University of Essex

TH343-6-AU-CO:
Theatre and Society

The details

Year: 2025/26

Department: Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Undergraduate: Level 6

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 02 October 2025

End date: Friday 12 December 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 17 March 2025

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA W401 Drama,
BA W402 Drama (Including Year Abroad),
BA W403 Drama (Including Placement Year),
BA W408 Drama (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ394 Drama and Scriptwriting

Module description

This module focuses on text and practices that exemplify the relationship between theatre and society. These include script-based drama from the late 19^th century to 21^st approaches to theatre-making such as Legislative theatre and Eugenio Barba’s Third Theatre. These will be taught through seminar discussions and practical workshop sessions that will encourage students to critically engage with the material and produce their own original work or adaptations of existing work .

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

Create a critical awareness of the role theatre can play in society, both historically and in contemporary practices.

Encourage an understanding of some of the social, political and economic issues affecting theatre practice.

Create work that is socially engaged and is relevant to the society we live in.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Identify the underlying cultural, political, institutional, and economic factors as related to the creation of theatre.

Understand the complex relationship between theatre and society.

Create a short piece of theatre that is socially engaged and is relevant to the society we live in.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

One 2-hour seminar/workshop per week
Half-day workshop rehearsal/assessment for session 9 and 10

Students are expected to undertake the reading before classes and be prepared to engage in discussion.<

Bibliography*

Rae, P. (2009) Theatre & human rights. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Clapham, A. (2015) Human rights: a very short introduction. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780198706168.001.0001.
Garson, C. (2018) 'Does Verbatim Theatre Still Talk the Nation Talk?', Journal of Contemporary Drama in English, 6(1), pp. 206–219. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcde-2018-0021.
'A Concise Audio Introduction to Verbatim Theatre | Digital Theatre' (no date). Available at: https://edu.digitaltheatreplus.com/content/workshops/a-concise-audio-introduction-to-verbatim-theatre.
'A Concise Introduction to Verbatim Theatre | Digital Theatre' (no date). Available at: https://edu.digitaltheatreplus.com/content/guides/verbatim-theatre.
Campbell, A. (2019) 'Introduction: About Augusto Boal and the Aims of This Book', in The Theatre of the Oppressed in Practice Today. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, pp. 6–12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350031449.0008.
Kaufman, M. and Tectonic Theater Project (2001) The Laramie project. New York: Vintage Books. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=725097&site=ehost-live.
Cantrell, T. (2013b) Acting in Documentary Theatre. London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Mazzilli, M. (no date) 'Lightstreams'.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Extract (5 - 15 minutes playtime) performance/adaptation of existing script, or devised piece or original script (solo or group) followed by a short 5-min presentation and QA		95%
Practical	Participation		5%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Mary Mazzilli, email: m.mazzilli@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff:

Contact details:

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Christina Papagiannouli

Institution: University of South Wales

Academic role: Research Fellow

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording:* Of 2 hours, 2 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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Module Directory

TH343-6-AU-CO:Theatre and Society