waterbear is a relatively new Popular Music based institution with campuses in Sheffield and Brighton, offering degrees up to Masters level accredited by Falmouth University, formerly Dartington Arts College. All Lower 6th […]
Hard work and original storytelling have paid off for college student Rebecca Smith, whose short film Death is a Teenage Girl won the Comedy Genre Prize at the STEEL-TO-REEL College Film Competition. Developed during last year’s Filmmaking Enrichment program, Rebecca spearheaded the project entirely from scratch- from initial screenwriting and storyboarding to managing her own […]
A bumper crop of 30 Chemistry students took part in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge Lower 6th Competition in June this year. The Cambridge Challenge extends students beyond the A-level specification with problem-solving questions that, this year, featured a mix force constants (pushing physical chemistry calculations) and IR spectroscopy (analysing complex structures from wavenumbers). They also […]
Aquinas College and the University of Salford have formalised their long standing partnership, cementing a relationship which will provide Aquinas students even greater access to the university’s world class facilities, industry leading expertise and academic insights.
