Playwriting

Module Identifier: TP33340
Module Title: Playwriting
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Semester: Semester 2 Taught over 2 semesters
Co-ordinator: Dr Lucy Gough
Reading List: View on Aspire
Other Staff: Dr Lucy Gough; Dr Gareth Evans

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Script for the Stage: A complete and original play for stage (no more than 45 minutes playing time)	70%
Semester Assessment	Creative Portfolio: equivalent to 3,000 words	30%
Supplementary Assessment	Script for the Stage: A complete and original play for stage (no more than 45 minutes playing time)	70%
Supplementary Assessment	Creative Portfolio: equivalent to 3,000 words	30%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Demonstrate an ability to effectively identify and employ the conventions of theatrical and dramatic language with regard to writing for the stage.
Demonstrate a developed awareness of the dramaturgical requirements and the implications of dramatic structure with regard to writing for the stage.
Demonstrate an ability to sustain an independent writing practice over an extended period of time, to be evidenced, evaluated, and reflect upon via the submission of a Creative Portfolio.
Demonstrate an ability within an extended writing process to incorporate and utilise formal and informal feedback, given through individual tutorials and shared group readings.

Brief description

This module will be taught through a series of lecture/workshops and individual tutorials, which will focus on the analysis of dramatic technique, as well as playwriting exercises and writing assignments. Culminating in the submission of a substantial piece of writing for the stage, the module aims to encourage and support students throughout the writing process, fostering an environment that allows for sharing and discussing of work as it is being developed.

Students will have an opportunity to submit a summative assignment demonstrating their knowledge of the stages of a writing project as well as their knowledge of the conventions and formats of playwriting. They will also be required to develop and submit a major original piece of dramatic writing.

Content

Semester One:
Focusing on: dramatic structure; character development; stage dialogue; stage temporality and theatrical space; symbolism and stage imagery.

Semester Two:
Workshops led by guest writers, student led sharing workshops and individual tutorials.

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Communication	All assessed assignments require a high level of written communication. Lectures iclude segments on how to communicate effectively in these media, and the overall assessment of a piece includes assessments on how well the concept has been communicated.
Improving own Learning and Performance	This is an independent creative study module and students will be expected to engage with autonomus learning processes. An assessment will be made on the basis of the work included in the creative portfolio (which will include early drafts of scripts) as to how the student's work has improved in the process of creating the final script.
Information Technology	Not assessed, although it is the Department's expectation that students present their work via Turnitin and is appropriately formatted to a professional standard.
Personal Development and Career planning	Career planning is not assessed. However, it will be developed through discussion of the expectations the media places on a writer, what types of approaches to the media are construed to be professional, and what type of work is most likely to enhance the student's writing prospects. Workshops with professional writers will allow for some industry contact.
Problem solving	This element is not assessed directly. However, all scriptwriting involves problem solving: what type of character will best convey a particular theme? What plot devices will most effectively propel the story to the next plot point? The effectiveness with which the author has solved problems is evident in the quality of the finished product.
Research skills	There is an expectation that the Creative Portfolio will evidence further and independent research. Most scripts will also involve some from of specialised knowledge that the student must research independently.
Subject Specific Skills	Students will be expected to present a script that adheres to professional conventions within the industry.
Team work	Students will have the opportunity to access and give feedback on each other's work.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6