Drama

The Course

The Cambridge IGCSE Drama course will offer you the opportunity to explore drama in a really creative way. You will be introduced to key practitioners, theatre companies and playwrights whilst developing and building your core practical performance skills.

For the performance coursework, you will be assessed on three pieces and in all of these you will be an actor. There are two scripted pieces, one will be solo and the other will be a group piece. Groups of between two and six people are allowed. There is also one devised piece based on a given stimulus. For this piece you must work in groups of between two and six people.

The written exam is the second area of assessment. Two extracts from contrasting plays will be sent by the exam board in the September of Year 11. These materials are called the Pre-Release Materials. Students will study the extracts in detail, looking at characters, staging, themes and potential for performance. The question paper will cover both scripted extracts and you will also write two answers on your devised performance classwork.

How are you Assessed?

Written Exam (40% - 80 marks in total) - 2 hours and 30 minutes long

Section A: Six questions on the first studied extract – you must answer all questions in this section (30 marks)
Section B: Two questions on the second studied extract from a choice of three (25 marks)
Section C: Two questions on your devised performance coursework from a choice of three (25 marks)

Practical Work (60% - 120 marks in total)

Devising Drama (50 marks)
Solo Acting from Script (35 marks)
Group Acting from Script (35 marks)

Trips, Opportunities, Progression

When asked to describe what she thinks of the subject, one student wrote: “IGCSE Drama is fantastic. You learn so much, not only about performance, but also about theatre life. You also experience many brilliant plays”. This subject will interest you if you enjoy acting but also if you enjoy the study of performance and text.

The content of the IGCSE course offers a smooth transition into A level Drama and Theatre. You will study all performance texts in detail and will also engage fully with the pre-release material in a practical way. You will learn all about the stage and how it can be used. There will be opportunities to work with actors and directors in workshops. You will go to local theatre with your class and teachers and use ideas from live performances to improve your own pieces. A trip to London is also a possibility in Year 11 of the course.