Practical Project, Portfolio and Viva Voce
This domain tests whether you can document and defend practical work. The examiner looks for evidence of process, not a scrapbook of pretty pictures, and for ownership of your choices in the viva.
Core requirements
- A portfolio should include a statement of intent, research notes, script annotations, rehearsal log, design sketches, cue sheets, photographs, self-assessment, and bibliography.
- Each entry needs a date, purpose, and reflection on what changed and why.
- The viva tests your ability to explain process, role, choices, problems, and learning.
- Claim only work you did; credit collaborators accurately.
- Be ready to answer 'why' questions about text, staging, design, and rehearsal decisions.
Worked example
A portfolio shows a costume sketch but no notes. Reasoning: the sketch alone does not prove process. Add the research source, the character analysis, the fabric test, the fitting notes, and a reflection on what the actor could not do in the first design. That converts a picture into evidence of decision-making.
Exam traps
- Including photographs without reflection or captions.
- Claiming group work as entirely your own.
- Being unable to explain a cue, sketch, or rehearsal choice.
- Writing a diary of events with no analysis.
- Leaving bibliography and permissions until the last minute.