MA Drama Directing

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is an associate school of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), a Higher Education Provider registered with the Office for Students. On successful completion of this course, you will receive an award from UWE Bristol. Because of the vocational nature of the degree courses, BOVTS does not award degree classifications – all assessments are completed on a pass or fail basis.

This course is taught predominantly at the School’s main site at Downside Road, Clifton. Audio and film work is currently taught at the School’s centre for recorded media at Christchurch Studios, and on-location across the city of Bristol. Read more about the sale of Christchurch Studios. 

The School stages theatre productions at venues across Bristol, and the productions you work on will be based in one or more of the city’s many performance spaces. Recent venues have included Bristol Old Vic, the Redgrave Theatre, the Wardrobe Theatre, Circomedia, Tobacco Factory Theatres and the Malcolm X Community Centre amongst others.

From time-to-time, rehearsals and teaching may take place in alternative spaces in close proximity to the School.

You’ll be exposed to a range of different practitioners and methodologies throughout the course, learning through workshops, masterclasses mini-projects and extended projects,such as assistant directing n your first term, you will follow a structured timetable with a range of classes, individual and group tutorials and project work with students from other disciplines, developing a range of creative and collaborative skills. Specialist masterclasses and workshops in a range of areas will increase your awareness of the role of director and their influence on the creative and production process. There are normally eight students on the MA course. 

As you progress, you will learn by observing the practice of professional directors, initially at assistant director level. You will then develop your own practice by taking responsibility for your own production. Because of this, contact hours will vary across the year depending on the modules you are undertaking, but will typically average 24 hours per week across the year, including work in rehearsals. All BOVTS productions are presented for the public and therefore during technical and production weeks there is some evening and weekend work. You will also need to be capable of working independently and undertaking self-directed research and therefore considerable additional work outside of your scheduled learning time is expected. 

Due to the practical nature of the course, the majority of teaching is delivered in-person. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, we have retained some online delivery in response to student feedback including for certain planning and feedback meetings. You may have online masterclasses with industry practitioners who are based remotely, but the majority of tuition will be in the School’s premises.Select meetings, such as production meetings, design progress meeting or tutorials may also be scheduled online where appropriate.

The course is led by the Head of Drama Directing. Workshops and masterclasses are delivered by both the School’s core staff (for example acting, writing and design tutors) and by a range of visiting industry professionals who will share their knowledge and expertise with you. The production that you assist on will be directed by either a visiting practitioner or a member of the School’s core team. Throughout the duration of the course you will continue to have tutorials with the Head of Directing to consolidate your learning and to review professional practice. You can find further information about all our core teaching staff on our staff pages.

The MA in Drama Directing is an unclassified Master’s of Arts degree. This means that on completion of your course you will receive a degree but without a classification (i.e. without distinction, merit or pass). 

Assessment at BOVTS is continuous throughout each term and all your modules will be marked on a pass or fail basis. All timetabled classes are compulsory and staff will monitor your progress closely, providing you with regular feedback to help you develop. This includes both verbally in class and in individual tutorials, as well as written feedback at the end of each module. You will also receive feedback from a variety of different staff – for example visiting industry professionals invited to your project presentations or those working with you on theatre productions. 

Most of your assessment will be based on practical work in classes, rehearsals and around performances, alongside presentations to peers, staff and industry panels. You will be assessed through observation of your work both as a director and assistant director, including planning, preparation, communication, note-giving and ability to think flexibly and creatively, with a rigorous eye for detail. For the Directing Theatre module you will also be assessed on your successful leadership of the studio-scale production through to completion, including your artistic judgement, leadership and management. . In each case, you will be assessed against relevant industry standards and your ability to bring together all aspects of your learning. Whilst there are no written exams, as part of the assessment process you will complete self-reflective journals analysing  the development of your learning from across the year, with specific submissions for both the Assistant Director and Directing Theatre modules. In the final module – Preparation for Employment for Directors – there are a range of submissions required: including a reflection of your learning and development as you approach the completion of the course, a personal plan for developing your career, an industry-facing portfolio (including CV) and a compilation of industry research. 

Each module is worth a specified number of credit points. All modules are compulsory, enabling you to cover key subject knowledge while developing your own interests. 

The Director’s Toolkit (50 credit points)

This module examines the building blocks of drama directing and develops your confidence in the skills needed to be an inspirational drama director and collaborate effectively with a range of different creatives. As part of the assessment process for this module, you will undertake collaborative projects with a designer and deliver a presentation for a theoretical production considering all aspects of how to develop concepts effectively. 

Assistant Director (50 credit points)

You’ll work with an established director on a professional-standard BOVTS production staged in a Bristol venue. You’ll be involved in key creative discussions, decision-making and may be expected to rehearse selected scenes, as well as supporting final technical and dress rehearsals. 

Directing Theatre (60 credit points)

Starting from an allocated text, you will lead the pre-production and rehearsal process, , collaborating with other creatives and demonstrating leadership, creativity and initiative as you supporta studio-scale production through to a realised performance for public and industry.

Preparation for Employment for Directors (20 credit points)

In this module, you’ll develop a thorough understanding of the drama industry, including understanding the landscape of drama production, funding sources and approaches for self development and promotion. You’ll create an industry facing portfolio and develop pitch ideas for future projects.

The specific relevant experience will vary from candidate to candidate and consideration will be given to each individual’s unique experience as part of the application process. 

Applicants would normally be expected to have an undergraduate degree, often (but not exclusively)  in a related subject area such as Drama, English, Acting, Theatre Studies, Psychology or Performance Studies. 

Applicants with relevant alternative or professional experience will also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please see “selection process” for further information, or contact our admissions team for further advice. 

Relevant experience – be it at undergraduate level or in alternative professional experience – should be supported by evidence of a commitment to direct. 

This could include: directing of fringe work, directing of shows whilst at university, a directing or facilitation practice with community, amateur groups or young people, as well undertaking relevant training, i.e. introduction to directing foundation or short courses, participation in workshops or masterclasses with a focus on directing. 

Relevant experience also applies to candidates who have also worked in other areas of the industry – for example as an actor, technical creative, stage manager or producer – providing they can support this with evidence of the steps they have taken to develop their directing practice as outlined above. 

If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate English language proficiency through a relevant qualification, such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For this course, an overall score of 7.0 is normally required, with a minimum of 7.0 in each component of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please contact our admissions team for further advice.

Entry to the MA Drama Directing course is through interview and project proposal. We initially assess your suitability for the interview based on the information you provide on the application form. When selecting candidates, we look at:

• Your motivation and understanding of the role of a director ;
• Your creative instincts and inspirations – what excites you artistically
• Your experience to date and the initial steps you have taken to inform and support your practice as a director
• Your ability to reflect on your creative practice to date 
• Your awareness of the wider industry and the practicalities of developing a career as a director
• Your engagement with contemporary work, directors and working practices
• Your potential to develop on the course.

Interviews for this course are normally held online but it is possible to visit the School ahead of making a final decision. You will be auditioned by a two person panel, one of whom will be the Head of Course and will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the programme. There is no application fee for this course.

UK students £16,000
International students £27,510

We regret that we are unable to consider applications from students requiring a visa to study in the UK during the 2025–26 academic year. For further information, please see the drop down “Students requiring a visa to study in the UK.”

Accommodation and living costs are not included in your tuition fees. 

Further information about financial support from the government, and bursaries and scholarships that you may be eligible to apply for is available from our fees and funding page. 

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has been approved for the US Federal Student Loan programme. Further details on options for funding and loans for US students in the UK can be found on the US student funding page.

There are some additional costs associated with this course that are not covered by your tuition fee. Costs given in brackets are to help with budgeting and are indicative only. These are likely to include:

• Travel costs to and from performance venues for tech rehearsals and production weeks (c. £100-150 per year, based on £5 bus fare)
• clothing and footwear for acting and movement classes, if you wish to participate (£50);
• recommended texts – before buying your own copy, you may wish to see if you can borrow through the UWE library or the Drama Online service (available to current students) (up to £100)
• IT equipment – it is recommended that you have your own laptop or computer. Please see the School’s recommended IT specifications for further information (PDF, 52 Kb);
• stationery, photocopying and printing costs (£50).

A detailed equipment list will be sent to new students ahead of beginning their training. If you are facing financial hardship, then the School may be able to loan you equipment or help you meet these costs with a bursary. New students should contact admissions for further advice.

Due to a recent change in the Theatre School’s governance, our Higher Education provider UWE Bristol is unable to issue Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) documentation for BOVTS courses. Regrettably we are therefore unable to consider applications from students requiring a visa to study in the UK for 2025 entry.

The Theatre School is able to consider applications from international students who do not require a visa to study in the UK. If you are unsure of your tuition fee status, please consult the UK Council for International Student Affairs guidelines or contact our admissions office for further guidance. Prospective international students for future years of entry are encouraged to join our mailing list to learn more about training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

In the meantime, there are several ways that prospective international students can undertake training with BOVTS:

• We run a series of online masterclasses throughout the year, which are accessible wherever you are in the world. Find out more about what’s coming up on our short courses webpages.
  
• We offer intensive, in-person short courses for adults throughout the year in acting, creative and production disciplines. These currently range from day-long masterclasses to a ten-week acting foundation course. International students for these courses can normally visit the UK on a standard (holiday) visa, where required. Find out more about what’s coming up on our short courses webpage.
• We run acting international masterclasses in selected destinations throughout the year. Sign up to our prospective student mailing list or follow us on social media to be the first to know when new dates are set.