English Literature GCSE
Meta-theatre
What Meta-theatre means in English Literature GCSE, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Meta-theatre
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Theatre that draws attention to its own nature as a performance. This can be done through devices like a play-within-a-play or direct address to the audience.
When a play draws attention to its own theatrical nature.
Topics that use Meta-theatre
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (OCR GCSE)
- Twelfth Night (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
Using Meta-theatre in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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