Drama Writing MA

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 their vocational nature, BOVTS does not award degree classifications – all assessment is 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. 

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

The course is taught through practical skills-based writing workshops, visiting masterclasses, mini collaborative projects, script development sessions round-table and in studios with actors and directors, one-to-one mentoring, peer support and sharing, and cross-course learning with other disciplines relevant to the role of the working writer in the industry today. 

Students learn through developing a growing portfolio of scripted work and writer-led projects both in practice and on the page to take into the professional world upon graduation. You’ll be exposed to a range of different practitioners and methodologies throughout the course and encouraged to apply these to your writing process. 

Students will have numerous practical sessions with visiting dramaturgs, drama directors, commissioners, emerging writers, TV, audio and digital script creators, and sessions on career development with regional and national producers of new work. The small class size of eight enables detailed support from the Head of Course as your dramaturg and mentor for the whole year, supporting the development of your writing voice and creative identity. 

The first term has a tightly-structured timetable taught by the Head of Course, BOVTS staff and a select number of visiting professionals, encouraging a high turnover of new ideas and scripts each week; the second term brings in specialists from radio and screen and invites writers to develop longer-term projects at different speeds for different media, including requesting focused sessions relevant to their personal practice; the third term engages with industry leaders, venues, literary managers and producers to expand professional awareness and refine the politics of your practice, alongside completing an industry-ready draft of a new full-length script. 

The course is taught over 15-16 contact hours per week including 1-to-1 tutorials, taught sessions and student-led workshops. You will also need to be capable of working independently and undertaking self-directed writing, research and reading, and therefore considerable additional work outside of your scheduled learning time is expected. 

Most contact time is live but some sessions with remote (national / international) practitioners are delivered online. The majority of practical sessions will be in-person at the school and its associated teaching sites. Throughout the duration of the course you will continue to have tutorials with the Head of Writing 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 Writing 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). 

Detailed feedback at BOVTS is continuous throughout each term as you progress the development of your various scripts and projects, sharing them with core staff, students and visitors. Your final assignments for all 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 script development. 

On each module you will be assessed against relevant industry standards, the extent to which you have met the module learning outcomes, and your ability to bring together all aspects of your learning. Whilst there are no written exams, as part of some assessment processes you will complete self-reflective writing, analysing the development of your writing practice across the year, with specific submissions for Dramatic Medium Part 1 and Writing a Signature Script. 

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 Dramatic Medium: Part 1 (Theatre) (45 credit points)

The aims of this module are to equip students with the core competencies of the writer’s craft, give them opportunities to consider the application of these competencies across different historical and cultural contexts, and to practice their application through a series of scene-writing exercises, research tasks and collaborative explorations. These activities will contribute to a final portfolio of scenes and a short piece of self-reflective writing.

The Dramatic Medium: Part 2 (Writing for Recorded Media and Contemporary Developments in Creative Practice) (30 credit points)

The aims of this module are to extend the students’ knowledge of core competencies, applying them at a professional level to explore the unique artistic opportunities available when storytelling through audio, screen and non-traditional practice (e.g. scripting for pervasive media, site-specific performance, writing for children, verbatim theatre). Students write and produce a short audio play, script a treatment and indicative scene for screen, work collaboratively with the MA Directors and MA Screen Actors and propose a writer-led project informed by research into non-traditional practice. 

Writing a Signature Script (60 credit points)

The aims of this module are to engage students in a sustained and gradual process of script development across three terms, to work professionally with feedback from a variety of inputs (collaborative studio work, round-table readings, peer dramaturgical support, external practitioner input, public rehearsed reading of script excerpt), to encourage dramaturgical choices that express each writer’s unique creative identity, and to synthesise their learning from across the MA course. Writers will create a short presentation on early ideas in Term 1, longer excerpts and full drafts in Term 2, and redrafts in Term 3, alongside a substantial piece of reflective writing on the development process.

The Drama Writing Industry (30 credit points)

This module will equip students with a deep and systematic understanding of the drama writing industry, of the key skills and behaviours essential to creating a successful drama writing career, and most importantly, how they view themselves and the role of the writer within it: now, and in the future. The module will engage with visiting speakers who develop, commission and produce writers, but also focus on the idea of writers as change-makers, setting the agenda to shape their own careers and the industry around them. Each student will write a Personal Development Plan outlining their plans post-graduation.

Applicants will normally be expected to have an honours degree in a related subject area, and it is expected that all candidates will demonstrate some experience of dramatic writing. An example of drama writing (25 minutes of continuous script for the stage, either as a self-contained short play or excerpt from a longer play) will be required as part of the selection process. 

Applicants should have a clear understanding of theatre and their individual creative ambitions. They should also demonstrate some knowledge of and / or practical engagement with the drama industries (stage, audio, screen) e.g. through extra-curricular work, non-degree training, workshops and talent development groups, self-producing, regular attendance / viewing of new work, engagement with industry news or undertaking professional non-writing industry roles. 

For speakers of English as a second language an IELTS 7.0 (International English Language Testing System) is the minimum requirement with a minimum of 7.0 in each component of reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

Entry to the MA Drama Writing course is through submission of a 25-minute script for stage and an application statement. 

We initially assess your suitability to proceed to an interview based on the information you provide on the application form and the script submission.

When selecting candidates for interview we look at:

• Your control of writing craft in the submitted script
• Your level of practical experience across stage and other media
• Your level of industry knowledge and understanding
• Your suitability and potential for training on the course pathway

Interviews for this course are in-person but it is possible to hold online interviews if preferred. You will be interviewed by a two-person panel, one of whom will be the Head of Course, and you will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the programme. There is no application fee for this course.

The selection process will seek candidates whose writing and creative approach indicates the best chance of building a freelance career in the professional industry after training. 

UK students £12,000
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 2024–25 academic year. For further information, please see the dropdown “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:

• 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) (circa £300)
• tickets to see performances as part of the course (£75)
• stationery 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.