This Masters gives you a practical and theoretical engagement with the many forms of writing and production for theatre. Blending practice, theory and history, the programme is designed for those wishing to develop playwriting skills and knowledge of script development and support, opening the way to many theatre roles, including dramaturgy. You will learn about the changing roles of the playwright and dramaturge in contemporary theatre in the UK and elsewhere around the world, and be supported to define your own creative practice while developing valuable transferable skills in research, project management and critical reflection.
WHY THIS PROGRAMME
In this course, you will develop your skills in writing for radio, theatre and screen with an emphasis on your individual voice and style.
You will graduate with a portfolio of pieces and an understanding of how to approach theatres and film and TV production companies and work towards securing commissions as a professional playwright or screenwriter.
The MLitt will provide you with technically-oriented tuition by leading contemporary and award-winning playwrights, with an emphasis on best practice in recent and contemporary writing.
At RADA, you learn by doing. You will engage in creatively rigorous and fulfilling vocational training that immerses you in the world of the professional playwright, ensuring you're artistically and practically equipped for the industry. Through continuous reflective practice you will workshop your writing, gain feedback and develop your creative work.
Teaching will be delivered by seminar (lecture and discussion), masterclasses, one-to-one tutorials, group tutorials and writing workshops.
Throughout your training, you will receive personalised feedback and career guidance to develop your expertise, resilience and leadership. The course will also include theatre trips, and prioritise an understanding of access, diversity, and inclusion.
This MA programme will enhance your creative and collaborative abilities while developing your playwriting craft. You will establish your identity as a creative practitioner with the skills and confidence to take an original idea from conception to production.
You will consider the role of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the impact they may have on the writing process and creative practice and industries.
Through this course you will write two plays; a one act play for a showcase reading, and the first draft of a full-length play for submission to professional production companies.
This new Master’s degree is designed to provide practical experience in directing and creating work for the theatre. Collaboration is at the heart of the programme to effectively replicate industry.
You will have the opportunity to work with students from other courses including acting, film, television and theatre production, set design, visual effects and costume – to deliver projects from start to finish.
Under guidance from experienced writers, directors and actors, you will explore and manage the entire directing process. From planning and prep work, through the rehearsal process to the final performance.
Working within the School’s Acting department you will have access to dedicated rehearsal rooms, our theatre and, where required, film & television studios.
The focus of this Master’s degree is the development of your directorial skill-set and style – whether that be in creating new work or in exciting and innovative interpretations of existing plays.
You will work on a wide range of approaches to directing, ranging from how to work with text to creating work through multi-media in performance. There are opportunities to look at ways of creating your own work with an ensemble and gain knowledge of funding applications so you are ready to set up your own company after graduation.
By the end of this intensive year-long programme, you have completed at least three contrasting and challenging projects. There will be opportunities to shadow directors and work as an assistant director on a range of projects to help inform your own practice.
This course, which is the first of its kind in the UK, provides individually tailored tuition that elevates your skills in readiness for a professional role as an opera director.
Mentored by tutors who are professionals drawn from across industry, you’ll examine the key elements that will contribute to your artistic and creative development – including acting methodologies, rehearsal techniques, principal singing languages and movement.
You’ll also explore different operatic forms, styles and conventions. Investigating artistic relationships – such as the design process and the conductor’s role – forms part of your tuition too.
Practical directing experience in a collaborative setting is fundamental to your training. You’ll work across various creative disciplines involved in producing opera, immersing yourself in the many performances and projects that take place here at the College – with opportunities to direct in-house opera scenes as well.
You’ll observe professional opera directors at work – both at the College and at the Welsh National Opera – to gain a better understanding of the industry in practice and build your network of contacts.
Your course culminates with a fully negotiated industry placement in a professional UK opera company, focusing on the role of staff director and associated areas of expertise.
With school holidays offering many young people the opportunity to take part in creative activities, it’s often a time when interests grow, and future ambitions begin to take shape.
Whether a young person is already engaged in the arts or just starting to explore, there are many different pathways into a career in the creative industries. However, for many families, these routes can feel unclear or uncertain.
Recent research from Netflix and the National Youth Theatre found that 89% of parents from working-class backgrounds would be unlikely to encourage their child to pursue a career in the creative industries. Building understanding and confidence among parents and carers is an important step in helping more young people feel supported in exploring these opportunities.
Parents Unscripted is a new series from Discover! Creative Careers, created in collaboration with organisations across the creative industries. The series shares the perspectives of parents whose children now work in the sector, offering honest reflections on their journeys.
We’re proud to have collaborated on one of the films in the series, developed alongside Discover! Creative Careers and the National Theatre. In this film, Angela Jumbo, mother of actor and playwright Cush Jumbo, reflects on her child’s journey into the industry and shares her perspective as a parent.
You can watch the other films in the series here!
We know that when parents and carers feel more confident about creative careers, it can make a real difference to a young person’s ability to pursue them.
By sharing these stories, Parents Unscripted aims to open up conversations, challenge misconceptions, and highlight the many routes available across the creative industries.
We encourage teachers, industry professionals and partners to share these films with their networks, whether through newsletters, social media, or conversations with young people and their families.
Helping more families understand the opportunities available in the creative industries is a vital step in supporting the next generation of talent.
Find out more about Discover! Creative Careers here.
Find out more about the National Theatre Skills Centre here.
Is money stopping you from taking part in music, dance or drama?
NAYT grant music bursaries, dance bursaries and drama bursaries, up to £1,000 each, to talented young people aged 12-25 who can’t afford to access opportunities in the arts. A bursary typically pays for a year’s part time dance, music or drama classes, and it can be used to cover some other expenses and costs too, including tuition fees at drama school.
They open applications for bursaries several times a year, and the next deadline is 3 June 2026. If you apply after this, we’ll consider your application in the next round. Sign up to their newsletter and they’ll keep you posted about future deadlines.
Perfect for anyone aged 18+ interested in acting for screen.
This two-day course will introduce you to the techniques and skills required for acting in film and television. Learn key techniques including how to prepare for a scene, be present and how to connect with your scene partner, to give authentic and truthful performances.
You can expect to: Explore the differences between acting for stage and screen; Learn how to analyse a scene quickly and accurately; How to prepare for a scene; Work on short, scripted scenes; Learn about visual storytelling; Draw on your own life experience using the mindset technique; Utilize your imagination to bring an inner life to characters; Develop your confidence in front of a camera.
Some preparation work including reading and learning short, scripted scenes, will be required as part of the course.
Dates: Sat 18 – Sun 19 Jul 2026
Cost: £285
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
Perfect for anyone aged 17+ who has an interest in acting and would be interested in applying for Drama School or an equivalent programme. It is also open to actors who are interested in improving their general audition technique.
Whether you are interested in developing a speech for drama school or university or just generally improving your audition technique, this two-day course will give you an insight and introduction into the tools you need to succeed.
You will look at: How to choose a speech and what to look for; Practical exercises that can be used to unlock the speech and enhance understanding; Discussion on the audition environment and techniques to encourage relaxation and readiness; Tips and techniques to bring the speech to life.
You will be expected to engage in practical tasks on the speeches that you bring to the course to work on. The atmosphere will be informal and welcoming. You will need to choose a Shakespeare speech and a modern speech that you connect with in advance of the course.
Dates: Sat 1 – Sun 2 Aug 2026
Cost: £285
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
Perfect for anyone aged 14 to 17 with an interest in creative writing. No experience is required, just interest and enthusiasm.
Put pen to paper, let your imagination roam free and conjure your creativity with this new two-day course, led by London writer Annie Hayter.
Working with Annie, you will explore a range of literary texts including poetry and fiction, and will use artwork, photographs and songs to inspire your own creative writing. You will learn to draft and develop your own stories and explore the best ways to present, perform and publish them.
Maybe you want to write about your pet goose Doris, an imagined day in the life of your favourite popstar or whatever is important to you, this course will be a warm and open space for you to freely express yourself and delve into the depths of your imagination.
Dates: Sat 18 – Sun 19 Jul 2026
Cost: £230
Deadline to book: 5pm, Friday 3 July 2026
