Theatre and Performance with a Year Abroad

Follow your curiosity and challenge your ideas of what performance can be and how it can impact the world.

There’s more to studying theatre than being a skilled performer – it’s about being a skilled writer, researcher and collaborator too. As the lines between arts and life are blurring, this multifaceted subject will have you studying a variety of cultures and historical periods, across a range of plays, site-specific performance, live art and socially engaged performance.  
 
Ranked 2nd in the UK for drama in Times Good University Guide 2022, and 1st for research in the UK (REF2021), you know you’re being taught by academics at the forefront of their discipline. You’ll be challenged to make discoveries using a mixture of practice and theory. And with previous projects including women’s theatre in prison, you’ll question how performance can be used in different settings from museums to the street. 

Step into the limelight

Providing opportunities for your development is important to us. Benefit from using our studio theatres, rehearsal rooms, cinemas and production suite. Not only that, but our technical team will be on hand to make your ideas happen.  

Make the most of our London location with free theatre tickets to the city’s contemporary theatre, good employer links and internship opportunities. We work with companies like Clean Break who were recently at the National Theatre. And we provide creative skills workshops and bespoke careers events throughout the course.  

Drama is a great launchpad into a range of careers. Our graduates aren't just performers and actors – they are communications managers, marketing executives, PR professionals and teachers. Or perhaps you’ll follow in the footsteps of graduates who now work for the National Theatre, Netflix and Disney.  

Get a Russell Group education that helps you make your difference. At Queen Mary University of London.

Whatever your ambitions, Queen Mary gives you the platform to achieve them. Through Clearing, you can join a university defined by opportunity, inclusion and real-world impact. With 92% of students from state school backgrounds and 75% identifying as BAME, Queen Mary is proud to champion fair access and a community where everyone can thrive.

Ranked in the UK top 20 (QS World University Rankings 2027), Queen Mary combines academic excellence with a distinctive, inclusive outlook. You’ll learn from leading academics, access cutting-edge facilities, and benefit from programmes designed around employability - with opportunities for placements, internships and industry connections built in.

And it’s not just what you study - it’s where you study. Based in London, the number one student city in Europe (QS Best Student Cities 2026), you’ll be surrounded by global culture, world-class institutions, and endless possibilities. From museums and galleries to food, music and nightlife, London is part of your experience.

Secure your place through Clearing at Queen Mary today.