MSt in Writing for Performance

Looking down at a stage in an empty theatre of red seats

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Writing for Performance is designed for postgraduate students who wish to develop high-level theoretical skills and a vibrant and innovative creative practice within writing for a wide range of performance mediums.

Writing for performance is defined as making scripts or text for:

theatre
film/TV
radio drama
performance art podcasts
digital platforms
stand-up comedy

You’ll develop skills initially in all mediums and then be guided to choose a specific genre of script-making for the final project. You’ll develop the capacity to critically reflect on your own work, the work of your peer-group, and that of other professional writers.

We also offer other creative writing courses that might interest you:

our MSt in Creative Writing, for students wishing to advance their creative writing across multiple genres at Master’s level
undergraduate creative writing courses, for students wishing to develop their creative writing but not yet ready for postgraduate-level study

Course Dates

Course overview

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Key course information

Watch the information session on the MSt in Writing for Performance from our Master's Open Week 2024.

Who is the course designed for?

This course is designed for people wishing to develop as dramatists to improve their professional careers in the entertainment industry as writers or directors, or to enhance their skills as dramaturgs/script editors to follow a career in literary management, publishing or agenting. You may also be interested in this course if you wish to enrich your creative writing/drama teaching practice at GCSE or on A-Level English Language or Literature courses.

Students on the MSt in Writing for Performance could include those currently working, or wishing to work, in the creative industries. This might include teachers, publishers, dramaturgs, literary managers, journalists and broadcasters.

Aims of the programme

The overall aims of the MSt in Writing for Performance are to:

enable students to develop high levels of expertise as writers of performance through engagement with forms of ‘embodied knowledge’, and ‘learning through doing’, within both group and individual contexts
facilitate students’ creative practice, and to encourage originality and experimentation with narrative structures and story-telling
use theory and philosophy to develop and enhance students’ creative practice through engagement with performance theory and the critical history of performance
identify, encourage, and consolidate the distinct and individual strengths within students’ work
explore, both critically and creatively, the world of dramatic writing across a range of performance genres and mediums
develop skills relevant to professional development for those working in creative, pedagogic, or industry contexts
create a safe and empathetic teaching environment that students can trust, in order that they may produce their most innovative creative work

Learning outcomes

This course will allow you to develop skills relevant to professional development in a variety of creative, pedagogic or industry contexts.

The MSt in Writing for Performance is structured around 4 modules taught during year 1 of the course and a presentation module during year 2, each of which students must attend. Each of the 4 modules is preceded by guided preparatory reading and other activities, and followed by 2 writing assignments: one formative and one summative.

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) offers learning support to students while they are on the programme, including learning resources, peer-to-peer and student-to-tutor discussion between modules to build a virtual community of practice.

Teaching

Year 1

In the first year students will be encouraged to build on their existing strengths but also to explore unfamiliar territories.

Below are the expected teaching dates for this course. If they change, we'll update offer-holders in line with the University's terms of admission.

Module 1

Beginnings: The Fundamentals of Dramatic Writing (19 to 22 October 2026)

This module introduces students to the fundamental conceptual, creative, and practical elements of writing for performance. They will be encouraged to begin developing a sense of which medium they may wish to work in later, while workshops and encounters with visiting speakers will allow them to experience a wide range of writing tasks. They will begin to engage with processes of critical reflection about their own work, and about the creative practices of their peer-group, as well as being encouraged to respond analytically to a wide variety of philosophical positions within performance theory and history.

Module 2

Dramaturgy: Writing for Audio and Other Digital Media (11 to 14 January 2027)

This module will look in-depth at the function of narrative structures and story-telling forms. Writing character will be explored, as well as different techniques of writing dialogue - applicable to a range of writing for performance platforms. In Module 2 scripts are read and analysed in workshop by peers, this time under the supervision of professional directors drawn from theatre, TV or film.

Module 3

Collaboration: Writing for Theatre, Comedy or Performance (15 to 18 March 2027)

In this module, the writing workshops have a theatre focus. They are led by resident directors and have access to professional actors, offering an experience of collaboration vital to the understanding of a script, and the development of character, dialogue and other core components of dramatic writing. Allowing collaborative relationships to develop early, across modules, will hopefully encourage the post-MSt production of the students’ work in visible professional platforms. Students will continue to refine their critical, analytical, and experiential practice during this module.

Module 4

Professional Engagement: Writing for Film and TV (7 to 10 June 2027)

This module will focus on the processes and skills involved in bringing a script successfully to market. This module completes the cycle of learning from the ‘first idea’ to a finished, commissioned, and performed script. Invited speaker panels will focus on industry engagement, with agents, literary managers, show-runners, and producers. Students will develop advanced self-presentation skills, as well as an understanding of new-writing networks and opportunities. Script workshops in Module 4 have a screenwriting emphasis and are led by professional TV or film directors/writers. Students will learn how to turn a concept into a film pitch – and will then have an opportunity to make that pitch to a panel of film producers. Students will prepare and submit their dissertation proposals.

Year 2

The second year is characterised by focus on a specialist genre. Students will work independently to explore further and develop their own literary and critical skills, resulting in a full-length (90 minute) script in a chosen performance medium and a reflective and critical commentary on their work. They will work under the supervision of an expert in their chosen field with whom they will have regular contact.

Students will have 5 supervisions in the second year. Supervision dates will be arranged between students and supervisors (these can be face-to-face or via remote software). The fifth and final supervision will usually take place at the time of the only module in the second year, when students will present an extract from their creative work to the cohort, to be held over two days in April 2028 (dates to be confirmed).

It is essential that students attend all modules as their ability to complete the course will be severely compromised by missing any of these.

Assessment

Year 1

Students will be required to submit:

20 minutes of script/screenplay/performance text
2 critical essays of 3,000 words each
a piece of reflective writing of 2,000 words

Year 2

Students will be required to submit a dissertation which consists of:

A major creative project

This should be 90 minutes of writing for performance.

A synopsis and/or synopses

Where the submitted script is an extract of a longer piece, a one-page synopsis of the remaining script must be submitted which clearly indicates where in the story the extract comes from, and/or a synopsis of 150 words maximum for each of the remaining episodes.

A one-page industry strategy document

This should be a maximum of 400 words (formatively assessed).

A written reflective and critical commentary

This should be 5,000 words.

Feedback

Students are given formal written feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout the course, including during tutorials and supervisions. Tutors produce a report for each student at the end of Year 1 and supervisors produce termly reports for each student during Year 2.

Considering applying? We look forward to receiving your application. We consider applications on a 'gathered field' basis, reviewing them all together after the application deadline.

Applicants who are applying for the MSt in Writing for Performance having successfully completed the edX MicroMasters in Writing for Performance and the Entertainment Industries must complete a different application form. Please use the 'Ask a Question' button on this page to request further information.

Key timings for your application

The application deadline is 26 March 2026.
We’ll hold interviews for shortlisted candidates in April.
If you're shortlisted, we'll contact you in the weeks before interviews to arrange a time and format for yours.

How to apply and what you'll need

The ‘Apply now’ button will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can:

create, save, and submit your application
upload your supporting documents
submit and manage your references
pay your application fee
track your application

Supporting documents

When you submit your application, you’ll need to provide supporting information.

Personal statement

Upload a personal statement of no more than 1,000 words telling us about why you want to study on this programme and the nature of your interest in performance.

CV

Upload an up-to-date resume.

Writing sample

Upload an original writing sample consisting of 10 pages of continuous script from one of the following:

screenplay
stage or radio script
spoken word text
performance art text

This sample may be on any subject.

Synopsis

Upload a 400-word synopsis showing how your writing sample fits into the whole piece of work from which it is extracted.

Research proposal

Upload a research proposal of approximately 500 words outlining the work to be carried out in the second year of study. Your plans may change over the course of your first year, but we need to see at this stage that you have a viable project in mind.

Please tell us what genre you're likely to be writing in, such as theatre, film, TV, or radio and provide:

an outline of the intended topic
an outline of ideas related to your project which might form the basis of a commentary on it
an account of the sources upon which the writing project will draw, if appropriate.

Audio/video content (spoken word applicants only)

Applicants intending to specialise in spoken word will be required to upload evidence of their work. The audio/video content must be no longer than 3 minutes in length.

Further details of where to submit the content will be sent to those who indicate in their application that they are going to submit an audio/video file.