Theatre and Performance

Theatre and performance is a discipline that examines theatre not simply as entertainment but as a fundamental human activity: the creation of meaning through physical presence, voice, space, time and collective experience. It brings together the practice of making performance, including acting, directing, devising and design, with the critical study of theatrical forms across history and culture. The discipline asks what theatre is, how it communicates, what social and political work it does, and what it means to create and witness live events that engage audiences directly.

At Northumbria, this four-year extended programme gives you additional time to develop both your practical skills and your theoretical understanding before tackling the full depth of the degree. The extended format is designed for students who will benefit from a broader foundation before specialising, or who wish to explore theatre and performance from a wider perspective. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in the theatre or broader cultural sector and the chance to study performance in an international context.

You will work across performance-making, critical analysis, design, directing, collaboration and production management throughout the programme. The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points.

Graduates work as performers, directors, stage managers, producers, drama facilitators, arts educators, theatre technicians, applied theatre practitioners, community arts workers and in cultural management and administration. The performing arts sector is highly competitive, and most graduates develop multi-portfolio careers that combine creative practice with education, facilitation or other work. The skills of communication, collaboration, resilience and creative problem-solving that theatre training develops are also valued in teaching, corporate training, marketing and many other professional fields.