GCSE thoughts please. Drama and Eng Lit

[1805]

If someone wants to be an actor, or something to do with drama / performing, do you think Eng Lit would be necessary?
On the other hand, dc has some additional needs, and struggles with writing essays.

The option other than Eng Lit would be photography, which would be a creative outlet and less written work for dc.

My question is : do you think Eng Lit is important to an eventual career in drama type job?
Thanks.

Loads of essay writing with psychology. Basically the low or non essay subjects are sciences and maths.

thanks. she's not doing a humanity. unless you can class drama as a humanity??

I would class drama as an art subject. I would just add the caveat that there is a lot of group work with drama, and if your DD is in a group with students who don't pull their weight it it pull her marks down.

DD hated group work because she always ended up doing the most work.

thanks Lonicera. I reckon the group work will be fine.

I tend to think if you cannot manage English Lit at GCSE, your future as an actor will be limited. It is a case of being able to read and memorise lines and texts. Not being able to read and understand "literature" will be detrimental to a future career
Interesting as quite a few very successful actors are dyslexic so they must be able to compensate. How does your DD read and learn her lines 1805?
I can see the benefit of photography for somebody who may be heading towards theatre studies /drama school.
Would her school still give her lots of drama opportunities if she does n’t do drama GCSE?
If so (or she act outside school), I would advise English Lit and photography. She will enjoy the English Lit less but the skills and qualification from it will be useful for the future including keeping her options open for courses post A levels.

My dd is training to be a musical theatre performer and ds aspires to be an actor/singer. Dh also teaches in higher education in this sector.

English & maths is required to access performing arts further education courses. But I disagree that someone who cannot manage English lit gcse is unsuited for acting work.

It is true that actors need an understanding of the plays they are studying, the characters, themes etc. But my ds has an innate understanding of these things, yet due to his autism is unable to organise his thoughts in a written essay.

Saying that there will be a written element to most drama school courses whether they be the Level 6 Trinity Diploma or a degree. To access these courses you generally need A Levels or a Level 3 Btec in performing arts (& to pass the audition procedure). You need a wide knowledge of plays and literature in general and will be expected to talk about them in your audition/interview.

Comefromaway Dd is autistic and drama / performing is very much the thing she lives for. Apparently she's quite good too .
Does your dh look for particular A levels? I would like her to get some A levels if possible. She favours Chemistry, and Drama at the moment. An odd combination, but there you go.
Maybe we'll go for photography then. I'll see what the teacher says when I chat to them. See what the skill set is for the course.

No, he goes entirely on the audition and whether the candidate demonstrates an understanding of what they are performing. Basically if he and the rest of the panel think they have the potential for a professional career.

As long as they have the requisite number of UCAS points to satisfy the university. (most drama/musical theatre schools either deliver a degree on behalf of a university or they have a university accredit their degree)

That's really useful. Thanks.
So I reckon we can help her understanding of texts etc and take her to see as much stuff as possible and discuss them.
Then I'm happy for her to do photography.

It was the board that says both have to be passed, not the school.
It's igcse though, so might be different to other boards.

They are two completely separate qualifications Romany - even for IGCSE. It is rare for a school to allow students to drop one of the subjects (& is usually only done for SEN or very low ability students in order to concentrate on just the one subject) but ut is entirely possible to pass Lang & fail Lit and still meet the criteria for having passed English.