Drama study guides

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to Exploring and Performing Texts (H459/21 to 22): the non-exam scripted performance of an extract from one whole text, in the role of performer or designer, the realisation that earns AO2, and the supporting documentation that earns AO1.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to Practitioners in Practice (H459/11 to 14): the devising unit, the journey from stimulus to performance, exploring an extract through two practitioners, the portfolio that evidences AO1, and the reflective report that earns AO4.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to the core theatre-making skills: the four components and the assessment objectives, performer skills (voice, movement, characterisation), design skills (set, lighting, sound, costume), the director's production concept, and rehearsal methods, with the feature-to-effect habit that earns AO2 across every component.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to the Deconstructing Texts for Performance paper (H459/41 to 48): the 1 hour set text exam answered as a director and designer, the extract and whole-play questions, building a production concept, designing for the text, and using context to earn AO2 and AO3.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to Section B of the Analysing Performance paper (H459/31): the live theatre evaluation. How to analyse and evaluate performers, design and the director's interpretation of one production you have seen, and judge its impact on the audience, with AO4 dominant.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to the set practitioners and companies: Stanislavski's psychological realism, Brecht's epic theatre, Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty, physical and ensemble companies (Frantic Assembly, Complicite), Brook and Grotowski's poor theatre, and how to choose and combine two practitioners for the devising unit.

A deep-dive OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre guide to written exam technique: Section A of the Analysing Performance paper (two texts on a theme), reading command words and answering as a theatre maker, closed-book recall and timing, and structuring an extended evaluative essay across both written papers.