Drama and Contemporary Performance at Manchester School of Theatre is all about your development as a theatre artist, performer, thinker and professional, in a city with a vibrant theatre and performance scene. With a focus on cutting edge practices across contemporary performance and dramatic theatre, the programme combines artistic practice and academic enquiry, and draws on established local, national and international networks.

Drama and Contemporary Performance focuses on developing you as an informed and original maker of theatre, whether revisiting existing texts or exploring new forms and approaches. It also builds your skills and creativity as a theatre performer, both individually and in collaboration with others.

Working with leading theatre academics, artists and professionals, you will be part of a close-knit course community, working in one of the most thriving sectors of a city internationally acclaimed for its creativity and cultural industries.

The programme aims to develop you as a skilled, creative and confident professional, capable of working across a number of related career paths. As one of our graduates you could go on to work as a theatre maker, performer, actor, director, writer, teacher, facilitator, producer, technician and/or academic. You will also be in a position to continue with postgraduate study, and to apply the skills you develop in a wider range of creative and other fields.

Career prospects

This course will enable you to gain the skills and understanding to work professionally as a theatre maker, performer, director, producer, facilitator or teacher, or to move into other creative industries, as well as to engage in further academic study and research. You will also develop key transferable skills including teamwork, creative thinking, leadership and communication.