EN4500 Playwriting

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

11.00 am - 1.00 pm Wed

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Mr O Emanuel

Mr O Emanuel
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Mr Oliver Emmanuel Prof Zinnie Harris

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Contemporary playwriting is flourishing in Britain, and this module will use the best examples of modern classic plays to unearth technique and skills that the students will then be asked to apply. The module aims to enable students to be able to write for the theatre, to have an awareness of the creative process and be able to shape narrative into a scene or scenes. It is intended as an introduction to playwriting, and the expectation is that students will have little or no previous experience of playwriting, although a keen interest and enthusiasm for theatre is essential. The classes will combine an academic and a practical approach to developing writing: as well as formally studying the published works of established playwrights, we will also workshop the students' texts, and approach some exercises through improvisation. By the end of this course the students will have been taught the principles of playwriting, developed their own techniques through exercises, will be able to feedback critically in seminars as well as their written assessments, and will have created original work. (Group E)

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS EN2003 AND PASS EN2004

Anti-requisites

YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS MODULE IF YOU TAKE EN4417 OR TAKE EN4420 OR TAKE EN3217

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

exam = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2-hour seminars and 2 optional consultative hours

Scheduled learning hours

20

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

280

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand the principles of playwriting.
  • Develop their own techniques of dramatic writing through practical exercises.
  • Feedback critically in seminars as well as in written assessments.
  • Create a portfolio of original work.
  • Develop their dramaturgical skills through group discussion.