BA (Hons) Drama & Theatre Arts

The BA Drama and Theatre Arts is designed to foster creative, radical theatre-makers and thinkers. It is adventurous in form, international in scope and hands-on in practice.

• The BA Drama and Theatre Arts is a radical and innovative degree. We prepare theatre-makers who are socially, culturally, and politically engaged.
• Tutored by our diverse and talented team, you will develop practical skills in acting, directing, dramaturgy, scenography and production management. Bringing these skills together, you will learn how to collaborate and operate in companies, ready to take your own show on the road.
• A balanced integration of theory and practice supports you to become the complete theatre maker. Knowledge gained through making and doing adds to your conceptual understanding, while the insights gained in writing about theatre and society inform the choices you make in your practice-based work.
• The degree explores what it means to perform in contemporary culture, mobilising a range of theatre and performance practices from the interpretation of play texts to devised ensemble work and the possibilities opened up by political protest, live art, and the avant-garde.
• The curriculum is responsive to the global reach of our teaching staff, including expertise in African, American, Francophone, Japanese, and South Asian performance, as well as British, European, and Russian theatre traditions.
• You will be introduced to a wide range of theatre thinkers, and explore the history and cultural diversity of performance. You will develop a complex understanding of what it means to make theatre in an increasingly global and digitised 21st-century society. And with London’s rich theatre culture on your doorstep, you can draw on an exciting range of contemporary practice to inform your thinking and making.
• Students on this programme typically develop into bold and versatile creatives. They are practically adept and imaginative, critically agile, able to form companies and to manage the business of production. Our bespoke Personal and Professional Development Package events series combines career support with taught elements, and enrichment opportunities and introduces you to our dynamic alumni network.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Alexa Reid.

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
International Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655
UAL Extended Diploma: Merit overall
Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
Scottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)
European Baccalaureate: 75%
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2

If you can't find your qualification here, then please visit our entry requirements page for a list of alternative qualifications.

Additional requirements

You must be able to express a well-informed interest in theatre and performance theory and practice.

While drama and theatre studies would be an advantage, this is not necessarily essential as we are also interested in those with other subjects or complementary experience. Applicants with A-levels in an arts and humanities subject such as English, history, languages, philosophy and sociology are welcomed.

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International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Alternative qualifications

See our full list of undergraduate entry qualifications.

We welcome students with a range of educational experiences. If you believe you may not meet the standard qualification requirements we would still encourage you to apply because we consider all aspects of your application when making a decision.

We’ll pay particularly careful attention to your personal statement, which is your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the subject you’ve applied for. Your referees are also welcome to include any relevant contextual comments around your academic achievements. We’ll look at all these things when making a decision on your application, as well as your qualifications and grades, and may still be able to offer you a place.

Our students have gone on to work as in many areas, including:

• Performers, directors, choreographers, movement directors, casting directors
• Writers, editors, and dramaturgs
• Producers in theatre, film, radio, digital arts, visual arts, and community practice
• Play, screen and radio writers, and journalists
• Community arts practitioners
• Lighting, sound, set, and costume designers
• Stage and production managers
• Venue and event managers
• Marketing and promotion specialists
• Teachers, workshop leaders and facilitators, lecturers, and academics

You will become part of this community if you join the degree – our graduates often return to pass on their professional wisdom to the next generation of theatrical innovators.

You can find out more about the career options open to you following graduation on our Theatre and Performance careers page.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.

Onwards and upwards

Our graduates emerge with a complete range of skills, equipped to challenge contemporary theatre and to put new ideas into effect. Some of our graduate successses include:

• Rebecca Frecknall won the Olivier Award for Cabaret. Worked as Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio and then Sir Richard Eyre's AD.
• Dennis Kelly is a Tony Award-winning writer and producer. Dennis wrote the book for Matilda the Musical. Other writing credits include the BBC (Pulling), Channel 4 (Utopia) and HBO (The Third Day, with Punchdrunk). His plays have been performed at the National Theatre, Royal Court, Hampstead Theatre, BAC, Young Vic, etc.
• Mojisola Adebayo - performer, writer, director, producer and academic sharing work around the world, from Antarctica to Zimbabwe. She has acted in over 50 theatre, television and radio productions, and devised and directed over 30 scripts for stage and video.
• Liv Ello and Frankie Thompson have put their skills into practice with their highly acclaimed show in the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe. Read more about this performance in their five-star review in the Guardian.
• Tatenda Shamiso, writer and performer. Their show Now I.D. was performed at the Royal Court in May 2023. They have also worked as the AD on the smash-hit Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida in Jan/Feb 2023. Performer in Sundown Kiki at the Young Vic.
• Latifaha Ireland - Championed the Care Leavers Working Group with DCMS & specialist publisher on gov.uk. They now work with Lambeth Children’s Service, and co-founded Beloved Theatre Company.