← Drama syllabus

EnglandDrama

Drama and theatre knowledge

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do the four design elements create meaning and atmosphere for an audience?

The design elements of set, lighting, sound and costume, including their vocabulary and conventions, and how each designer's choices create location, mood, character and meaning for an audience.
A focused answer on the four design elements for AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre, covering set, lighting, sound and costume, their technical vocabulary and conventions, and how each designer's choices create location, mood, character and meaning for an audience.
9 min answer →

How do genre and theatrical style shape the way a play is written and performed?

Genre and theatrical style, including tragedy, comedy, naturalism, non-naturalism, epic and physical theatre, and how a play's genre and style guide the choices of performers, directors and designers.
A focused answer on genre and theatrical style for AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre, covering tragedy, comedy, naturalism and non-naturalism, epic and physical theatre, and how the chosen genre and style direct the work of performers, directors and designers.
8 min answer →

Who makes a piece of theatre and what does each role contribute?

The roles and skills of theatre makers, including the playwright, director, performer, and set, lighting, sound and costume designers, and how their work combines to create meaning for an audience.
A focused answer on the roles and skills of theatre makers for AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre, covering the playwright, director, performer and the set, lighting, sound and costume designers, and how their decisions combine to create meaning for an audience.
8 min answer →

How does the staging configuration shape the relationship between the stage and the audience?

Staging configurations and theatrical conventions, including proscenium arch, thrust, traverse, in the round and promenade staging, and how each affects sightlines, entrances, proxemics and the actor-audience relationship.
A focused answer on staging configurations and conventions for AQA A-Level Drama and Theatre, covering proscenium arch, thrust, traverse, in the round and promenade staging, and how each shapes sightlines, entrances and exits, proxemics and the relationship between actor and audience.
8 min answer →