Theatre and English Literature (Placement Year)

Theatre and Literature shape the world around us. In this interdisciplinary course you will explore diverse narratives through writing and performance.

You will bridge practice and theory, developing your artistic voice through innovative theatre projects. You’ll also read widely, closely, and deeply, analysing the greats as well as the voices that history has overlooked. Lancaster is a hub of artistic and cultural activity, offering you the opportunity to join a thriving creative community and preparing you for a wide range of career paths.

Why study Theatre and English Literature at Lancaster?

• Benefit from a forward-thinking curriculum that is firmly based on the skills and knowledge that will be needed in years to come

• Study a wide range of genres from both ancient and modern literatures

• Specialise in your chosen area of theatre such as acting, scenography, scriptwriting, directing or applied and community performance

• Choose a course that expertly combines practical skills with contextual knowledge, giving you a strong understanding of 21st century theatre and how it can impact society

• Develop your own critical (and even creative-critical) voice

• Be part of Literary Lancaster a vibrant community of critics and writers

What does the Theatre course at Lancaster University offer?

Focussing on the emerging trends and innovations of 21st-century theatre and performance, we will teach you the building blocks of performance making, whilst supporting your ability to develop highly creative, challenging and impactful work.

You will collaborate with others to create original performance projects spanning multiple genres, from contemporary post-dramatic theatre to naturalism and political theatre. You will frequently work in professional theatre venues, including the Nuffield Theatre on the University campus.

You might choose to focus on acting, playwriting, scenography or directing. You may see yourself behind the scenes, managing productions from start to finish or creating sound, video and lighting concepts.

What will I study in English Literature?

Literary study at Lancaster offers a rich engagement with the very best of literature from classical and medieval to the modern and contemporary. You will have the chance to study all the great names, as well as voices that have been forgotten or overlooked.

We are pioneers in experimental or creative forms of literary criticism, as well as encouraging established forms of literary scholarship, such as archival work, historicism, close reading, and literary theory.

To enhance your experience, we run many special literary events, often in spectacular locations such as Lancaster’s medieval Castle, the awe-inspiring Priory, or the archive-rich Wordsworth Grasmere in the nearby Lake District.

What networking opportunities are there outside the course?

You will be taught by professional theatre practitioners and top academics, benefitting from their links to leading creative and cultural organisations, such as Arts Council national portfolio organisation, Lancaster Arts, and The Dukes Theatre with their Creative Communities programme.

If you are interested in writing, publishing, and editing you could choose to get involved in one of our four student-run literary journals. You could also volunteer to help at Litfest, Lancaster’s annual literature festival which attracts well-known authors from around the world (including some of our own author-tutors).You could join the LU Theatre Group and take part in student-run performances.

Your Placement Year

Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years. You'll spend your third year in a paid, graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate.