Drama and Literature

From past giants such as Robert Lowell, Ted Berrigan and Ben Okri who have shaped literature as we know it, to prize-winning contemporary writers such as Professors Derek Walcott and Marina Warner, Essex has always attracted people who are at the heart of defining and redefining literature. We're also a community of award-winning playwrights, actors and directors, as well as leading academic specialists; teaching comedy, tragedy, physical theatre, and theatre in education, and we are committed to furthering the cause of human rights through drama. You will study a wide range of dramatic texts, from Ancient Greek times to the present day, and develop an understanding of the principal developments in European Theatre. You also have access to a host of specialist facilities including the Lakeside Theatre - a purpose-built 200-seat venue in the heart of the University campus. As a commercial theatre, we stage productions by leading touring companies and new work written, produced and directed by our own staff and students. You also have access to the the Lakeside Studio - an intimate fully equipped black box theatre. Each year, we invite proposals from current and former Essex students to make work for this space as part of our Homegrown Shows programme.