Theatre & Performance

Top 20 in the UK for the quality of teaching in the subject area of Drama, dance and cinematics.
(The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)

Our Theatre and Performance degree has been developed with the Marlowe Theatre, one of the country’s leading large-scale theatres. This exciting collaboration means we can provide experience and insights directly from the contemporary theatre sector.

With employability at the heart of our course, you’ll gain professional skills that focus on roles within in contemporary theatre and the wider creative sector, including performance, devising, programming, stage management, theatre production, digital technologies, and marketing and communications.

You’ll be taught by a team that are either currently professionally engaged with the industry or have held significant roles within arts and performance organisations. They make up an expert team of tutors who will focus on guiding you towards your future career aspirations.

Along with excellent performance venues, you’ll develop production skills and gain practical performance experience in our specialist facilities, including a contemporary black box theatre complete with the industry relevant technical facilities.

Top reasons to study with us

• You'll participate in shows where every aspect of the production, front and back of house, is managed and presented by students.

• We have three on-site dedicated performance and rehearsal spaces, a contemporary black box theatre, a sprung floor mirrored dance studio, and a converted 19th century church with amazing acoustics.

• You'll examine the industry as a whole, gaining an understanding of performance, management, design and production; opening up a range of sustainable career routes in the arts. Graduates have gained a variety of roles in the industry, including theatre director, West End stage technician, actor, Butlins redcoat, lighting technician, BBC production coordinator, festival programme coordinator, and arts company director.

• From our Canterbury Campus you’ll be able to experience the vibrant creative scenes in Canterbury, Margate, and Ramsgate, home to a variety of venues and international arts festivals. These often offer volunteering opportunities enabling you to get involved and widen your contacts.

Specialist facilities

• Studio 1 – is a modern studio equipped with theatre standard drapes, a lighting rig, and sound system. It contains a state-of-the-art professional standard technical booth for controlling lighting and sound, providing a superb view of the studio.

• Studio 2 – is a flexible space, equipped with sprung floor, mirrors, sound system and full soundproofing.

Course Modules

For a list of core and likely optional modules, please visit our website.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/theatre-and-performance