Studying Theatre at Surrey
Theatre is one of the oldest and most significant forms of human experience. It is also one that refuses to stand still (or sit quietly). It is a dynamic medium, forever changing, adapting and finding new points of perspective. Consistently, theatre offers a challenge to society and reveals new ways of seeing and living in the world. In this new century, the contributions of theatre to social life and the individual imagination are perhaps more important than ever.
Theatre Studies is a new programme at Surrey and one which builds on an established history of the study of dance and performance at the University. The programme began in September 2009 and provides a chance to explore the challenge offered by the theatre. To mark the ways in which theatre is forever changing and to engage actively in making theatre that matters. Watching and making live theatre performance are critical aspects of this programme, for it is through this work that our students contribute directly and publicly to defining the shape of theatre in the new millennium.
To understand theatre in the present, we need to identify the concerns and the forms that have shaped current practices. Students will take key aspects of theatre making and consider these in the light of new perspectives on theatre as a creative, cultural or social medium. They will work across the breadth of current theatre practice, from the mainstream to the avant-garde, understanding and engaging directly with the specialisms that shape this field. Their focus will be international, considering London as a case study city, and then looking beyond, to some of the most exciting and diverse forms of theatre practice in the world today.
By studying Theatre at Surrey, students become part of a significant performance community that shares a sense of concern for specialist study and practice of performance. Theatre Studies is closely connected to the Dance and Culture programme, the first Dance programme in a UK university, and an innovative Film Studies programme. In 2008 the Guildford School of Acting (GSA) merged with the University and from 2009 the GSA and Theatre Studies will share a new 15 studio flagship performing arts building at the entrance to the Surrey University campus. With allied programmes in music and with cross-disciplinary links to English and Creative Writing, the Theatre Studies programme is a critical place to debate the future directions both of theatre and the society to which it so closely attends.
If you’re interested in making some of the most exciting theatre of these changing times, we’d like to hear from you. To discuss the programme, please contact the programme director, Dr Stuart Andrews.
For administrative enquiries about applying for Theatre Studies at Surrey, please e-mail theatrestudies@surrey.ac.uk.
Theatre Courses available: