At Worcester, you’ll be learning in our state-of-the-art drama studios, fully equipped with lighting, sound, video and projection facilities. You’ll learn from industry professionals and have your writing reviewed by experienced writers.
Students feel the course challenges them to achieve their best work
in student experience
University of the Year finalist
Recognised for our graduate success, we’re shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.
Overview
Immerse yourself in the creative world of performance and storytelling as you combine Theatre, Acting & Performance with Screenwriting. This joint honours course will give you a balance of working practically, watching and reading published works and exploring what makes them successful, whilst learning how to write your stories in the formats used by professionals. You’ll explore various writing styles, become an expert in communicating character, context and direction. Benefit from the experience of being a performer and understanding the intentions behind a screenplay. This will help you in produce your own performances, and ensure your ideas translate as intended between page to stage.
Behind the scenes, you’ll learn about lighting and sound design and have access to theatre-specific programmes like Qlab, to practice designing a lighting and sound set-up for live performance. Experience performing in a variety of spaces, from our studios to location spaces such as nightclubs, disused churches, festivals, outdoor spaces and gardens. You’ll also have the chance to attend ‘Scratch nights’, where performers test out their new work on a live audience, watch live performances and work with award winning theatre companies, such as Vamos and Talawa.
With Screenwriting, you’ll read the screenplays of successful and well-known films and analyse what makes them successful at visual storytelling and providing direction to actors and directors as they bring the screenplay to life. You’ll explore different examples of how screenplays have adapted books, factual events and plays into new visual formats, and experience writing your own screenplays.
Placements
In your third year, you will have the option to complete our work experience module with options to try various theatre-related roles, including stage management, theatre in education, arts marketing and acting.
Our students have attended many successful professional placements including:
- Mask workshops with Vamos Theatre
- Stage management for Malvern Theatres
- Acted for Reaction Theatre Makers
- Supporting youth and community groups
For some students, this module leads to a career with their placement organisation.
Course content
The mix of mandatory and optional modules available are designed to provide you with the flexibility to choose your focus and tailor your degree to your interests. You’ll develop the foundations of screenwriting and styles of acting in your first year before having the opportunity to develop a specialism or experiment with different forms of writing and performance to find your niche.
We regularly review our courses to reflect the latest research and developments in the subject area, as well as feedback from students, employers and the wider sector. As a result, modules may change to ensure the course remains current and relevant.
Optional modules will run if enough students choose to study them. It is not guaranteed that all modules will be offered every year.
Careers
The course provides you with opportunities to attend talks by guest lecturers and meet people who are working within theatre and screenwriting, so you can learn about the variety of roles available to you within the creative industries, and gain an idea of the different paths you can take after graduating.
Through your modules and assignments, you’ll develop your confidence, communication, leadership and teamworking skills, along with industry specific skills such as the technical knowledge behind producing a performance and knowing how to pitch story ideas to investors. Combined with your portfolio of work you’ll have built-up throughout your three years, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to progress into a variety of careers within the ever-expanding digital arts, film, television and arts industries.
The University is surrounded by an active arts community, such as Worcester Theatres, Malvern Theatres, Saucy, Severn Arts, Litfest & Fringe and the alumni founded Speak Volumes festival. Alongside your course, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with the local arts community, get involved with projects, showcase your work and build your network.
Our graduates go on to work in theatre, TV, radio and film. They have often set up their own business, for example as touring theatre companies or drama education providers.
Our graduates have also gone on to have successful careers in:
- Performing
- Stage management
- Directing
- Script editing and development
- Arts organisations
Course highlights
Teaching and assessment
Teaching and assessments are informed by the industry experience of our lectures and are designed to provide you with chances to explore various styles and processes to prepare you for a career in the arts.
Teaching and assessment contents
You'll be taught through a combination of practical workshops, lectures, seminars and peer review sessions. The course aims to teach theory through practice so your practical work is integrated with reference to relevant texts and journals and lectures providing a context for each module.
Meet our Theatre and Screenwriting lecturers
Zoe Lewis
Zoe has research led interest in playwriting and creativity and empowerment for young people of low opportunity.
Alison Reeves
Alison Reeves’ main teaching specialisms are Applied Theatre and Theatre in Education.
Her most recent productions are an updated version of Euripides’ The Trojan Women and an adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories which toured to local arts venues with invited primary school audiences.
Dr Ildikó Rippel
Ildikó is a performer, writer and lecturer. She is co-founder and artistic director of Anglo-German performance company Zoo Indigo, devising autobiographical performance that engages with social and political themes of gender, cultural identity, displacement and migration. Zoo Indigo’s work combines dark humour, song and multimedia in a postmodern and kaleidoscopic approach, producing politically charged performances.
Simon Bovey
Simon's experience is diverse, ranging from animation and regional theatre, to radio and award winning films. His work as writer and director has received international success through both short and feature films. He is an established writer for the BBC with a significant body of broadcast work including Doctors for BBC1; drama and period thrillers for Radio 4 and three science fiction series for Radio 4 Extra.
Zoe Lewis
Zoe has research led interest in playwriting and creativity and empowerment for young people of low opportunity.
Alison Reeves
Alison Reeves’ main teaching specialisms are Applied Theatre and Theatre in Education.
Her most recent productions are an updated version of Euripides’ The Trojan Women and an adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories which toured to local arts venues with invited primary school audiences.
Entry requirements
UCAS tariff points required: 104
| Qualification | Grade |
|---|---|
| A-level | BCC |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DMM |
| T-level | Merit |
We do accept Access to HE Diplomas and other qualifications which may not exactly match the combinations above. Work out your estimated points with the UCAS tariff calculator.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please call our Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.
Fees
Fees contents
UK and EU students
In 2026/27 the standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees is £9,535 per year (subject to changes in the government tuition fee cap).
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
International students
In 2026/27 the standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees is £17,200 per year.
Tuition fees are reviewed annually and may increase each year for both new and continuing students.
For more details on course fees, please visit our course fees page.
How to apply
How to apply contents
Applying through UCAS
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for full-time undergraduate courses in the UK.
Read our how to apply pages for more information on the application process, or if you’d like to apply for part-time study.
Contact
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions Office
admissions@worc.ac.uk01905 855111More to explore
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