What is the difference between OCR A-Level Drama and AQA or Edexcel?

OCR's A-Level places a strong emphasis on practitioner study, requiring you to devise a performance directly influenced by a chosen practitioner's techniques and philosophy. This contrasts with AQA, which has a more text-focused devising component, or Edexcel, which often includes a group performance from a published play. OCR also uses a visiting examiner for the scripted performance, which many students find less stressful than performing at an external venue. Additionally, the written examination for OCR has a dedicated live theatre evaluation alongside two set texts, while other boards may integrate live review differently.

How much of the course is practical versus written?

While OCR A-Level Drama is inherently practical, the assessment balance is 60% practical performance (internally assessed or visiting exam) and 40% written examination. However, practical work is heavily underpinned by written analysis, including a research report and a concept pro, so you will develop strong writing skills alongside your performance craft. The course is designed for students who enjoy both creating theatre and articulating their ideas in writing.

Do I need to have studied GCSE Drama to take OCR A-Level Drama?

It is not a strict entry requirement to have studied GCSE Drama, but it is highly recommended because the A-Level builds on foundational performance and analytical skills. If you haven't taken GCSE Drama, you will need to demonstrate a genuine passion for and experience in theatre, perhaps through youth theatre, school productions, or relevant qualifications like LAMDA or BTEC. Your school may also ask for a certain grade in English GCSE, as the written components demand strong communication skills.

Which practitioners can I study for Component 1?

OCR provides a list of approximately 20 recognised practitioners spanning a range of styles and traditions, from Konstantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht to Frantic Assembly and Kneehigh Theatre. Your teacher will guide you in selecting a practitioner whose methods align with your group's interests and the stimuli provided. You are not limited to these, but any choice must be approved by OCR to ensure sufficient depth of study is possible.

How is the live theatre evaluation examined?

In Component 3 (Analysing Performance), you will answer one question evaluating a live performance you have seen during the course. This production can be professional or non-professional, and you are expected to discuss acting, directing, design, and the overall impact on the audience. The question will ask you to analyse how specific moments were performed or designed to create meaning. You cannot bring notes into the exam, so it is essential to build a detailed memory of the production through active note-taking, discussions, and written reflections shortly after seeing it.

Drama OCR A-Level Topics & Revision

The OCR A-Level Drama specification covers 8 topics. Use MasteryMind to revise every topic with learning objectives, exam tips, and practice questions aligned to your exact specification.

Topics Covered

E2E stub topic
Content of A Level in Drama and Theatre (H459)
Content of: Exploring and performing texts – performing (21)
Content of: Practitioners in practice – performing (11/12)
Content of: Analysing performance (31)
Content of: Deconstructing texts for performance (41–48)
Content of: Exploring and performing texts – design (22)
Content of: Practitioners in practice – design (13/14)

Exam Tips for OCR A-Level Drama

Always structure evaluation around the key moments that reveal the practitioner's influence or directorial concept
Use precise dramatic terminology and refer to specific moments from the live production to support points
In devising tasks, explicitly link creative choices to the practitioner's documented rehearsal techniques or philosophical statements
Balance analysis of acting with consideration of design elements to show holistic understanding of theatre-making
Use the 'Drama Text Management Service' annually to ensure all text and practitioner combinations are valid.
Ensure all performance texts studied have been professionally commissioned or produced and exceed 60 minutes in performance time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Describing a live production’s plot or staging without critical analysis or evaluation
Confusing one practitioner’s methods with another’s, leading to vague or inaccurate application
Over-relying on personal opinion rather than grounding responses in practitioner theory and observed evidence
Neglecting to consider how technical elements (lighting, sound, set) contribute to meaning and audience impact
Failing to meet the minimum performance time of 6 minutes, resulting in 0 marks for AO2.

Key Terms

Practitioner methodologies
Live theatre evaluation
Elements of production
Performance analysis frameworks
Directorial interpretation

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Drama

OCR

A-Level

Specification: OCR-A-Level-Drama

The OCR A-Level Drama specification covers 8 topics with 0 learning objectives (OCR-A-Level-Drama). Use the topic browser below to explore subtopics, exam tips, common mistakes, and key terminology for each area of the course.

This subject will help you develop key knowledge and skills required for exam success.

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Objectives

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Key Features

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About OCR A-Level Drama

The OCR A-Level in Drama and Theatre offers students an exciting and challenging journey into the heart of performance, creativity, and critical thinking. This two-year linear course is designed to develop not only practical performance skills but also a deep theoretical understanding of drama as an art form. You will explore the work of influential theatre practitioners, engage with seminal play texts, and learn to craft compelling performances that demonstrate a sophisticated grasp of style, context, and meaning.

Central to the OCR specification is the integration of practical exploration with academic analysis. In Component 1, 'Practitioners in Practice', you will devise an original piece of theatre inspired by a chosen practitioner, documenting your creative process in a research report. Component 2, 'Exploring and Performing Texts', challenges you to bring a scripted text to life for an audience, accompanied by a concept pro that outlines your directorial or design interpretation. Finally, Component 3, 'Analysing Performance', hones your ability to evaluate live theatre and respond critically to two set texts in a written examination.

Throughout the course, you will engage with a range of theatrical styles – from naturalism to epic theatre, physical theatre to contemporary devising. The specification encourages a holistic approach, where practical work informs written analysis and vice versa. By the end of the A-Level, you will have crafted a portfolio of performance and written evidence that showcases your versatility as a theatre-maker, critic, and scholar, ready for further study or a career in the creative industries.

Assessment Structure

The OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre is assessed through three components, making up a total of 200 marks. Component 1 (Practitioners in Practice) is an internally assessed, externally moderated devised performance and research report, worth 40% of the qualification. Component 2 (Exploring and Performing Texts) is a visiting examination: you perform a scripted extract and present a concept pro, externally assessed and worth 20%. Component 3 (Analysing Performance) is a 2-hour 30-minute written examination, worth 40%, covering a live theatre evaluation and two set texts. This balanced blend ensures both your creative and analytical abilities are rigorously evaluated.

Why Choose OCR?

OCR's emphasis on practitioner-led devising offers a unique opportunity to explore a specific theatre-maker's methodology in depth, allowing you to create highly original work that stands out in university applications or portfolios.
The visiting examiner model for Component 2 means your performance is assessed in your own school environment by a subject specialist, reducing the pressure of external venue assessments and allowing you to perform in familiar surroundings.
The specification's clear separation between practical and written components helps you manage your workload effectively, with structured deadlines and a supportive marking scheme that rewards both process and final product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Assessment Objectives

AO1

25%-30%

Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning as part of the theatre making process, making connections between dramatic theory and practice

AO2

25%-30%

Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance

AO3

25%-30%

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed

AO4

23%-25%

Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others

What Gets Top Grades

A*/Grade 9

Knowledge & Understanding

Demonstrates comprehensive and accurate knowledge

Uses correct subject-specific terminology
Shows detailed understanding of concepts
Makes accurate connections between topics
Demonstrates depth beyond surface-level knowledge

Application

Applies knowledge effectively to new contexts

Selects relevant knowledge for the question
Adapts understanding to unfamiliar scenarios
Uses examples appropriately
Shows awareness of context

Analysis & Evaluation

Develops sophisticated analytical arguments

Constructs logical chains of reasoning
Considers multiple perspectives
Weighs evidence to reach justified conclusions
Acknowledges limitations and nuances

Key Command Words

OCR

State

1 mark

Give a single fact or term

Identify

1 mark

Name or select

Describe

2-4 marks

Account of process or features

Explain

3-6 marks

Give reasons with BUSINESS-FACING outcomes

Analyse

6-9 marks

Examine methodically showing cause→effect→outcome

Evaluate

9-12 marks

Judge, weigh up evidence, reach SYNOPTIC conclusion

Common Exam Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exams

•Describing a live production’s plot or staging without critical analysis or evaluation
•Confusing one practitioner’s methods with another’s, leading to vague or inaccurate application
•Over-relying on personal opinion rather than grounding responses in practitioner theory and observed evidence
•Neglecting to consider how technical elements (lighting, sound, set) contribute to meaning and audience impact
•Failing to meet the minimum performance time of 6 minutes, resulting in 0 marks for AO2.
•Choosing a combination of texts that does not meet the specification criteria.
•Failing to use the 'Drama Text Management Service' to validate text and practitioner choices.
•Exceeding performance times in 'Exploring and performing texts' leading to examiner intervention.

Top Examiner Tips

Expert advice for exam success

•Always structure evaluation around the key moments that reveal the practitioner's influence or directorial concept
•Use precise dramatic terminology and refer to specific moments from the live production to support points
•In devising tasks, explicitly link creative choices to the practitioner's documented rehearsal techniques or philosophical statements
•Balance analysis of acting with consideration of design elements to show holistic understanding of theatre-making
•Use the 'Drama Text Management Service' annually to ensure all text and practitioner combinations are valid.
•Ensure all performance texts studied have been professionally commissioned or produced and exceed 60 minutes in performance time.
•For 'Analysing performance', ensure practical exploration of the opening 10 minutes and at least three additional scenes for each text.
•Complete the Concept Pro forma for 'Exploring and performing texts' as it is mandatory for AO1 marks.

Specification Topics

8 topics

E2E stub topic

This subtopic develops students' critical understanding of contemporary theatre practice by examining the work of key practitioners and evaluating live performance. It prepares learners to articulate informed, analytical responses to production elements, acting, and directing choices, and to apply these insights to their own devised or scripted work. Practical workshops and written analysis ensure integration of theory with performance skills.

E2E stub subtopic

0 objectives4 tips4 pitfalls

Content of A Level in Drama and Theatre (H459)

The content of the OCR A Level in Drama and Theatre (H459) requires learners to participate in two performance components (one text-based, one devised), study five different performance texts, and research two practitioners. The course is structured into four components: Practitioners in practice (11/12 or 13/14), Exploring and performing texts (21 or 22), Analysing performance (31), and Deconstructing texts for performance (41–48).

0 objectives5 tips5 pitfalls

Content of: Exploring and performing texts – performing (21)

Component 22: Exploring and performing texts – design is a non-exam assessment component where learners study one full performance text and work collaboratively to design for a performance of a section of that text. Learners must demonstrate their design skills in a live theatre context, realizing their artistic intentions through their chosen design role (lighting, sound, set, or costume).

0 objectives5 tips6 pitfalls

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Drama

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Key Features

About OCR A-Level Drama

Assessment Structure

Why Choose OCR?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between OCR A-Level Drama and AQA or Edexcel?

How much of the course is practical versus written?

Do I need to have studied GCSE Drama to take OCR A-Level Drama?

Which practitioners can I study for Component 1?

How is the live theatre evaluation examined?

Assessment Objectives

What Gets Top Grades

Knowledge & Understanding

Application

Analysis & Evaluation

Key Command Words

Common Exam Mistakes

Top Examiner Tips

Specification Topics

E2E stub topic

Content of A Level in Drama and Theatre (H459)

Content of: Exploring and performing texts – performing (21)

Content of: Practitioners in practice – performing (11/12)

Content of: Analysing performance (31)

Content of: Deconstructing texts for performance (41–48)

Content of: Exploring and performing texts – design (22)

Content of: Practitioners in practice – design (13/14)

Ready to master Drama?