BA (Hons) Drama and English Literature

Blaze

Spending my early childhood in Africa I learnt about the importance of theatre and the written and spoken word to people; its ability to transform communities; transcend boundaries; and provide power to the powerless. Throughout my schooling I have always had a passion for Drama and English, thus it seemed a natural progression to carry these subjects through to higher education. My older sister studied medicine in England and now works as a scientist… so the pressure was on from my family to study a ‘more academic’ subject as my dad liked to call it! I was torn - do I study physics for three years and make my dad happy or follow my heart. The heart won (thank goodness).

Coming from overseas and looking at universities was a very daunting prospect. For me University of Greenwich really stood out. It was not only the beautiful and almost historically tangible landscape but also the approachable and supportive academic stuff that really sold it for me.  Greenwich offered me the perfect combination of courses I was looking for in the BA Honours Drama and English Literature. Not only could I indulge in my passion for the theatre, both in theory and practice, but also delve into literature from the 18th century to the present. Throughout my three years of study all my courses have complimented each other and allowed me to further my understanding of certain subjects and broaden my approach to individual study. At Greenwich English and Drama can be combined with many other subjects. Combined/joint degrees can be perfectly suited to the individual and at the same time broaden job opportunities (which is never a bad thing!) J

In my first year I had to choose two compulsory subjects; one from the English subject list and the other from Drama, the other two courses I could pick from a long list of electives. My core compulsory course for English was Literary Forms of Representation - a course that taught me to assess and interpret different forms of representations, including reading lots of novels and watching many films, which is always a bonus in lectures! I can still remember the feeling of uncertainty when I first started my degree; I was nervous that I would not be able to keep up as at school I had not read many  ‘old- fashioned books with lots of pages’ as I used to refer to them by. The way the course is structured is excellent – I never felt out of my depth as throughout the year you build gradually on your foundation of knowledge and I fell in love with most of the books that we studied. The first book I read on the course was Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations and I will always remember reading the part in the novel where the main character, Pip, helps the convict Magwitch to board a boat along the banks of Greenwich pier in order to protect him from the authorities. It’s a great pleasure to study on a campus so wrapped in literary richness!

In my second year the English course focused mainly on literature from the 20^th and 21^st century literary canon. Lots of my study focused on Virginia Woolfe, and now I can safely say Mrs Dalloway is my favourite novel.  Studying in London is a great advantage. I have access to countless theatres, performances (ranging from the traditional to the avant-garde), libraries and an all-area access pass to one of the cultural hotspots of the world.  Greenwich for me was the best of both worlds – the tranquillity of the Thames and Greenwich offset with the easily accessible energy and bustle of the city centre.

The Drama courses over the three years spanned from the traditional Greek dramas to avant-garde theatre performances. What is great about predominantly all of the drama courses that the university offers is that they all have a 50% practical and 50% theory component. Students are not only assessed on practical work but study the development and evolution of drama in great depth (often something that a pure acting course/degree doesn’t allow). Over the last three years I have lost track of the amount of theatre I have watched. It is great to study a play then see it live on stage, something that can be easily done in a London-based institution.  Also, many of my drama peers pursued a placement in their third year. Embarking on a placement is a great opportunity to get some hands on experience in your potential field of employment and is something that the university staff are keen to advertise and facilitate.

I will be graduating in October with a first class honours degree. I believe my hard work should be attributed to the fantastic course and the teaching staff.  I have received a scholarship form the Arts and Humanities Council to study a master’s course at Greenwich, the MA Theatre Practices. I am really looking forward to continuing studying in this dynamic and innovative field.  

If you are interested in any subject concerned with the creative industry take a look at our degrees we have on offer. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Greenwich and invite you to do the same. Personally, I see obtaining a degree like receiving a passport – a passport that enables one to see things from a new perspective, to challenge preconceived notions and schools of thought, and in my case a passport to becoming a more mature, confident and self-assured individual J