Theatre Studies MA
Performance Theory and Analysis THEATRE4009
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
- Credits: 30
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: No
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
Performance Theory and Analysis is a core honours course that introduces students to a range of theoretical approaches to performance analysis.
Timetable
8 x 3 hr seminar sessions per week over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus.
Attendance at 3 performances during the course.
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Essay (3,500 words) - 70%
■ Performance Proposal (1,500 words) - 30%
If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:
■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but a flexible 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.
Course Aims
This course will provide the opportunity to:
■ examine a wide variety of different types of performance work (both within the theatre and beyond), and their significance within the contemporary cultural context;
■ introduce a range of theoretical and critical perspectives on performance, in order to show something of the variety of tools available for use in performance analysis, and something of the range of issues currently being debated by scholars;
■ encourage students to pursue further reading and investigation into the critical areas that interest them most, and actively to adapt the tools available to their own concerns;
■ provide a forum in which to analyse live performances according to different perspectives.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
■ critique performance events and performance theories in a seminar context and through oral presentations;
■ show an ability to question/critique the assumptions underlying both the performances they view and the ways in which they themselves habitually view them;
■ use seminars with confidence as a way of clarifying and evaluating ideas, and as a means to exploring theoretical issues through practical application;
■ present ideas critically, clearly and coherently in writ essays, developing well-structures arguments, and observing the disciplines of referencing, footnoting and bibliography.