Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI The Dark Comedy
School	Eng, Drama, & Creative Studies
Department	Drama and Theatre Arts
Module Code	09 23272
Module Lead	Rose Whyman
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Seminar-20 hours Tutorial-2 hours Guided independent study-178 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module will consider the development of modern tragicomedy from Chekhov’s realism through to the Beckett’s metatheatre and the Theatre of the Absurd. It will also look at contemporary writers such as Alan Bennett. We will discuss how tragicomedy potentially offers a more complex understanding of human experience than tragedy or comedy, with reference to existentialist philosophies, and we will also examine how tragicomedy aims to evoke a complex audience response.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module the student should be able to: Define the main characteristics of modern tragicomedy. Characterize the social, political and philosophical contexts for the development of modern tragicomedy. Analyze and compare the work of several key writers of the genre. Articulate the major critical frameworks used in relation to the genre. Communicate explanation and analysis of the subject clearly and effectively, orally and in writing. Work with an appropriate degree of learner independence to explain and analyze aspects of modern tragicomedy.
Assessment	23272-01 : Essay 2000 words : Coursework (50%) 23272-02 : Presentation & Documentation : Presentation (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 50% presentation and documentation (approx 5 mins per student, depending on group size) 50% essay (1750-words) Reassessment: Failed component only Group or solo presentation (approx. 5 mins per student depending on group size), which may be submitted as a recording 50% 1750 word essay (50%)
Other
Reading List