Course Catalogue

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This course examines diverse performance practices in which listening, sound-making and sonic environments are central to the theatrical event. It considers "theatres of sound" across a range of media and art forms, including radio plays, podcasts, audio walks, sound installations, headphone theatre, and live art. Combining theoretical analysis with practice-based exploration, the course investigates how sound shapes meaning and mediates experiences of affect, intimacy, presence, and liveness across these modes of performance.

10x3h sessions as scheduled over 10 weeks on MyCampus

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into MA Theatre Studies, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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 The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Essay (2,000 words) - 50% 

■ Sound Work or Performance Pitch (1,000 words or 10-mins equivalent) - 30% 

■ Critical Reflection (1000 words) - 20% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There is no alternative to the assessments, but extensions to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

The course aims to:

■ Examine the historical development of sound-based performance forms, from early radio drama to contemporary immersive and participatory practices

■ Introduce students to key theories, practices, and debates concerning sound, listening, and aurality across different media and modes of performance.

■ Explore the creative and conceptual possibilities of sound

■ Develop critical understanding of how sound functions dramaturgically, spatially, and affectively across diverse media and art forms

■ Encourage students to engage critically and creatively with listening, sound-making, and sonic environments through both analytical and practical work

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate knowledge of key theoretical and artistic approaches to sound and listening within performance contexts

■ Analyse how sound functions dramaturgically, spatially, and affectively across a range of media, including theatre, radio, podcasting, installation, and digital environments

■ Reflect critically on the relationships between sound, technology, and performance in both historical and contemporary contexts

■ Communicate ideas clearly and effectively through written, oral, and/or practice-based forms of assessment