Two of the most iconic National Theatre Wales shows; Mametz by Owen Sheers and The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning by Tim Price are featured on the WJEC A Level Drama Syllabus.

Mametz was a large-scale, site-specific production performed in an ancient woodland near Usk, Monmouthshire, and gave audiences a vivid glimpse into life – and death – in the trenches and battlefields of the Somme.

Inspired by Welsh writer Owen Sheers’ poem, Mametz Wood, it drew on written material by the poets who fought in or witnessed one of the bloodiest conflicts of the First World War, the Battle of Mametz Wood, in which 4,000 of the 38th (Welsh) Division were killed or wounded.

Mametz falls under Unit 4 of A-Level study: Text in Performance

To support students studying the text (and the original production), the creative team have shared their experiences with us.

In this unit, you will need to study two complete texts and know each in their entirety. You are being asked to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and skills in interpreting texts for performance and to do this through a written examination. When you approach this unit you should do so in two ways – firstly, in a practical way, as though you are the actor, director, or designer of the play and secondly, as an informed member of a theatre audience.

You must remember that you are being assessed on two things:

1. That you can demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of how theatre is created and performed
2. That you are able to analyse and evaluate the work of others.

Video resources

We hope that these video resources and accompanying exercises will help you in your study of Mametz.