Hey! I loved doing the ARP, so I hope that if you opt to do it that you enjoy it as well.
Firstly, whichever IP you select to do will involve work. There is no IP that is 'easy' or easier than the others, and just because one may involve design, another performing and another writing doesn't mean that they are any easier than the other. BUT to make life easier for yourself, pick something that plays to your abilities. For me, although I do really like performing, I find that I can get really stressed around the time of an examined performance and so do not perform to the best of my ability. Not being a person who is able to draw or design anything, the design option was out for me too. I don't mind writing reports/essays, so the ARP looked pretty good for me. I toyed a lot between the ARP and Theatre Criticism before deciding on the ARP.
Here are some things about the ARP off the top of my head:
1. Make sure you pick to research a topic that is related to drama
2. Read previous years major works - get a hold of the exemplar answers package thing from your teachers. Most schools purchase them, so USE IT, it's good to see what past years received good marks etc.
3. Research, read, write etc. into your selected topic. I started off with a vague sort of hypothesis, but when I found that I could write better and enjoy the process more by changing the hypothesis to something else that related to my research, I allowed it to change. Be flexible.
4. LOGBOOK. It's super useful to stick in anything you read and just annotate where you got it from - particularly for the bibliography.
5. Try to get a primary source
According to my drama teachers, ARPs with primary sources that relate well to the research etc. are extremely impressive because it mainly shows that you've gone beyond reading what other people may have said on your topic to find your own research.
That's it for now! Just make sure that whatever you do, you know you'll enjoy writing about.