Develop as a scriptwriter by learning with professional and award-winning dramatists. In the University of Essex MA Scriptwriting (Theatre and Digital Media) students produce a varied portfolio of dramatic works, culminating in a full-length original play, which will enable them to hone and develop their own unique voice.

At Essex, they believe that the joint engagement of practice and theory produces a deep understanding of how drama works. They combine critical study of dramatic texts with practical workshops, so that students nurture their understanding of the playwright’s craft in order to produce their own new work.

This course focuses on the range of possibilities that exist for contemporary drama, with an emphasis on British and Irish drama, and students also explore topics including: the principles of dramatic structure and scene construction, the origins and possibilities of poetic theatre and verse drama, options for poetic practice or novel-writing, and writing screenplays. The dissertation gives students the chance to write a full-length play with one-to-one supervision from an award-winning playwright tutor.