Database Guide - Drama Online

If you are studying drama and performing arts, English literature or play-writing, then you will find that Drama Online has some key critical performances and play-scripts that will be useful for your studies. Education students will also find useful material and study guides for GCSE and A-level literature and drama texts.

You will find playscripts such as Simon Stephen’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -Time and videos of BBC productions, such as Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.

• 1. Go to LibrarySearch 
     
     
  2. Log in using your CCCU username and password. If you are away from campus, or connecting with your own device over Wi-Fi, you will need to include @canterbury.ac.uk after your CCCU username.
     
     
  3. Select Find Databases A-Z, then click on D, finally click on the link to Drama Online to open it in a new tab.

• You can use the basic search, advanced search or browse functions to look for plays, monologues, playwrights, videos, audio, context and criticism, theatre craft, images and articles.
• You can filter your results to find the play text, study guide or audio recording of the play in the left-hand pane.
• When you are viewing a script, you can use the Play Tools to view the character grid and the words and speeches. The character grid shows you who has the biggest speaking part in that scene. The words and speeches underneath shows you just how much. You can easily compare and contrast characters.
• You can create a free account which gives you the added function of being able to write notes directly on to the play as you read it and receive alerts when new content is added.

NB: the citation function does not provide a Harvard reference

Try searching Drama Online by following the steps outlined below. You’ll practice using some of the most common functions and be ready to search for information for your assignments.

1. Search for Hamlet. How many videos are available to watch?
   
   
2. Limit your results in the left-hand pane to early modern performance. Now narrow your search further to Speech.
   
   
3. Look for the most recent publication and look for the highlighted keyword (Hamlet) in context.
4. Now try the Explore by menu and look for the theme of Revenge.
   
   
5. Reflect on the type of information appearing in your search. How will you use this information in your assignments? How could you make you search more specific?

The site has been tested with 200% browser zoom to ensure that text still renders correctly and legibly, without losing any of the site’s functionality or navigation. Most of the site’s functionality is fully accessible via keyboard and the material has been manually tested throughout using JAWS 18, NVDA 2018, Apple VoiceOver and Android Talkback.

Your Learning and Research Librarian will be able to help you make the best use of online resources. For detailed guidance, book a tutorial via the Learning Skills Hub.