CLM Concepts-Principles-Practice Drama Prof.-Unlayao

COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE TAYABAS
LEARNING MODULE
Concepts, Principles and

Practice of Creative
Expressions: Drama
(ED 215)
Prepared by:
Prof. JOHN HERSON T. UNLAYAO

Chapter 1
DRAMA AND THEATRE
STARTING POINTS
In this short, introductory chapter, you are going to explore the meaning and interpretations
of the terms 'drama' and 'theatre'.
You will learn how to:

• question drama's role and purpose.
• distinguish between different ideas about what drama and theatre are for
• reflect on your own motivations and interests in relation to drama study.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The tasks and activities in this chapter are generally reflective and ask you to consider and
weigh up important ideas about drama and theatre.
You will:
• write about people's motivations for taking part in, or watching drama performances
• compare the dramatic ideas of two key figures: Brecht and Aristotle
• discuss the skills and roles required in different types of theatre
• set out what you hope for and expect from studying Cambridge IGCSE Drama in
the form of a first 'reflective log entry
• reflect on the skills you currently possess, and consider particular areas of interest
you would like to pursue.
1.1 What is drama?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore the meaning of the word drama
Ø Learn about different views on what drama is for
SPOTLIGHT ON: What is the purpose of drama?

STARTING POINT
When was the last time you were fascinated by something from real life? Perhaps it was friends
sharing a secret or watching a funny video on social media. Perhaps you saw a news clip that
made you feel sad or angry: In all of these cases we might say that something happened a story
took place, even if it was a very short and trivial one.
The British theatre director Peter Brook said:

“I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space
whilist someone is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be
engaged” - Peter Brook, from The Empty Snar
Is this true? This seems a very long way from the bright lights of Broadway, crowds of singers
on the Sydney Opera House stage or the elaborate rituals of Japanese theatre. But think about
it. Imagine you are the person watching the scene described by Peter Brook.
1. What questions are raised in your mind as the man enters?
EXPLORING THE SKILLS

Drama happens when an audience engages with performers and meaning is communicated.
A connection occurs between stage and seats.
Of course, an audience might feel cheated by one person and an empty space. Nowadays, we
have certain expectations of drama. Which leads us to ask - what is drama for?
2. Why do people write, direct, produce or perform in plays?

What is so appealing about it?
Write a paragraph explaining your thoughts on this.
3. Why do people watch plays, usually (though not always) paying for the privilege?
Write a further paragraph explaining your thoughts.
DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

Many people have expressed their views on the function of drama. But where does the word
'drama' even come from? In fact, it is from Classical Greek Späua (drama) and means 'action'
The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE), one of the first people
to write about dramatic tragedy, said:
"A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude,
complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language; in a dramatic rather than
narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a
catharsis of these emotions.
KEY TERMS
catharsis: a build-up of intense emotion that is released in the audience.
The 20th-century German writer and director, Bertolt Brecht, had a different view. He
believed that if audiences were too swept up in the emotion of what they saw - if they thought
it was real - then they could not learn from the drama. Therefore, actors should make it clear
that what the audience were watching was a play - a made-up thing. He called this the
alienation effect, which he believed helped audiences to make critical judgements so they
would speak out about injustice.
KEY TERMS
alienation: a distancing effect in which audiences are made aware that what they are
watching is not real life
4. What does the word action tell us about what is special about drama (compared to, say, a
written poem or novel)?
5. What do you think Aristotle meant by saying drama should be an imitation?
6. What did he think powerful tragedies could do? Did he mean they could be helpful for
audiences? If so, how?
7. What do you think Brecht thought about Aristotle's view of drama and theatre? Why?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

Both Brecht and Aristotle thought of drama as being very important, albeit for different
reasons. They believed it had a social, political and educational function. Perhaps you do not
think of it like this. Perhaps for you it is about gaining confidence - or simply having fun.
What do you hope to get from studying for the
Cambridge IGCSE Drama course (apart from a
qualification)?
Write 75-100 words identifying your hopes and
expectations.
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SOUND PROGRESS
• I understand that there are different views on what the purpose of drama is.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can outline my own views and explain whether I agree with Brecht or Aristotle.
1.2 What is theatre?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Identify different interpretations of the meaning of theatre
Ø Consider your own skills and interests in relation to drama
SPOTLIGHT ON: How did theatre start and what does it mean today?
STARTING POINT
In Unit 1.1, you learned about the roots of the word drama and two different viewpoints
about its function and purpose. But what about theatre? On the one hand, you probably
think about a building in which drama takes place. On the other, theatre can mean all the
activities associated with drama - audiences, ticket sales, star performers, performing arts
schools, and so on.
But where did the idea of a theatre as an acting space come from?
Like the word drama, theatre comes from Ancient Greek Aéotpov (théatron), literally 'a place
for viewing. Look at this impression of one of the earliest viewing places in Ancient Greece:
Orchestra
Skene
Théatron
1. What do you notice about some of the words used to describe parts of the theatrical space?
2. How has the use of these words changed today (or what similar words do we use)?

Today, theatres share many similarities with those of the Greeks. We still have rising rows of
seats, often in a semicircle, and there is an acting area or space, which may or may not be
raised. Many theatres now rely on electrical lighting, pre-recorded sound and a wide range of
people to manage and put on a performance, whether this is indoors or outside.
Here are some of those people:
• director
• lighting designer
• costume designer
• sound designer
• set designer.
3. What skills do you think are needed for each of these roles? Are they different skills from
those of an actor?
4. Can you think of any other jobs in the theatre that haven't been mentioned here (such as
make-up artist)?
KEY TERMS
make-up: the artificial colors and shading added to the face to enhance the actor's
appearance on stage

You will explore the wide range of acting and theatrical spaces later in the book, but think for
a moment about any theatres you have seen, visited or know about.
5. Choose one of these theatres and write about what it is like:
• Is it an indoor or outdoor space?
• How many people does it seat?
• How and where do the audience sit (if at all)?
• What sorts of play or performance does it show?
• Perhaps there are no theatres: if so, where does any performance or drama take
place?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

Think again about yourself and why you want to study for the Cambridge IGCSE Drama
qualification.
What particular skills or interests do you have

that you can make use of in your IGCSE Drama
course? Perhaps acting is your real love, or maybe
you are equally interested in other aspects, such
as costume or set design? Write 75-100 words
identifying those skills and explaining your
thoughts.
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SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify the skills and interests I already have.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can identify the skills and interests I have and can relate these to the Cambridge IGCSE
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
ü Use these statements as a way of evaluating your progress throughout this chapter.
SOUND PROGRESS /
• I understand that there are different views on what the purpose of drama is.
• I can identify the skills and interests I already have.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS /
• I can outline my own views and explain whether I agree with Brecht or Aristotle.
• l can identify the skills and interests I have and can relate these to the Cambridge
IGCSE Drama course.
Chapter 2
DEVELOPING ACTING SKILLS
STARTING POINTS
In this chapter, you are going to develop a range of fundamental acting skills that you will
apply throughout your Cambridge IGCSE Drama course.

• develop a convincing role
• use physical acting techniques
• use our voice to create effect and character
• develop dialogue skills when working with others
• use space and levels in your acting.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The activities you complete will primarily relate to practical work, but you will also be
exploring scripts and other sources as part of the process.
You will:
• improvise short pieces based on detailed development of a particular character or
individual
• devise challenging physical work with a group work arising from a source text
• prepare a speech from Shakespeare and demonstrate vocal techniques in performing
it
• prepare and perform a short dialogue from a modern play
• devise a detailed group work called' The Interrogation' using space and levels for
effect
• answer a range of shorter and longer questions on scripts, processes and performance
• keep a reflective log in which you record what you have done and reflect on, or
evaluate, key aspects of your work.
2.1 Developing a convincing role
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Identify and explore different techniques for developing character or role
Ø Apply these techniques to a short, devised task
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I perform consistently and confidently in my chosen role?
STARTING POINT
Many actors talk about getting 'under the skin' of a character or role, in order to have
empathy for the character they are playing, whether a murderer, a madman or a
maidservant. But how do you actually do this?
KEY TERMS
empathy: the ability to see things from someone else's perspective
Read this extract from an article in which the actor Iris Elba talks about playing the role of
Nelson Mandela.
Elba says he constructed 'the feeling' of Mandela from footage from both before and after
prison. 'I would literally watch with the sound off,' he says. And he took tips on how older
men move from his late father. a shop steward at Ford Dagenham'. 'Watching my old man
was part of how I made the transition from a young Mandela to an old Mandela. It was
about my dad.' But above all Elba says he values the night he spent in a cell in Robben Island?
(admittedly with an iPad and mobile phone). Mandela's cell was so small that when he lay
down on his straw mat he could feel the wall with his feet and his head grazed the concrete
on the other side. "I wanted to understand what it was like to have your freedom taken
away,' Elba says. 'I can't compare my one night, obviously, but your sense of appreciation
for things is heightened beyond belief.'
Sally Williams, from 'The making of Mandela: Long walk to freedom
The Daily Telegraph, 7 December 2013
1. What two key methods did Elba use to prepare for playing Mandela?
2. Which of these enabled him to be empathetic (up to a point)? How?

One technique actors sometimes use is called The System, based on the teachings of
Stanislavski. Actors aim to understand the psychological motives or desires of a character by
linking them to their own experiences or emotions. For example, an actor playing a character
who suffers a terrible disappointment may try to think of a time when they were
disappointed in their own life. They would ask themselves:
• Can I remember the moment? How did I feel? What was I doing?
• What physical effect did it have on me? Did I lose my appetite? Not sleep well? Get
irritated with my friends?
KEY TERMS
The System: acting technique based on the theories of Konstantin Stanislavski (1863-
1938), whereby actors create in themselves the same feelings as the characters
they play.
Imagine you have been asked to play a character who has just been offered a dream job and
returns home to tell their parents. However, the job is on the other side of the world, and
their parents are not happy.
3. How would you act this? Identify a time when you were really happy about something you
achieved. Imagine the moment and the physical feelings. What was your body language
like? How did you speak when you told people?
Now, think of a moment when someone told you off, or was cross with vou. How did it feel?
What effect did it have on your movements and facial expression?
KEY TERMS
body language: the ways your body indicates your feelings in posture, gesture, facial
expressions
4. Working with a friend, take it in turns to play both roles in this short dialogue. Try to
actually feel the happiness and disappointment as you perform the lines.
KEY TERMS
dialogue: speech between two or more characters
Son/daughter: So, what do you think? They chose ME out of all those applicants!
I can't wait to start life in New York!
Parent says nothing at first. Just crosses his/her arms and turns away.
Son/daughter: Well?
Parent: (turning round) You think I'm pleased? Abandoning us to go to the
other side of the world. You're so selfish.
Son/daughter: Oh... I thought.. that you'd be happy for me.
Parent: Well, I'm not.
Leaves room.
Write brief notes about the short dialogue and
preparation. How easy did you find it to recall
past feelings? Did it help you in your acting?
Why/why not? What do you think of' The System'
as a technique?
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There are many other ways of developing a convincing role. Some actors build up a file or box
of objects, pictures and music that could be connected to their character - for example, a photo
of a sentimental place; an item of clothing; a childhood toy; a pair of glasses; a pebble. This
could be done as a collage - all taken from photos or pictures from magazines.
5. What items would you collect or list if you were playing:
• a lonely millionaire
• a downtrodden servant
• a corrupt detective?
Another key way of developing a role is through hot-seating. This often takes the form of a
sort of interrogation or interview, with you - and other characters or roles played by classmates
- sitting on a chair and stool. You ask or answer questions related to the character in the hot-
seat.
KEY TERMS
hot-seating: taking on a role and stepping outside the drama to answer questions about
motives and behavior
Often it works best if you (and your questioners) have had a chance to prepare in advance.
For example, think about these questions:
• Why did I/you do that or behave in that way?
• How did I/you feel when... (something happened in the drama)?
• What would I/you do if..?
• What do 1/you think about.. .. (person/situation/idea)?
6. Go back to the dialogue about the job in the Exploring the skills section. Prepare three
questions to ask the son/daughter and three questions to ask the parent.
7. Then, working as a class or small group, nominate a person to play each role and ask them
your questions (plus any others you can think of).
Preparing in this way can help you to 'center’ yourself. This is the skill of deep concentration,
of being in the moment' when you perform so that you really inhabit the skin of the person
you are playing.
Make brief notes about the hot-seating process.

How useful did you find it in terms of building a
strong sense of character?
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APPLYING THE SKILLS

Go back to the situation with the parent and child. Imagine that the son/daughter is at the
airport about to fly off to New York for their dream job. At the last moment, the parent turns
up. Why have they come? What are they going to say or do?
8. Work in pairs to think about what might be said, and how each character might behave.
9. Then, decide who will play the son/daughter and who the parent. Spend five minutes
thinking about how you feel, and how this will be shown in your speech and actions. Try to
bring to mind the thoughts your character might have (for example, memories of the
son/daughter as a young child, or as a happy parent after a good exam grade).
10. Now, run the scene. It should only last two to three minutes, but throughout it, try to
show empathy both physically and emotionally. Make sure your concentration doesn't lapse.
CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

ü Keep centered on your role and your inner emotions
ü Think about why you are feeling like this and the effect on your speech and actions
ü Draw on any of the other work or character information you developed through hot-
seating or other tasks
SOUND PROGRESS
• I understand my role/character and can match my behavior to it.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can sustain my role both physically and emotionally so that I feel I totally engaged with
the character.
2.2 Getting physical
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Learn about how to use movements and gesture to create effects
Ø Apply what you have learned to a short devised piece
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use my body and movement to make my acting
convincing?
STARTING POINT
Look at these two photos:
1. Describe what you see: what body positions and posture do the figures show? How are the
figures' hands and arms being used?
2. What emotions or feelings are conveyed? Try not to be influenced by clothing or colour -
focus on the body and positioning in each case.

Using your body to convey meaning and emotion, or to suggest ideas about character or
relationships, is a key skill. One way of practicing this skill is to use frozen tableaux, rather
like the images above. These are body statues you make to represent ideas or emotions.
KEY TERMS
frozen tableau: a living statue that is created to convey an idea, emotion or part of a story
3. Working with a partner, take turns to mold each other into a statue, as if you were clay.
First, try to recreate the two pictures above. Whoever is the statue must allow themselves to
be molded.
4. Now try out some new ideas. Create statues or frozen tableaux for these emotions or ideas:
Ø Victory
Ø shock
Ø Sleepy
Ø Memory
Physical drama involves much more than this, of course. In order to use your face and body
effectively, you need to break down physical elements into different areas.
How you stand or sit (posture), for example:

• upright/straight-backed, or rounded-shouldered, stooped, crouched, relaxed
• open (revealing your body) or closed (covering parts of your body).
How you move around the stage/acting space, for example:

• pace and rhythm - the speed at which you walk, or enter/exit a scene
• proximity to others - when and why you might move closer towards or further away
from someone or something
• profile and position - whether moving or still; what you show to the audience (side
view of yourself, back turned, facing).
How you look facially, for example:

• mouth and eves - smiling, narrow, wide-open
• tics or gestures - blinking, twitching, stretching or swivelling.
How you use gestures (any movement of the actor's head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg or foot to
convey meaning), for example:
• particular gestures typical to a character or role (checking a watch or phone, tapping
a foot restlessly)
• gestures to convey relationships (pointing to someone, gently touching their arm).
5. Working with a partner, act out each of these simple situations

without speaking.
• Two neighbors, one angry, the other nonchalant, arguing over a broken window.
• A teacher telling off a bored student.
• A photographer trying to get a photo of a celebrity (who doesn't want to be
photographed).
Look through the list above and identify ways in which you could convey feelings/emotions
for each one. You are not creating statues this time, so you are allowed to move.

In general, it is a good idea to make your gestures and movements big and slow. Remember,
if you are on stage, the audience might be quite a long way away: It is about giving the audience
the chance to register what you are doing. You can always speed up later.
Read this opening to a famous novel:

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in
his bed into a gigantic insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were armour-plated, back and
when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched
segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide
off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk,
waved helplessly before his eyes. What has happened to me? he thought. It was no dream.
Franz Kafka, from The Metamorphosis
6. What has happened to Gregor? How do you think he feels?

The Metamorphosis has been made into a play on numerous occasions, but most productions
do not try to turn the actor into a real insect. Instead, they rely on his movements to convey
what it is like to be transformed in this way.
7. How would you convey this to an audience? There are some clues in the text you can use to
help you. Try miming the opening to the story, using body position, facial expression and
gesture to convey the feelings of helplessness and shock.
Share your mime with a partner or a small group
and then think about what you did and saw.
Which mimes were particularly effective? Why?
How did you feel doing yours? Identify the
particular challenges, and how you overcame
them.
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A common fault amongst amateur actors is that they cannot keep their feet in the same place
and they tend to shift about restlessly when they need to be still, either when the focus is on
others or when they need to express their own power or personality.
8. Try these two exercises:
a) Decide on a single spot in the room; walk up to it not too slowly, but not too quickly.
When you get there, turn and face the centre of the room/space and take up a still pose
with your feet planted in one place. Fold vour arms and hold the pose for five seconds.
b) Now walk up to someone else in the room. Stop and point out a place on the other
side of the room. Concentrate on pointing and keeping your eyes fixed on the spot. Hold
for five seconds.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

9. Working in a group of four, you are going to devise a short piece around the opening to The
Metamorphosis. It will begin with an ordinary morning in the Samsa house. Mother, father
and Gregor's sister should come into the kitchen one by one, establishing who they are through
their actions and gestures. Then, Mother will leave to go and wake Gregor. She will go into the
bedroom to find Gregor transformed. The others will then rush in.
The devised piece will end with a frozen tableau of the family gathered around Gregor. There
must be no speech.

ü Discuss, as a group, how each of you will establish who you are
ü Make sure you use 'stillness' to isolate the rest of the group when Gregor wakes to
discover he is an insect (do not carry on acting/moving)
ü Use the list of gesture/movement skills to create relationships and meaning: who is
in charge? Mother or Father? How will this be shown?
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can use gesture and movement to create simple and effective characters or ideas.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can apply what I have learned about gesture and movement confidently to create
convincing characters and establish relationships with other actors.
2.3 Using your voice
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore different types of voice and vocal effects
Ø Learn how to use voice and vocal sounds to communicate ideas and feelings
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use my voice effectively in my own acting?

STARTING POINT
1. Read out this set of short sentences. If you can, learn it by heart so you can say it naturally.
A: I've got some news. It's important. Are you listening?
2. After you have performed it once, think about the story it conveyed. Did you make some
unconscious decisions about A and how he/she spoke? Is the news good or bad? Is the non-
speaking character interested?
The words might seem to suggest the news is serious enough for A to want attention, but in
fact there are many ways the words might have been spoken.

It is important to consider the impact you can have by adjusting your voice. For example,
think about:
Pace and tempo The speed at which you speak and respond
Inflection How your tone or pitch changes according to particular words
(for example, Really?" could
be bored, interested, sleepy, etc.)
Modulation The volume or intensity of how you speak
Stress The emphasis you place on particular syllables, words or phrases
(I've got some
news...' as in 'me' not anvone else)
Articulation The clarity of what you say
Punctuation Where you pause or remain silent
KEY TERMS:
pitch: how high or low your tone of voice is
syllable: a sound part, or collection of linked sounds in a word - for example, 'sunlight' has
two syllables: 'sun ‘and 'light'
3. Try the lines out again in two or three different ways making conscious decisions about
some or all of the aspects.
What impact on meaning does this have? Can it make the lines funny, for example? Or
tragic, sad or tense?
Vocal sounds can also add to the meaning. These include sighs, yawns, gasps, laughs, cries,
and so on. There are also the speech sounds most of us make - 'umms', 'errs', pursing of the
lips, 'tutting, clearing of the throat - as well as the effect of saying nothing, as indicated
above.
4. Speak the lines once or twice more. This time, as well as choosing deliberate vocal tones,
add at least one vocal sound such as a yawn and a speech effect such as umm'. How does
doing this affect the meaning or impact?
Write up some brief notes identifying how

adjusting your voice and using vocal sounds can
change the shape and meaning of a speech,
however short.
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To develop as an actor, you have to take a real interest in the color texture and richness (or
simplicity) of the words spoken.
5. Words make amazing sounds - say the words below out loud, one word at a time, making
sure you enunciate each syllable clearly and pausing before you move on to the next.
KEY TERMS
enunciate: speak a word and its parts clearly
infection chatter urchin tumbling
tongue firebrand bog sucks
hiss pitch up
6. Were you aware of how the words made you change the position of your tongue or mouth?
Were any words more difficult than others? Why?
It can be very useful to develop a vocabulary to
describe the sounds of words or lines when you
are directing a performance, or explaining
delivery. Choose four or five of the words above,
and use some of these adjectives (or ones of your
own) to describe them: light, heavy, sharp, soft,
clear, musical, clipped, flowing, rough, smooth,
short, long, deep, dry, round, coarse, harsh.
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A key aspect to bear in mind is the attack you give to words. Enunciating one word is relatively
easy, but in a longer speech, your breathing can mean you drop words, or parts of them. It is
easy to attack a word such as tongue' with the strong initial consonant 't', but it is more difficult
with a word such as 'infection' where the stress falls on the second syllable 'fec.
KEY TERMS
consonant: non-vowel letters (every letter in the English alphabet except a, e, i, o, and u)
7. Try speaking aloud the list of words from Task 5 one after the other without pausing too
much. Can you keep up the attack, or do some words or sounds drop off?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

In a moment you are going to read from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Caliban is
a wild creature who lives on an island and is controlled by a man with magical powers called
Prospero. Caliban resents Prospero's treatment of him as a slave, but fears him too.
8. Read the speech and, applying what you have learned, make notes or annotate it deciding
what words or sounds you might stress, where you might pause, any vocal tones or sounds you
might introduce, and so on. You might also wish to consider how and where you could use
gesture (see Unit 2.2).
Bear in mind that some of the words are onomatopoeic, such as "curse, 'hiss' and 'chatter
KEY TERMS
onomatopoeic: where the sound of the word reflects its meaning, like 'chatter'
You should try to use adjectives like the ones in the reflective log task For example: (at the
top of this page) to explain how words or sounds might be said.
All' the infections that the sun sucks up…
' Long, drawn out - stress how much he hates Prospero.
‘Spit out the 'f' in 'infections' to make a harsh sound.
Caliban
All the infections that the sun sucks up
From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and
make him
By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me
And yet I needs must curse. But they'll nor
pinch,
Fright me with urchin-shows' pitch me i' the
mire?
Nor lead me, like a firebrand, in the dark
Out of my way, unless he bid 'em; but
For every trifle are they set upon me;
Sometime like apes that mow and chatter at me
And after bite me, then like hedgehogs which
Lie tumbling in my barefoot way and mount
Their pricks at my footfall; sometime am I
All wound with adders' who with cloven tonques
Do hiss me into madness.
William Shakespeare, from The Tempest

*urchin-shows: visions of goblins or similar nasty creatures
*mire: mud
*adder: a poisonous snake, also known as a viper
9. Now try performing the extract. It will help if you can learn it by heart.

ü Use the sounds and pauses in the speech to aid meaning
ü Make sure you maintain 'attack' and enunciation
ü Use gesture, pause/punctuation and vocal sounds to aid your performance
ü Convey the character and emotions of Caliban that arise from the language
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can speak clearly, adapting sounds to create different meanings for words or phrases.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can speak clearly, adapting my voice and vocal tones in a wide range of ways to convey
character and create impact.
2.4 Developing dialogue
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore how dialogue contributes to characterization
Ø Learn how to develop a role and relationship through dialogue
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I work effectively with another actor to create meaning
through dialogue?
STARTING POINT
Have you ever thought about the importance we place on conversations?
The way he Did you hear I was

spoke to me was what Alesha said speechless... how
outrageous! about Kelly? dare she?
They were whispering away,

but I couldn't work out who
they were talking about.
1. Think about a recent conversation you have had (or witnessed), either in school or at
home, that has stuck in your mind. Now imagine it as a performance on stage.
• Who were the main players?
• How were they standing? Close to each other? Across the room?
• How did they speak?
• What gestures or movements did they make?

All the factors that make an impression on us in real-lite conversations are also true when
they are acted - except that as an actor, you can plan or choose very consciously how you
speak and how you behave. Read this short dialogue
Enter Jem
Jem: Oh, it's you.
Caz: Yes.
Jem: I didn't expect to see you here.
Caz: Really?
Jem: Are you planning on staying?
Caz: I don't know yet.
Jem: Are you OK?
Caz: I'm fine, thanks.
2. Now read the extract above aloud with a partner. Don't try to act it for a moment - just let
the words speak for themselves.
• What story or situation is hinted at here?
• What impression do you get of the relationship from what is said?
• Is one person more in control of the situation than the other?
When you are reading a dialogue in a script, you might look for clues to help you with
characterization - how you could interpret the role of a particular character. Take Jem. He
says more, so that ought to give us more insight into his feelings. For example:
Jem: Oh, it's you.

‘Oh’ - does this suggest surprise?
Caz: Yes. ‘you’ - he knows Caz.
KEY TERMS
characterization: how a role is brought to life through speech, movement and interaction
with others
Jem's words raise interesting questions that aren't answered here.

• Is he surprised in a good way? Or is he disappointed?
• Did he expect someone else?
• Why is he here? Why has he come in? Is he looking for someone? Escaping?
The more you look at the dialogue, the more open to interpretation it becomes.
3. Now you try it. For this first attempt, just focus on the way of speaking. Think about what
you learned in Unit 2.3 about vocal inflection and pace. With a partner, choose who will play
Jem and who Caz (you can swap roles for each version).
• Version A: Jem is pleasantly surprised to see Caz; Caz is happy to see Jem.
• Version B: Jem is pleasantly surprised to see Caz; Caz is not so pleased
• Version C: Jem is embarrassed to see Caz; Caz is also embarrassed.
• Version D: Jem is embarrassed to see Caz; Caz is pleased to see Jem.
When you have finished your four versions, write
brief notes about each one, explaining:
• how you changed your voice in each
• which you found most difficult to do (try to say
why).
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Dialogue is all about interaction. This means that it is vital you discuss with your fellow
performers how you will play a scene such as this. It is not just about your own role, but about
how what you say and do impacts on others. For example, in the Jem/Caz scene, you might
agree as performers to break in'or overlap lines, so that Caz's responses sound snappy and
impatient.
Now, let's look at the physical movement around the dialogue. Try to quickly learn the lines
first.
4. Rehearse the scene using some or all of these movements or gestures:
§ Placing a hand on the shoulder
§ Reaching out, but not touching
§ Turning your back
§ Coming very close to the other performer and getting in their personal space
§ Sitting down
§ Standing up
§ Placing your hand outstretched, palm towards the other performer as if to say don't
come any closer!
§ Using a particular mannerism, such as a twitching eye or laughing nervously
KEY TERMS
mannerism: a regular or repeated way of speaking or moving
• Try out several versions, but don't overload the scene with movements. Less is more in
this regard.
• Use the technique of marking the moment. One way of doing this is to freeze the scene
at a particular line, and explore the effect or relationships at that precise moment.
Who is doing what? Where are they looking? How could we adjust this?
• Once you have rehearsed a few times, choose one version and show it to the rest of the
class or group.
• What impression was given of the relationship between Caz and Jem? Did everyone
present them in a similar way, or were there any surprising differences?
Write about one or two of the performances you

watch.
• Can you identify any particular performances
that stood out or interpreted the scene differently
from the rest?
• What particular gestures or movements were
used? How did these affect how you saw the
relationship?
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APPLYING THE SKILLS

Being able to explore written dialogue, or dialogue in devised work, in a range of ways will
help you see the nuances of character that make performance interesting.
KEY TERMS
nuance: subtle shade of meaning
Read this extract from the opening to the play Sparkleshark by Philip Ridlev. Polly has gone
to the rooftop of her block of flats to fix the satellite dish for her TV. There she discovers
Jake, who is writing. Polly starts reading his words.
Jake: Is it really magical?
Polly: What?
Jake: My writing.
Polly: Bits.
Pause
Jake: I...I was wondering whose dish that was.

Pause
I'm Jake.
Polly: I know.
Jake: How?
Polly: Oh, please - Your eyes! Use them!
Indicates her school uniform.
Jake: You go to my school!
Polly: Started last week.
Philip Ridley, from Sparkleshark
5. Make some quick notes about the two characters and their relationship, based on this
dialogue. Who is 'in control' or seems to have more power? Why?
Write three or four key ways this might be shown in the interaction and way of speaking.
6. Working with a partner, develop and perform this short scene.

ü Use the clues, if any, in the script as it stands
ü Think about vocal tones and pace, as well as how quickly or slowly each character
responds
ü Consider gestures and movements to convey power and emotional state
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can shape and alter the way a dialogue is performed to give a strong sense of character.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can interpret a dialogue in a range of interesting ways, applying what I know about vocal
and physical skills to create meaning.
2.5 Using space and levels
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore how groups of actors can interact on stage effectively and imaginatively
Ø Learn how to use space and levels to create meaning and impact
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use space and levels effectively when I am acting?
STARTING POINT
Exploring how you use space - proxemics - in drama, is fundamental to understanding what
happens on stage. Think back to the work you did on the Caz/Jem exercise in Unit 2.4.
Whether accidentally, or deliberately, you probably used the space between you and your
partner to tell the audience something about the emotions or relationship.
KEY TERMS
proxemics: the study of the amount of space between people and how it is used: in drama,
this can be between members of the cast, or between the cast and the audience
Look at this famous painting. It is called And when did you last see your father? by William
Frederick Yeames and represents a moment during the English Civil War in the 17th century.
1. Discuss briefly, with a partner, what you notice about:

§ the position of each person in the frame (are they at the side, background or
foreground?)
§ the level of each person (whether sitting, standing, higher, lower)
§ the space around and between some people and others (and what things, if any, are
between them)
§ where people are looking (direction and focus): who isn't looking at the boy?

Identifying how the characters are framed in the painting, and their exact position in relation
to each other, is fundamental to our reading of the painting. There is intense focus on the boy,
but the large desk between the boy and his interrogator, and the way he is standing on the
footstool, emphasizes how young he is and adds to our feelings of sympathy.
2. Look at this diagram, which is part of proxemics theory.

Working with a partner, try out the phrase, How are you feeling?' standing in the three
positions shown in the diagram: in each case, the person asking the question moves nearer
and nearer.
Then, discuss with each other how you felt (both as the questioner and the person who stays
still) in each position.
3. Now, working in a group of four or five, create a tableau (sometimes called a freeze frame'
- like a still image from a film) for a group scene called The Interrogation'
At least one member of your group must be the person being interrogated, but who might the
others be? How might they stand or sit - and where? How (if at all) will you use the intimate,
personal or social spaces?
4. Share your tableau with the rest of the class, and look at their tableaux.
How has each group used the space? What can it tell us about the relationships? (Who is in
charge, for example?)
5. Now, in your group try similar tableaux for each of the ideas below.
Take it in turns within your group to be the photographer or director, sculpting the rest of
the group into position. In each case, work out how you can use space and the direction
people are looking in to create specific focus.
Title 1: Red carpet movie premiere
Title 2: Exam results day
Title 3: The break-up
Write some brief notes identifying what you have

learned about space and its effect on meaning.
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Different levels can be created in lots of ways within the acting space. For example:
• through characters lying down, sitting, or standing
• through physical stage features such as rostra and other parts of the set (ladders,
ropes, balconies, trap-doors).
KEY TERMS
rostrum (pl. rostra): a platform or raised area of the stage
Such levels can be used in a variety of ways, for example:

• by the actors to convey status, power, or something or someone unattainable
• by the director to allow the audience to see individual characters or to draw attention
to particular ones
• by the stage designer to signify different locations or times
• and, more simply, to add interest to a stage set.
6. Think again about your tableaux (Red carpet movie premiere: Exam results day; The break-
up). Did you use levels in any way? What could you have added?
Now read this short extract from a play called Sand Burial. Children on an island have
discovered the remains of an old Viking ship. Sigurd, a ghost from the past, has come to collect
the final piece - the steering board.
Raheem and Selima are standing by the rocks when the figure emerges.
Raheem: Sigurd! You came back.
Sigurd says nothing, but stops a few paces from them both.
Sigurd: You spoke of our secret.

Raheem looks uneasy.
Selima: He didn't have a choice.

Raheem: I was trying to protect the steer board, the final piece of the ship.
Sigurd: (angry) I am the guardian. If I do not retrieve it, I will be condemned
to ..... (pause, then more softly) I shall not speak of such things.
Selima: What things?
Sigurd: You think me a big man? A brave man?
Raheem: Yes - you are!
Sigurd looks at the skies. And then around him.
Selima: What is the matter, Sigurd?

Sigurd: They are watching us. Perhaps you are safe. But they will destroy it
7. In a group of three or four, discuss how you might use levels to:
• draw attention to Sigurd as the main focus of the scene (how would it change the scene
if he entered from above or behind Raheem? Or if Raheem were watching Sigurd from
on high as he entered the scene?)
• draw attention to a character's actions or emotions (for example, will Sigurd remain
standing?)
8. Now, try the scene out (if you are a group of four, one can be the director). If you have access
to rostra or other physical levels, use them if you wish. Attempt to be creative and different -
it is worth trying out the unusual to see if it will work.
Write two paragraphs about how your group

used levels in this short extract. What effect did
it have on the way the characters were seen?
Did it add any new dimension or drama to the
extract?
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APPLYING THE SKILLS
9. Now, think again about the title, The Interrogation'. In the same group, or a slightly larger
one if it helps, develop a short devised scene on the title. It should last no more than two to
three minutes and should involve a prisoner being brought in. In your group, think carefully
about how you could use levels and space to tell the story.
For example:
• Does the interrogator have to remain in control? Are there figures of higher authority
in the room?
• What about the prisoner? What have they done - and might they turn the tables on
the interrogation team?
• Who are the others in the room? Are they guards, reporters – or what? You decide.
10. Rehearse and then show your scene to the rest of the class

ü Consider the proxemics related to personal, social and intimate space
ü Think about how different levels of height that characters can adopt can change
perceptions
ü Explore how platforms or simple stage levels can be used for a purpose
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify the ways in which space and levels can affect meaning in my drama work.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I understand how proxemics and use of levels contribute to drama in a variety of ways and I
can apply these to my own work.
2.6 Applying the skills
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore characterization in a script and the potential for performance
Ø Apply the skills you have learned about to a character or characters in a script
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I demonstrate my acting skills to their best effect?
STARTING POINT
1. What do you remember about the acting skills you have developed so far? With a partner,
take each areas in turn and discuss what you have what you have learned, explaining any key
terms or ideas you remember.
Use the image on the right as a memory aid to help you think about some of the key aspects
of acting.
You may recall reading a speech by Caliban in Unit 2.3, Using your voice'. Caliban is a
creature living on a magical island controlled by a powerful Duke. The Duke and his
daughter were marooned on the island many years earlier by the Duke's enemies. The Duke,
called Prospero, taught Caliban to speak, but Caliban tried to attack his daughter, so
Prospero now treats him like a slave.
2. With a partner, take up the exact position shown in the image above. Then bring the scene
to life by improvising the conversation between Prospero and Caliban. Use your own words
but include as many of these actual lines from the play as you can. Run it for a minute or two.
'Thou poisonous slave'
'A south-west blow on ye and blister you all o'er!'
'Tonight thou shalt have cramps'
'This island's mine'
"I have used thee... with human care
I loved thee..
'Thou most lying slave'
"Vile race
How easy was it for you to draw on the skills you
have learned so far? Will you be able to apply this
knowledge to written scripts?
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The work you do on developing your own acting skills will feed into the work you do on the
pre-release play script. This book deals with pre-release material in more detail in Chapter 6,
'Extended scripts' but it is good practice to work with a given script as a starting point, both
for examination work and for your devised and script-based coursework.
Before you can apply acting skills to a scripted piece, whether as performer or as reader, you
need to understand the character and their relationships with others.
Read this information about Ira, a character from a play called Red Velvet by Lolita
Chakrabarti.
Ira is a black American actor in London in the 1830s. He has just started playing the part of
'Othello', a North African soldier, in a tragedy by Shakespeare, but it is highly unusual for a
black actor to get a leading role at this time. If he is successful, he believes he and his wife,
Margaret, will be able to settle down. This scene takes place just after a performance - his
wife has come to his dressing room.
Now read this extract from the play:
He looks at her with affection and need.

Margaret: I thought... you were very powerful... you stood out enormously. You played...
more, erm... more fury than I've seen you play before…
Ira: When?
Margaret: Er... well... it was erm... let me see... towards the end... Act Four…
Ira: It's accumulative. They have to feel the pain of his breakdown.
Margaret: Yes.
Ira: To touch the gallery you have to generate more emotion than sometimes feels
possible.
Margaret: I thought you pitched it ever so well.. I was devastated by the end. The silence
in the theatre was so absolute I didn't dare move. And when everyone stood
up - well... I was crying for Othello and.…. and with pride.
He looks at her and smiles. They embrace.
Margaret: I can't believe we're here. After all these years. It's like a dream.
Ira: A few weeks and we'll be able to rent a proper home. A small house perhaps.
Margaret: Goodness!
Ira: And then we can save to buy.
Margaret: Can you imagine?
Ira: What color shall we paint the front door?
Margaret: Green? No, blue.
Ira: We'll look back and tell our children, that we..
Margaret: Ira…
Ira: No, we absolutely will... This is the start of a whole new chapter... It's been
hard I know. Touring isn't good for family life.
Margaret: Please don't.
Ira: If we settle, it'll happen. You need stability.
Margaret: I have stability.
Ira: I mean a place to really call home. I see how it is, Mags. I'm not blind. Every
first night, every public engagement.. But you, you hold your head high and
sail past, like a swan. For every mean-spirited remark. For all the damp, cheap
lodgings.
Every small, peeling theatre. Every mile you've endured on the road, every
penny you've carried to the bank. Every moment of self-doubt you've heard or
had. The reason we're here... and I want you to know that I know... I wouldn't
be here without you.
Margaret: I don't need to...
Ira: You do.
Margaret: A house? Can you imagine?
Ira: You can stay at home.
Margaret: I can buy furniture.
Ira: You can.
Margaret: Paint the nursery.
Ira: The most important room.
Margaret: It's lovely.
A knock at the door.
Lolita Chakrabarti, from Red Velvet
3. In order to try to understand the characters and their relationship, answer these initial
questions.
a) Do Ira and Margaret have any children? How do you know?
b) How would you describe the relationship between Ira and his wife based on this
extract? What particular lines or phrases suggest this?
c) How would you describe the mood of each of them in this conversation? Does their
mood and attitude remain the same throughout?
4. If you were performing the role of either Ira or Margaret, how would you use the script to
prepare? Go back to the acting skills you have learned about. For example, can you see
opportunities for Ira to move or change position as he speaks?

Clearly, there is a difference in outcomes between acting out a script and writing about how
it should be acted, but the skills you need are very similar. In order to explore the acting
possibilities, you need to get inside the tone and mood of the piece. For example, look at how
one student has annotated the opening lines of a first copy of the script:
sense of wonder - it's not quite real. Does she look around the
dressing room?
she might pause here, taking it all

in?
I can't believe we're here. After all these years. /
It's like a dream….
the sense of the unreal continues - perhaps she

shakes
5. Now do the same for the rest on your own copy, or make notes alongside line numbers.
• Add questions about lines you're not sure of and want to explore further.
• Underline key phrases or lines that need stressing or special treatment.
• Put a forward slash in the script where there might be a pause.
• Add any simple stage directions in note form (for example, ‘Moves away’ or ‘Holds
her hand’).
Writing concisely about how an actor would play a particular part is quite challenging. Here
a student writes about how the role of Margaret might be played, up to Ira's speech.
I imagine that Margaret is somewhat quieter than her husband, and she is in his domain
after all, so perhaps at the start she stands by the door, at the back or side of the stage,
slightly cowed, while he takes off his make-up. Her first words should be genuine. but she
sounds hesitant, as if she's can't quite explain how his acting made her feel. Her lack of
confidence is shown by her erm' - as if she is in awe of him. I think she'd be standing still,
perhaps nervously fiddling with a hat, or something, while he is big and bold, very
animated in his movements.
6. Can you identify where the student has:

• commented on posture and position
• explored voice and tone
• suggested a movement and a gesture?
Write a paragraph or two in answer to this

question in your log:
As an actor playing the role of Ira, how would you
deliver the speech starting 'I mean a place to
really call home.!?
Use the model answer above to help you.
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You are now going to prepare and perform the script in pairs (or in threes if you wish to use
another student as a director).
It is helpful to begin the process by discussing your views about the scene with your acting
partner, and agreeing some basic things about the script. For example, here are two students
discussing the scene:
A: I think that Ira is tired - he's just come off stage, but he's exhilarated by his
performance.
B: Yes, but he's even more excited about what the opportunities are - how to improve
their lives....
A: What about her? She seems less convinced…
B: … at first.
Does this make sense to you? Or would you interpret it differently?
7. Now discuss the script. Decide who will play Ira and who Margaret. Once you have agreed
some initial ideas (even if they change as you go on), you can begin to rehearse the scene. For
the time being, keep the script to hand and scribble down any notes for example, about
where to stand, or when to move or pause.
8. Learn the lines and perform the scene.
Write a full and detailed account of the process of

rehearsing the extract, including the decisions
you made about acting and why you made them.
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ü Use your understanding of the script from your initial reading to inform how you act
ü Draw on a range of movement, use of space and gesture skills to create meaning
ü Use your voice in a way that reflects your character and also creates impact on stage
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can make decisions about how a part is played and put those decisions into action.
• I can apply some of the acting skills I have learned.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can interpret a script in a range of ways, and then develop ways of acting a role that
arise out of my understanding of character and relationships.
• I can choose from, and apply, a wide variety of acting skills.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Use these statements as a way of evaluating your progress throughout this chapter.
SOUND PROGRESS
o I understand my role/character and can match my behavior to it.
o l can use gesture and movement to create simple and effective characters or ideas.
o I can speak clearly, adapting sounds to create different meanings for words or
phrases.
o I can shape and alter the way a dialogue is performed to give a strong sense of
character.
o I can identify the way in which space and levels can affect meaning in my drama
work.
o I can make decisions about how a part is played and put those decisions into action.
o I can apply some of the acting skills I have learned.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
o l can sustain my role both physically and emotionally so that I feel I totally engaged
with the character.
o I can apply what I have learned about gesture and movement confidently to create
convincing characters and establish relationships with other actors.
o I can speak clearly, adapting my voice and vocal tones in a wide range of ways to
convey character and create impact.
o I can interpret a dialogue in a range of interesting ways, applying what I know about
vocal and physical skills to create meaning.
o I understand how proxemics and use of levels contribute to drama in a variety of
ways and I can apply these to my own work
o I can interpret a script in a range of ways, and then develop approaches to acting a
role that arise out of my understanding of character and relationships.
o l can choose from, and apply, a wide variety of acting skills.
Chapter 3
STAGING AND DESIGN
STARTING POINTS
In this chapter you are going to explore the various elements of staging and design, and learn
about how these can be applied to enhance dramatic pieces. You will also be provided with
key knowledge to help you write confidently about these elements and about the role of
designers.

• develop a directorial concept for your work
• use design elements to
• recognize the different uses of the stage and approaches to set design communicate
this concept
• use lighting, sound, costume, make-up and props to enhance your work.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The activities you complete will primarily relate to design elements, but you will also
consider dramatic meaning and communication with an audience.
You will:
• develop ideas for a concept for a well-known tale
• evaluate the best use of stage configuration for a particular scene
• work on designing scenes in terms of lighting, sound, costumes and props
• answer a range of short questions on design and meaning throughout the chapter.
3.1 What is design?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore the notion of communication, impact and symbolism within design
Ø Learn how design elements can link together to enhance a director's concept
SPOTLIGHT ON: How does design communicate to an audience?
STARTING POINT
In your devising and scripted work, as well as the exploration of an extended extract, you will
need to consider the role of a designer and how you would use design elements to contribute
to the meaning and intention of your work.
1. Make notes identifying any areas of theatre design that you are aware of or think are
particularly important for drama.

What impact can design have on an audience? Read the following snippet of a scene from the
play The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca. In this scene, Bernarda has
just attended the funeral of her husband with her five daughters. We are told that the
mourners wear black shawls and skirts and carry black fans'
PONCIA: Look at the state of the floor!

BERNARDA: Looks as if a herd of goats has run over it. (PONCIA cleans the
floor.) Give me a fan, girl.
ADELA: Here.
She offers her a round fan decorated with red and green flowers. BERNARDA throws it on
the floor.
BERNARDA: What kind of fan is that to offer a widow? Give me a black one
and show some respect to your dead father.
MARTIRIO: Take mine.
BERNARDA: What about you?
MARTIRIO: I don't feel the heat.
2. Visualize this scene and ask yourself:

• What impact is made by the decision to use a red and green fan?
• What message does it give about the character of Adela?
3. Later in the play, Adela comes in wearing a green dress. Ask yourself the same questions
again.
These very deliberate design decisions were written into the script by the playwright.
Here we have seen examples of prop and costume decisions. Even the smallest details, such
as the color of a fan, can enhance your piece and send a message to the audience, even on a
subconscious level.
Theatre design is usually split into four main elements: set, lighting, sound and costume.
Each of these can be used to convey a multitude of messages, and they often overlap and
complement each other. Design can help set the time period and location of a scene, as well as
enhance mood and atmosphere.
A designer will work closely with the director of a play to realize the directorial concept.
Decisions about each design element will be carefully thought out. For example, a director may
choose to set a piece in a certain time period to make the audience think of a contemporary
issue, or they might use it to highlight certain themes within the play.
KEY TERMS
directorial concept: an approach or overarching idea that a director has for the
interpretation of a particular play
An example of how design can be used to enhance a directorial concept is shown in this picture
of a set used in a stage version of Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations. In this
production, the director wanted to highlight the fact that the story is told through
the eves of the main character, Pip. The director and designer worked together exploring the
use of perspective, making parts of the set appear looming and ominous to Pip, who, as a boy
at the start of his story, is often beaten and told of his worthlessness.
Look at the picture above once more. This is a Christmas dinner scene in which Pip (the only
child character, pictured here bottom left) is being lectured by Pumblechook, the pompous
uncle of Pip's brother-in- law. Ask yourself:
4. Why do you think that the table has been designed at a tilt in this manner?
5. What message is suggested by the staggered levels and placing of the adults around the
table?
In the same production, another key design aspect was a huge, oversized fireplace in the
home of a wealthy, cruel woman called Miss Havisham.
6. What idea or signal might be suggested by the fireplace when Pip, who is very poor, visits
the house?
7. Later in the play, Miss Havisham's dress catches fire: what further message might the huge
fireplace suggest?
To test out ideas of a concept and ways in which design can develop this, have a look at
how one student has identified possibilities around the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
Red Riding Hood
We want to make the audience think about the dangers of giving strangers personal details.
We will make this relevant to our audience by trying to highlight the risks that social media
presents.
SET LIGHTING SOUND COSTUME PROPS
Forest – to Low level – cold Computer Red Riding Both Red
imply hidden colors to keyboard clicks, Hood wears red Riding Hood
dangers provide ‘sent mail’ ‘hoodie’ and ‘wolf’ have
ominous swoosh noises ‘wolf’ is a man red phones to
atmosphere instead of wearing a long represent
birdsong black cloak, danger
with a high
collar that Red Riding
obscures half Hood also
his face carries white
flowers to
symbolize her
innocence.
8. What is the directorial concept here?

9. How is it shown through the ideas about set, lighting, sound costume and props?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

10. Now, with a partner, think of a similar well-known story. It could be a fairy tale or a myth.
Make notes on the following:
• What messages are present within the narrative? Is there a moral to the story or
perhaps a cautionary tale?
• If you were going to put this tale on as a performance, which of these aspects would
you highlight within the piece?
• How will you make the story relevant for your audience? Although the Red Riding
Hood example clearly sets the story in the present day, a play does not need to have a
modern twist to remain relevant - themes and morals within tales are often enough
in themselves.
11. Now complete a similar diagram for your chosen story.
This exercise explores the notion of a concept in its simplest form. This chapter will enable you
to look at each design element individually and consider how you can use them to your
advantage on a deeper and even more symbolic level. Remember too that sometimes limited
resources can be just as useful in promoting creativity. You do not have to have the most
elaborate or expensive design in order for your pieces to be effective and inventive.

ü Use design to enhance your interpretations and concepts
ü Make sure that design elements are conscious decisions, not last-minute thoughts
ü Maintain a balance of the design elements, allowing them to overlap and complement
each other
SOUND PROGRESS
• I understand what a directorial concept is and how design can be used to
enhance this.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I understand how design elements can be combined to create a message for the
audience.
• I can make conscious decisions about how to apply design elements in my own work.
3.2 Exploring sets and stages
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Learn about the varying configurations of stages
Ø Explore what is important in set design
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use different stage and set options?
STARTING POINT
1. Think about any plays that you have seen on stage. Were the stages all the same size and
shape? Where were you sitting?
When putting on a play, one of the first decisions a director will make is to identify which
stage layout or configuration to use. The style of play, or preferred distance of audience
to the stage, are the sorts of factors that are considered.
KEY TERMS
stage layout or configuration: the manner in which the performance space is laid out
and the audience is located

Some theatres are naturally laid out in a certain way, whilst others, such as studios, can be
moved around to suit the style or demands of each play. Some of the most commonly used
configurations are described here.
End on
Probably considered one of the most traditional layouts, this is where the audience is facing
the stage in one direction.
An end on stage gives you the stage map shown here - the areas of the stage universally used
by directors and actors to aid blocking. The directions are based on the actor's point of view
and derive from times when many stages sloped downwards towards the audience, hence
the terms downstage and upstage. The slope itself is known as the rake.
KEY TERMS
downstage: the area at the front of the stage
upstage: the area at the back of the stage
rake: the slope of the stage from the back (upstage) to the front (downstage)
In all your work, written and practical, it is very important to use the correct stage area
terminology: This will help your fellow group numbers and anyone reading your work to
visualize any descriptions and ideas that you offer.
2. Following the stage map, what would be the correct terminology to use to describe
someone who is:
• nearest the audience exactly in the middle
• in one of the corners of the stage furthest away from the audience?
Proscenium arch
Many old theatres are end on, but also have a proscenium arch, a frame around the front of
the stage. Proscenium arch stages were particularly popular during the 19th century with the
playwrights of theatrical realism. They helped to create the feeling for the audience that they
were looking in on the scene, almost spying on the characters. This imaginary barrier is
sometimes called the fourth wall'.
Thrust
A thrust configuration places the audience on three sides. This layout provides a more
intimate feel for the audience.
Traverse
A traverse stage is when the audience are on opposite sides of the acting area. It can provide
an interesting dynamic for the audience as they can see each other so clearly. It is also useful
if there are two different locations in the play as these can be set at either end. Strong focal
points are in these areas, rather than center stage. Often a director will decide which ends are
upstage or downstage to make blocking easier.
3. How would you feel performing on a thrust stage such as the one pictured on page 47?
4. If you were in the audience around a traverse stage, how would you feel sitting this close if
the play were a comedy? What about a tragedy? Would you feel differently, and, if so, why?
In-the-round
In-the-round involves the audience entirely surrounding the stage. It can be used to make
the audience feel claustrophobic and is another very 'intimate' configuration. This layout can
also provide a sense of fun and audience camaraderie. This configuration does require
careful blocking of scenes to ensure that each audience member gets a fair
view of the piece.
5. What other potential problems can you identify when using a stage such as this one? How
might they be overcome?
Promenade
In promenade performances, there is no single, fixed performing space. The audience are
required to move around to points where the action is taking place (hence the name,
promenade' meaning walk.) Promenade performances are popular in large spaces such as
warehouses, where the atmosphere of the building adds to the mood of the performance.
Make some brief notes on each of these stage
configurations. Which appeals to you the most?
Why? Do you think that certain layouts can be
used to influence the audience - for example; make
them feel intimately close to the action,
uncomfortably exposed, or distanced from the
stage?
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Once a configuration has been decided, the next stage is to think about how the set will be
used. Many playwrights are quite specific in their requirements for certain scenes, whereas
others leave the design much more open to interpretation and variation. The types of set
chosen can therefore be very different:
• Realistic sets try to imitate real life' and tend to have details and props that are
appropriate to the period in which the play is set. Shapes and sizes tend to be in
proportion to those in real life.
• Abstract sets are often sparse and are designed not to imitate reality but to create a
feel', provoke an emotion or represent a theme. Perspectives (the means of giving
depth and height to the set that we see) might be surprising, distorted or out of
proportion with reality.
6. Look at the picture on the right of a set used in devised piece based on a true story
about a girl who became mentally ill because she was left too long in solitary confinement.
• What sort of set is it? Realistic or abstract? How can you tell?
• What do you think about the colour and use of perspective?
• To what extent do you think that the set helps or hinders the message of the play?
• What genre of play and acting style do you think this piece is?
7. Next, look at the image of a set from The Mousetrap and ask yourself the same
questions. Is it realistic or abstract? What do you notice about the look of this design
compared to the previous one? Why might this set have been 'dressed' with paintings,
curtains and cushions?
Both of the sets illustrated serve a purpose for the style of play for which they are designed
With your own performance groups, you can decide whether you want your set to reflect
reality or have a more abstract approach.
APPLYING THE SKILLS
8. In a group, read through this extract from the first scene from Amadeus by Peter Shaffer.
The character of Salieri blames himself for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's death.
TWO VENTICELLI are purveyors of fact, rumour and gossip throughout the play. They
speak rapidly - in this first appearance extremely rapidly- so that the scene has the air of a
fast and dreadful Overture. Sometimes they speak to each other; sometimes to us. but always
with the urgency of men who have ever been first with the news.
VENTICELLO 1: The whole city is talking.
VENTICELLO 2: You hear it all over.
VENTICELLO 1: The cafes.
VENTICELLO 2: The Opera.
VENTICELLO 1: The Prater.
VENTICELLO 2: The gutter….
VENTICELLO 1: They say he shouts it out all day!
VENTICELLO 2: I hear he cries it out all night!
VENTICELLO 1: Stays in his apartments.
VENTICELLO 2: Never goes out.
VENTICELLO 1: Not for a year now.
VENTICELLO 2: Longer. Longer.
VENTICELLO 1: Antonio Salieri -
VENTICELLO 2: Shouting it aloud!
VENTICELLO 1: Impossible.
VENTICELLO 2: Incredible.
VENTICELLO 1: I don’t believe it!
VENTICELLO 2: I don’t believe it!
WHISPERERS: SALIER!
VENTICELLO 1: I know who started the tale!
VENTICELLO 2: I know who started the tale!
Two old men – one thin and dry, one very fat – detach themselves from the crowd at the
back, and walk downstage, on either side: Salieri’s VALET and PASTRY COOK.
VENTICELLO 1:
(indicating him): The old man’s valet!
VENTICELLO 2:
(indicating him): The old man’s cook!
VENTICELLO 1: The valet hears him shouting!
VENTICELLO 2: The cook hears him crying!
VENTICELLO 1: What a story!
VENTICELLO 2: What a scandal!
The VENTICELLO 1 move quickly upstage, one either side, and each collects a silent
informant. VENTICELLO 1 walks down eaerly with the VALET; VENTICELLO 2 walks
down eagerly with the COOK.
VENTICELLO 1:
(to VALET): What does he say, your master?
VENTICELLO 2
(to COOK): What exactly does he cry, the Kapellmeister?
VENTICELLO 1: Alone in his house -
VENTICELLO 2: All day and all night -
VENTICELLO 1: What sins does he shout? -
VENTICELLO 2: The old fellow -
VENTICELLO 1: The recluse -
VENTICELLO 2: What horrors have you heard?
VENTICELLO 1 and
VENTICELLO 2: Tell us! Tell us! Tell us at once! What does he cry? What does he cry?
What does he cry?
VALET and COOK gesture towards SALIERI
SALIERI
(in a great cry): MOZART!!!
silence
9. Try performing this same section a few times. Each time you work on it, use a different
stage layout. Although some of the stage directions imply an end on configuration, do not
worry, just try different configurations. Note down how you feel as a performer after each
one and what you found interesting or difficult.
10. Ask some of your classmates to be the audience for this experiment and give you
feedback. How did they feel with each configuration? Which did they feel worked best and
why?
11. What sort of set design do you think would work well for this sequence?

ü Give reasons for your chosen stage layout
ü Match your configuration to the directorial concept
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify and understand the different uses of the stage and sets.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can apply what I have learned about stage layout and sets to convey meaning in
my performance pieces.
• I can write knowledgeably about how stage design aids communication with an
audience.
3.3 Exploring lighting
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Learn basic technical terminology for theatre lighting
Ø Explore the importance of direction, intensity and color in lighting design
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use light to enhance my practical work?

STARTING POINT
Lighting is the process of using large lamps to illuminate the stage. It is a key design element
and is crucial in creating mood and atmosphere. It is possible to create beautiful and
interesting pieces with a minimal set but just with inventive lighting design. Mood, location,
time of day are all shown through lighting, and so it becomes a vital tool to consider for your
pieces and is essential to write about.
1. Think about how lighting in real life can affect your mood. How do you feel in the following
situations:
• in a changing room that is very brightly lit?
• outside at sunset?
• under a stormy sky?
• on a road at night, lit by street lights?
If light can influence your mood in this way, then it can be used to great effect in your work
to communicate to an audience.

Next time you go to an indoor theatre, look up. You will see a large number of stage lights
rigged up pointing towards the stage. These stage lights are called lanterns: these are
directed and their beams shaped according to the requirements of each individual show.
KEY TERMS
rigging: the process of hanging and positioning the lanterns on ceiling bars known as the
'grid'
There are many different lanterns, but the three types most commonly used are the par can,
Fresnel and profile lanterns.
Par can Fresnel Profile
Most basic lantern (Pronounced Fruh-nell) This lantern provides the
most controllable source of
Focused very easily with Soft-edged beam which can light. It has two lenses and
pan and tilt' movement be adjusted the beam can be large or
(up/down and side to side) small, hard or soft.
Barn doors (hinged shutters Shutters control the spill of
as seen in the picture) can light
trim the edges of the beam
Gobos can be used with
Fresnels are used to light profile lanterns
large areas on stage or
‘wash’ the stage in color
2. Which of these would be best for lighting a very specific small area of the stage?

In order to begin designing with light, there are three main aspects to think about: direction,
intensity and color. By combining these in different ways, you can create a range of effects
for your pieces. Many theatres have a large number of lights on at the same time in
variations of these three factors, in order to create the desired effects.
Direction
The direction of the beams will allow you to play around with shadows and generate
atmosphere. Think of the old trick of using a torch under your chin to tell a spooky story.
If a light is needed to create a particular moment within a scene, such as a spotlight on a
character or a gobo, this is known as a special.
KEY TERMS
gobo: a metal stencil that can be placed in front of a profile lantern to project a shape or
image - examples include windows, or leaves to create a forest effect
Intensity
Intensity refers to the brightness of the lantern. It is measured in percentages and known as
high and low intensity.
Color
At the start of Unit 3.1, you explored how important color can be in theatre design. The color
of the light can create warm or cold atmospheres. Color filters called gels are placed in front
of the lanterns to create colored beams.
3. In pairs, identify emotions you associate with the following colors. It may help to imagine
an empty room, lit with each of them to assess the atmosphere it would create; does the
mood feel warm or cold? If you have access to stage lighting, you could do this experiment
practically.
Red Blue Orange White
4. What sort of scenes could you use each color for?

5. Think back to your design idea for your well-known story in Unit 3.1. How would you use
lighting to create this piece? Have your ideas changed or evolved?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

6. Look at this extract of stage direction that sets the scene for the opening of A Streetcar
Named Desire by Tennessee Williams:
The exterior of a two-story corner building on a street in New Orleans which is named
Elysian Fields and runs between the L & N' tracks and the river. The section is poor but,
unlike corresponding sections in other American cities, it has a raffish charm. The houses are
mostly white frame, weathered grey, with rickety outside stairs and galleries and quaintly
ornamented gables to the entrances of both. It is first dark? of an evening early in May. The
sky is a peculiarly tender blue, almost turquoise, which invests the scene with a kind of
lyricism and gracefully attenuates' the atmosphere of decay. You can almost feel the warm
breath of the brown river beyond the river warehouses with their faint redolence’s" of
bananas and coffee. A corresponding air is evoked by the music of entertainers at a bar-
room around the corner. In this part of New Orleans you are practically always just around
the corner, or a few doors down the street, from a tinny piano being played with infatuated
fingers. This 'Blue Piano' expresses the spirit of the life which goes on here.
1 Louisville and Nashville Railroad

2 twilight
3 lessens, weakens
4 odours, smells
In this description, the playwright makes his intended mood for the scene very clear.
7. Go through the passage and make a note of any sections that refer to the mood and
atmosphere, rather than specific visual details.
8. Identify and write down clues that will help you to make lighting decisions in the following
areas:
• the mood and atmosphere you want to create
• the temperature' - for example, whether warm or cold
• time of day and season
• location - interior or exterior? If exterior, what about windows)
• Will any specials be needed?
You will not always have so many clues given by a script, but this extract illustrates the sorts
of questions you need to ask yourself when working on any play.
9. Make notes on how you intend to use direction, intensity and color to make your lighting
decisions work for this opening scene. Does the lighting change at any point? You may find it
useful to complete a table such as the one below for each intended effect.
Intended Direction Intensity Color Special?
mood
Remember that in your written work, you will have to add a justification for your decisions.
For example:
I decided to light the wolf' in Little Red Riding Hood from the side to cast long, stretching
shadows on stage. This is to represent the darkness and shifting nature of his character and
to associate him with the shadows of the dangerous forest.
10. Add justifications to your decisions in the table above.

ü Keep in mind the mood that you want to create with your lighting design
ü Think about how lighting can be 'layered' to create certain effects
ü Always justify your decisions
ü Remember that technology is always changing and there are countless options and
developments - for example LEDs, moving lights
SOUND PROGRESS
• I understand the functions of the basic lanterns, and I can light the stage using
direction, intensity and color to create the mood I desire.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can apply lighting direction, intensity and color in a variety of ways to change the
atmosphere on stage and communicate to my audience.
• I can layer lighting effects if needed, taking into account what is happening on stage.
3.4 Exploring sound
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Consider the various sound effects and how they can add to a performance
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use sound to enhance my performance pieces?
STARTING POINT
Sound involves the addition of noises or music played while a scene is happening on stage or
during a scene transition. This can be recorded sound played through speakers, or live sounds
created either onstage or backstage. As with lighting, sound can be a very useful element in
developing mood and atmosphere.
1. Next time you watch a film, identify any sound effects or background music underscoring
the scenes. Ask yourself:
• Does the use of sound in the film guide my emotional response?
• Would the scene have the same effect on me if those sound effects were not there?
A horror film, for example, often relies on sound to build suspense and make you jump. A
comedy may include funny noises to exaggerate comic moments. So too in the theatre, sound
is a useful tool to help communicate to an audience.

When considering sound, it is important to make sure that it fits in with the style and genre
of the piece. Remember that sound in drama is not restricted to recorded effects. If your
piece is highly stylized or physical, it may be more effective to use live or vocal sound effects.
2. Write down a few ways in which you might be able to use your voice for sound. Sound
effects can be simple everyday noises such as a door knock, or perhaps more extreme like
a gunshot. The need for these sorts of effects are usually written into a script and often
played through speakers using a sound desk to control the length and volume levels.
3. What other everyday sounds, such as a doorbell, could you use in your tale from Unit
3.1?
4. Imagine that you have been asked to design the sound for a busy street scene. Step
outside for a moment and listen to all the sounds that are around us every day. Write
down all the individual sounds that you hear, such as cars, footsteps or birds. Decide
which sounds you would use if you needed to create a soundscape (a layered sound
picture or story) for your scene.
5. Now imagine that within that scene, two lovers spot each other after a lengthy time
apart. How might you show that emotion through sound? It will help to visualize the
scene in your head. Consider the following options:
• All sound completely stops until they touch.
• Music suddenly cuts in.
• Music fades in gently as the street sounds fade out (a cross fade).
• The sound simply continues as before.
Write down which of these options you like the

best, or if you had another idea, log that. Why did
you choose this option?
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APPLYING THE SKILLS

6. Look again at the stage directions from A Streetcar named Desire in Unit 3.3. The
playwright has specified some music, but what other sounds do you think should be used and
when? Will your sound design include live or recorded sound effects, or both? Add you
decisions to your log.

ü Make sure your use of sound is balanced
ü Avoid unnecessary effects or music that might be distracting
ü Justify your use of sound, acknowledging if it is necessary for plot or used to create mood
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can add sound effects to my performance pieces that are useful and appropriate.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can use sound to mark moments within a scene and heighten emotional intensity.
• I can develop soundscapes, if needed, to imply setting.
3.5 Using props
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore how props are useful for action and characterization
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can props help me in my practical work?
STARTING POINT
Stage properties (‘props' for short) are moveable objects used on stage, which provide two
main functions in a play. They can be used to aid characterization or to help move the action
along. Props differ from articles of costume or moving scenery pieces such as curtains,
backdrops, platforms or furniture. They tend to be smaller items that a character brings onto
the stage and can be easily removed.
Think about the messages that a simple everyday object can convey on stage. What meanings
could be intended if a character entered carrying:
• a wet umbrella?
• a teddy bear?
• a pair of ballet shoes?
• a match?

Possibly one of the most famous props in theatre history is Yorick's skull from William
Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet remembers Yorick, a friend, and uses the prop to talk
about mortality, and many other things. This scene from Hamlet demonstrates the importance
and relevance that a prop can have.
Props such as these will be set on stage, but there are also personal props', which individual
actors should be responsible for. These are items such as pens, glasses, coins or letters, which
may be put into a costume pocket or kept on the character's person.
1. Do you have an item that you tend to keep with you most of the time? Perhaps you feel lost
without your phone. Maybe as a child you carried a comfort blanket.
Sometimes, as an actor develops his or her character, they like to allocate themselves a prop,
feeling that the tangible nature of the object helps with their characterization.

Read this short extract from the play The Madness of George I, by Alan Bennett. The king is
ill, although many at court are trying to deny A Fortnum and Braun are both pages.
……FORTNUM, coming on with a glass chamber pot, runs into
BRAUN.
FORTNUM: Look.
BRAUN: What?
FORTNUM: It's blue.
He holds the pot up to the light and we see that the urine is dark blue. There is a hint of
music which ... should focus the attention.
BRAUN: I'd call it purple.
2. Does this prop move the plot along or is it character embellishment?

3. Why do you think that the chamber pot is specified as being glass?
4. Can you identify another design element being overlapped here to "mark the moment?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

5. Look back over the Amadeus extract in Unit 3.2. What props, if any, might you consider
using for this extract? Think about:
• the setting and time period of the piece
• whether you would want representative props for the Valet and
the Cook, and if so, what these might be
• whether Salieri or the Venticelli would need props.

ü Keep props appropriate: if you're performing a classical script, make sure that your props
are of the period
ü Explore using a characterization prop, but do not let it dominate or draw disproportionate
attention
SOUND PROGRESS
• I understand how props can be used to develop plot or aid characterization.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I understand that even the smallest details on stage can make an impact and
communicate meaning.
• I can apply what I have learned about props based on clues in the texts.
3.6 Using costume and make-up
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Think about the signals that costume can give to an audience
Ø Explore reasons for using stage make-up
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use costume to embellish my characterization?
STARTING POINT
Arguably one of the most noticeable design elements, particularly indicative of character, is
costume. It can indicate the style, genre and period of a production, as well as giving the
audience clues about the characters on stage.
1. Think about how different you feel and look in the clothes you wear to school, as opposed to
casual or evening dress. Identify any particular style of clothes that you like to wear that you
feel help to project your personality or identity.
2. Write down instances in real life where you feel that people tend to wear a form of costume.
Clothing can often identify us in terms of our social role or by linking us to a certain group.
Clothing is also one of the aspects of a person we use to judge them. A designer can play on
this human tendency to judge appearance and will often use costume to highlight aspects of
character or to contribute to the overall aesthetic and style of a production. Practicality and
comfort are also crucial factors to consider. If an actor is performing a very physical role for
example, he or she will not want to wear a structured or restricting costume.

Costume
When thinking about costume for your pieces, remember how much even the smallest design
decision can communicate to an audience.
3. Imagine that a cast is dressed in varying shades of blue, apart from one character who is
wearing yellow shorts. What might this signify about a character.
The painting on the left captures the actress Ellen Terry in the role of Lady Macbeth, a queen
from Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth.
The second picture is from a more recent production of Macbeth
These productions are far apart in time period and style; nevertheless,
the character remains the same.
4. In pairs, have a discussion about what these costumes indicate
about the character. Consider:
Color Texture Style and period

What do the color choices Both costumes appear to be The Ellen Terry costume is
suggest to you about Lady made from luxurious in a medieval style, true to
Macbeth's character? What fabrics. Why might this be? the time period of the
might these shades Macbeth story (not
communicate to an Do the accessories add to Shakespeare's time). Do you
audience? the effect of the costumes? the right is from a particular
time period or of a certain
style? If you feel that it is
more ambiguous, might the
designer have decided to do
this deliberately? Why?

Stage make-up
Make-up used in the theatre often depends upon the size of the theatre and the requirements
of the individual play. Dancers for example, who perform in large theatres, often use quite
heavy make-up. While up close it may look rather strong and unnatural, under the stage
lights and at a distance it enhances the natural features.
Many cultures use make-up or masks, or a combination of the two, as a part of very ancient
theatrical tradition. These are often used to represent specific stock characters, especially in
South East Asian dance drama.
In an intimate theatre, make-up can be fairly minimal and far more natural. Sometimes,
however, an actor may need to look older, have facial hair or marks such as scars, bruises or
wounds. In this case, special make-up can be used to create these features. This will depend
upon character or plot.
5. Thinking back once more to the tale you chose in Unit 3.1, identify what make up you
would use for characters in the tale.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

The following character description is from Friedrich Durrenmatt’s The visit. This is the first
time we meet Claire Zachanassian, who has returned to her very poor home town as a multi-
millionaire. She is intent on inciting the townspeople to kill her ex-lover who jilted her. in
exchange for vast sums of money.
Enter, Claire Zachanassian. Sixty-three, red hair, pearl necklace, enormous gold bangles,
unbelievably got up to kill and yet by the same token a Society Lady with a rare grace, in
spite of all the grotesquerie.
Although you are given some details of her appearance here, the style of her costume is left
fairly open to interpretation.
6. How would you costume Claire in order to ensure that her personality was demonstrated,
as suggested by the playwright? Think about:
• Color - What colors would convey aspects of Claire's character?
• Texture - What materials would this character wear?
• Style - Would you modernize her costume or root it in a particular time period? Why?
• Accessories - Would you add any more accessories or props?
7. Do a few costume sketches (an example is pictured on the right) until you are satisfied
with your design.
8. What sort of make-up do you think should be used for Claire and why?
Write down your costume choices and
justifications for the character of Claire
Zachanassian. You could include pictures, sketches
or fabric swatches as examples to show your
understanding.
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ü Ensure that your design choices are always justified
ü Make sure that you take into account other design elements - for example, costumes
can appear different in certain lighting
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify costume and make-up ideas to enhance my character.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I understand the need to make deliberate and particular choices about costume and make
up.
• I can apply my ideas in a way that creates the meaning I have planned for.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore every element of design for an extract
Ø Think about how you can express yourself in written answers
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I bring all design elements together?

STARTING POINT
All areas of design should be considered when you are developing concepts for devised and
scripted work. It is useful to be able to demonstrate and develop your ideas with clear purpose,
and to be able to express and justify your designs confidently and concisely on paper. Each
design decision you make should back up and complement your overall concept, so that your
ideas are made clear to your audience.

Read the following section from Trojan Women by the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480-
406 BCE). This play is set in the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War and focuses on the
deposed Queen of Troy, Hecuba, and her female subjects (the Chorus) who have been
rounded up by the Greek army to be enslaved.
As dawn breaks, the figure of HECUBA is seen. HECUBA awakens from sleep and begins to
lift herself up.
HECUBA: Lift. Lift. Lift up your head.

From Troy's ruined earth, look up.
We are no longer the Lords of Troy:
Fortune has flowed against us and
Crashed down upon our City and our poor lives.
What remains but misery?
Country, children, husband: all are lost;
Family, generations, an entire race - wiped out.
Speak: but what can I say?
What words will express my woe?
This hard ground serves as my bed,
There is no comfort for my aching bones,
My head and my heart both pound within.
I yearn to be cradled, to rock to a gentle rhythm,
To cry unending tears, bemoaning a song of sorrow:
Music of misery that no one can dance to.
Come. Come out.
Come you widows and fatherless daughters of Troy:
Join me in lamentation for our dying city.
(The CHORUS begins to enter at this point)
CHORUS: Hecuba. Our queen. Why do you call?
Why do you call out for us?
We hear your cries. What do they mean?
Have they come for us? Tell us: we are afraid.
HECUBA: My children: the Greeks are preparing their ships.
They are waiting the tide.
CHORUS: But what does this mean?
Will they take us straightaway from Troy?
Away from our homeland across the sea to foreign lands?
HECUBA: I know no more than you, but I fear the worst.
1. Write down your first thoughts about this extract:

• How does it make you feel?
• What is the initial mood of the piece?
• Did you visualize the scene as you read it? If so, write down any instinctive pictures
that came to mind.

Do some research about the circumstances surrounding the Trojan War. Can you identify
any parallels in today's society that you might want to use for vour interpretation? You may
decide to set the play very much in its ancient Greek style, or you may wish to modernize it.
REFLECTIVE LOG
Make a research and design log, noting the information that you have found out so far about
the Trojan War, jotting down ideas or pasting in pictures that you feel sum up your
interpretation. Add to it as you continue with this unit, so that you end up with a mini design
portfolio.
2. Now you can think about all areas of design for this piece. Put your initial thoughts for
interpretation at the top of your work and refer back to it as you design. Make sure that each
element aids and promotes this concept.
Set:
a) Consider the opportunities and limitations your performance space presents. Then,
decide your chosen configuration for this piece. Why have you chosen this layout? How
did your performance space influence your choice?
What do you hope the audience will gain by setting the stage out in this manner?
b) What choices did you make for your set design?
c) Draw a diagram of your set.
Lighting:
a) What mood will you create? Why? How will you achieve this?
b) Annotate the script with any changes in lighting; for example, how will you open the
scene 'as dawn breaks'?
c) How will your chosen lighting affect the colour or texture of your set?
Sound:
a) What choices have vou made about sound if you want to use any?
b) If using sound, will it be music, noises, vocal? Recorded or live? Why?
Props:
a) Do you need any props for this scene? (It is perfectly valid to say no, as long as you
can explain why.)
b) If using props, what are they and what is the purpose of each one?
Costume/make-up:
a) What time period or location is your piece set in? Is this demonstrated through
costume?
b) Is Hecuba dressed differently from the Chorus? If so, how?
c) Are the Chorus members all dressed in the same costume?
d) What color and texture decisions have you made and why?
e) Do you need to use make-up for any of the characters? What and why?
f) Draw diagrams of your costume decisions.
3. Once you have developed your ideas for each of the design areas, check through again to
ensure that they all complement each other and that there is a working balance between
them. It might be useful now to think about your school's performance space. Would your
designs work in this context? Are there any limitations or extra opportunities that you would
need to consider?
4. Read through the scene again. Can you visualize your design? Does it work?
In your portfolio, identify what works

particularly well and in which areas you have
struggled. Would anything need to change to
make your design work better? By evaluating
your work honestly in this way, you will become a
more accomplished dramatist.
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APPLYING THE SKILLS
In writing about your designs, you will need to offer clear detail and justification for your
design decisions.
Have a look at the examples of student answers to the following question:

Explain what you would want to convey through the use of stage layout and
set in the extract.
Student A
Would set this extract in traverse, as it would make the women feel trapped and the audience
feel more involved. At one end there would be a large metal door and the other end would
have a boarded up window that the women would try to see through. I would have debris and
ruble scattered across the stage to show that the city had been destroyed. The women would
be scattered around the stage too, to represent that they are also part of the ruins of Troy,
Student B
I would like to convey the sense of entrapment and helplessness that the women would be
feeling in this extract. In order to do this, I would set the play in traverse, but with only one
exit upstage. This would be a large, bolted metal door to further enhance the prison feel. The
reason for this one exit is so that whenever the door is unlocked, all the women can scatter
downstage like frightened animals. Downstage, I would have a window that has been roughly
boarded up to prevent them fully seeing outside. However, some small cracks would enable
them to see out and react during scenes which are happening offstage, such as when
Astyanax is thrown off the city walls. By having the audience on either side, I would like
them to feel as though they are trapped in with the women, but also that they are partly their
jailors. This could make the audience think about situations in the world today in which
society's failure to act, can lead to oppression of minority groups.
5. Which of these answers do you think provides the clearest detail and justifications for the
chosen design? Why?
6. Now write your own answer to the question, based on your own design.

ü Consider each design element carefully for the effect it creates
ü Make sure your design elements work together and sustain the style you are aiming
for
ü Justify your design decisions as you progress, so that your rationale keeps you on
track
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can design a piece of theatre effectively and write about my decisions.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can develop concept-based designs for a piece of theatre that balance each element
and enhance the message I wish to convey.
• can write confidently about my decisions using the correct terminology and justifying
each choice.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

SOUND PROGRESS
o understand what a directorial concept is and how design can be used to enhance this.
o I can identify and understand the different uses of the stage and sets.
o I understand the functions of the basic lanterns, and I can light the stage using
direction, intensity and color to create the mood I desire.
o I can add sound effects to my performance pieces that are useful and appropriate
o I understand how props can be used to develop plot or aid characterization.
o I can identify costume and make-up ideas to enhance my character.
o I can design a piece of theatre effectively and write about my decisions.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
o l understand how design elements can be combined to create a message for the
audience.
o I can make conscious decisions about how to apply design elements in my own work.
o I can apply what I have learned about the stage layout and sets to convey meaning in
my performance pieces.
o I can knowledgeably write about how stage design aids communication with an
audience.
o I can apply lighting direction, intensity and color in a variety of ways to change the
atmosphere on stage and communicate to my audience.
o I can layer lighting effects if needed, taking into account what is happening on stage.
o I can use sound to mark moments within a scene and heighten emotional intensity.
o I can develop soundscapes, if needed, to imply setting.
o I can apply what I have learned about props based on clues in the texts.
o I understand that even the smallest details on stage can make an impact and
communicate meaning.
o I understand the need to make deliberate and particular choices about costume and
make-up.
o I can apply my ideas in a way that creates the meaning I have planned for.
o I can develop concept-based designs for a piece of theatre that balance each element
and enhance the message I wish to convey.
o I can write confidently about my decisions using the correct terminology and
justifying each choice.
Chapter 4
DEVISING
STARTING POINTS
In this chapter, you are going to develop a range of skills related to devised work that you will
use throughout your Cambridge IGCSE Drama course.

• respond to different stimuli
• structure devised work
• communicate meaning and engage an audience
• work effectively as part of a group
• reflect on and evaluate devised work.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The activities you complete will primarily relate to devised work, but you will also be
exploring a range of acting and writing skills.
You will:
• generate a range of ideas based on a poem called 'First Frost'
• structure devised work based on a news story
• work as a group collaboratively on a given topic/title
• create distinctive roles within a group piece based on an environmental theme
• evaluate a range of responses to devised work in areas such as performance space,
narrative structure and directorial concept
• answer a range of shorter and longer questions on stimuli, processes and
performance
4.1 Responding to stimuli
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Learn how to generate fruitful ideas from a range of stimuli
Ø Consider examples of devised work by other students
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I come up with interesting dramatic ideas from a
given stimulus?
STARTING POINT
In your drama work, you will be asked to respond to some stimuli provided in advance; you
use the stimuli to devise work with a group, which you then write about in the exam. Here is
one form of stimulus: a photo.
1. What story does this photo suggest? Does it show something sad or happy, or both?
2. Who might be the central character? What might have happened?

The key skill in devised work is seeing the potential for a story or set of dramatic ideas from
the stimulus. This does not have to be a conventional play, but could be a series of more
impressionistic scenes or tableaux, linked by music, movement or other devices.
KEY TERMS
impressionistic: providing an impression or idea of something rather than a direct,
realistic account
Here are three ideas that groups of students came up with based on the photo:
Idea 1: conventional play Idea 2: dramatic piece Idea 3: less conventional

based closely on photo called ‘The Exam’ play but using photo
quite loosely
Short play about a student, Stylized drama using masks, Five characters wait for a
Jack, who needs certain in which the main character train. One by one they tell
grades to go to university to X' faces a series of strange their stories, each having
study law. He doesn't get tests, exams and suffered a recent
them, but his friends do. He interrogations. Everyone in disappointment. As each
has to tell his parents. The the group except for one person tells their story,
truth is, he doesn't want to student plays multiple roles, the others take on roles
do law, but is keen on including parents, family, from it and show what
music. The play ends with examiners, teachers, and so happened.
him pursuing his real love as on. Most of the drama is
he leaves home to go mimed and uses music.
busking.
3. Which of these ideas do you like most? Why?

4. What particular challenges would you face in each of these? (Think about practical matters
such as set and design, learning words, or the structure of the drama.)
5. In a group of between three and six, pick one of these ideas and use it as the basis for a
short improvisation lasting no more than four minutes.
How do you feel about devising an unusual or

stylized drama? Would it worry you, or would you
embrace the challenge? Think about how you
might approach this task and write down a few
thoughts.
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There are two key skills in devising work: the first is in identifying imaginative, fruitful ideas
that will interest an audience; the second is being able to structure those ideas so that they
create some sort of narrative or logical sequence. You will deal with structuring in the next
unit, so for now we will focus on generating ideas.
Here, a group of students are discussing a theme they have been given:
Bullying
A: Bullying - hmm, well there's lots of that in school, isn't there?

B: Yeah, so maybe it could be about a new student who's being bullied?
C: Wait a moment. Bullying takes place everywhere. Does it have to be school?
A: You mean, like in the park, or at a club?
D: Or could it be an adult, like at work?
C: Yes. How about someone who starts a new job, but another worker bullies them..?
A: That's a great idea!
6. How does the discussion move from the obvious choice to something a bit more interesting?
7. Who identifies the final idea? Is it just one person, or more than one?
The key to good devised work is to allow the ideas to evolve. So, a photo suggesting failed
exams could lead to work on other sorts of failure, or the idea of exam results could be the
start of a drama about something else (the student finding a new friend).
KEY TERMS
evolve: grow and develop in stages
There are lots of ways to get the imagination going. For example, you could:
• take the stimulus (the photo, given theme or whatever) and run a short
improvisation, seeing where it takes you and what ideas/stories come to mind
• run a group discussion like the one above (you could do this after the improvisation)
• on your own, generate ideas in the form of a spider diagram, like the example shown
here.
BULLYING
School Park Work
new worker, older worker

new gang, someone resentful - starts
student? who's moved to campaign
area? of hiding things, trashing
desk, etc.
8. Try doing your own spider diagram for this theme: Trash'
9. Then, discuss your ideas with a friend and quickly note down the outline of a story on this
theme. The story should have a central character and be in four stages: opening, problem,
climax, resolution.
The range of stimuli you may be given is quite wide. You might, for example, be given a poem
such as this one:
First Frost
A girl is freezing in a telephone booth,
huddled in her flimsy coat,
her face stained by tears
and smeared by lipstick.
She breathes on her thin little fingers.

Fingers like ice. Glass beads in her ears.
She has to beat her way back alone

Down the icy street.
First frost. A beginning of losses.

The first frost of telephone phrases.
It is the start of winter glittering on her cheek
the first frost of having been hurt.
Andrei Voznesensky
10. In what obvious ways does the poem already suggest the basis for a
drama? Identify:
• the main character
• the scene or place
• the situation (what has happened).
But it also leaves lots of room for you to add information, for
example:
• Who, or what, has hurt her?
• What does she do next?
If this were a scene in your drama, where would it come: at the
start, in the middle or at the end?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

11. Using the poem as a starting point, come up with at least two ideas
for a devised piece suitable for a group of four or five students.
Idea 1: a conventional, short Idea 2: something more stylised

realist' play that tells a story. and less realistic.
It could be based directly on the It might involve dance or mime,

poem or might use the ideas in or the use of masks - it should
the poem to tell a story about have more emphasis on physical
someone else (a boy, for theatre.
example).
Once you have decided on your ideas, select one

for development. Write about how you came up
with it and note down key details, such as the
main character(s), the structure/ story and the
style/form of drama.
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ü Generate ideas using the techniques you have learned about, such as a spider
diagram, discussion or improvisation
ü Explain the link back to the stimulus and how the idea evolved
ü Make sure your idea is engaging and interesting, and has a structure
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify a few simple ideas based on a given stimulus.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can generate a variety of ideas and evaluate which is likely to be the most interesting and
effective.
4.2 Structuring devised work.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore examples of devised work
Ø Consider ways of crafting and structuring devised pieces
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I contribute effectively to devised work in terms of

its organization and structure?
STARTING POINT
All drama has a beginning, when the action starts, and an end point, when there is silence,
the drama closes, and the actors leave the stage or quit the roles they are playing. However,
how you get to that end point and what can be done in the given time will vary widely.
In devised work, you are not constrained by conventional narrative structure, but it can be
helpful to consider the dramatic 'arc' of storytelling. For example:
Exposition - the opening up, introduction to the situation
A Rising action - could be a problem or change that pushes the action onwards
A Climax - the point at which tension and drama is at its height
A Falling action - could be the outcomes of what has happened at the climax
A Resolution - the point where the problem, situation or story is brought to an end -
happily or unhappily (or both).
1. Look again at the poem First Frost' in Unit 4.1. Where might the phone call the girl
receives fit in this structure? Could it go anywhere? Could it be the end point (resolution) or
the starting point (exposition)?
2. Working in a group of between three and six, spend two to three minutes working out a
simple sequence for the 'First Frost' story following the arc above.

It is useful to keep this general idea of narrative structure in mind regardless of the form of
drama your group adopts. Read this set of notes by one student who has recorded her
group's devised work around these four lines of a T S Eliot poem:
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
EXPOSITION: a set of scarecrows in a field, still and silent - me, Ginny, Raj and Sam.
RISING ACTION: a small black crow appears (Jimi) - the rest of us (the scarecrows) come
to life, break free, dance around, surround the crow...
CLIMAX: a terrible fight - we beat the crow down.
FALLING ACTION: the crow lies dead - we begin to feel pity, tears, sympathy - we pick the
crow up, take straw from our bodies and build the crow up.
RESOLUTION: the crow slowly comes back to life - the scarecrows rejoice, but at the
sound of the farmer's voice go back to our still positions. The crow runs up to each scarecrow
trying to get each one to react, but nothing happens. It circles and then flies off.
3. Would this last 15 minutes? How could you develop this initial structure to make sure it
was long enough? Consider the following questions:
• Could you add in an additional scene or two? Could the action move to another
location or context?
• Where would speech and dialogue come, and who would speak?
• Are there additional characters you could add (it would mean group members playing
additional roles)?
• How could you create or develop the idea of contrast in the storyline to ensure it
wasn't all on a single level or mood?
4. Try this devised piece out, using the notes above as a starting point.
There is no need to stick to what has been suggested, but try to keep the idea of a clear
narrative arc that the audience will be able to follow.
KEY TERMS
contrast: dynamic use of opposites, such as movement/stillness, sound/silence and
light/darkness
Write up notes on how your group developed and

expanded the work from the given poem and
student notes.
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The structure of your devised work may also be determined by well-known dramatic forms or
genres. For example, you might use plots derived from commedia dell'arte, a type of
popular theatre in Italy. A typical scenario would include Pantalone (an old man who
represents death and age) trying to prevent the happiness of the Innamorati, the young lovers.
Various other characters, including a soldier/captain and serving maids, resist or help.
KEY TERMS
genre: a category or type of drama, such as comedy, tragedy or historical drama commedia
dell'arte: Italian dramatic style from 16th to 18th centuries with cartoon-like
characters, silly plots and slapstick humor
5. You can see here how you might use a typical commedia storyline.
Copy and complete the table below.
Exposition Two young lovers meet secretly in the cornfields.
Rising action They are spotted by a sneaky and jealous plough boy, who reports
back to the girl's guardian, a corrupt landowner. Fortunately, the
landowner's cleaner overhears the plough boy's meeting with the
landowner. The cleaner lets the lovers into the landowner's office
where they discover.
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
6. Compare your ideas with the rest of your group and decide on the best storyline. Then run
a five-minute polished improvisation.
Think about:
• how you can get across the key conventions of commedia dell'arte
• how you can make it engaging and appealing to the audience (commedia dell'arte is
often, but not always, humorous and full of slapstick and physical comedy).
So far, the structures you have considered have tended to be linear that is, they take place in
a single, logical time sequence. However, as long as the narrative is present, you can adjust
the actual time and events through the use of various structural devices:
• Flashback - at some point in the drama a character remembers or enacts a scene
from earlier in the story.
• Dreams or 'flash-forward'- the audience sees future events that may or may not
be real.
• Parallel scenes - two or more scenes happen simultaneously, allowing the action to
develop in different places.
• Rewind - the whole action takes place 'back to front', either literally, with characters
retracing their steps, or by starting at the end of the story, with each scene unfolding
through memory or narration.
7. Can you think of other structural innovations you could use)

8. Take each of the structural devices listed above. How could you adapt either the scarecrow
scenario or the commedia one by using one of these?
9. Discuss these ideas in a group: which ones do you think would be most engaging, original
or effective?
APPLYING THE SKILLS
Look at this headline from an international news story:
More than 100 Afghan schoolchildren admitted

to hospital after being sold 'poisoned beans'
that would help them 'pass exams'
Article by Jack Simpson in The Independent, Monday 13 April 2015
10. Working on your own to begin with, identify a potential dramatic storyline based on, or
inspired by, this headline. Think about:
• who might be the main or central characters
• whether a particular style or form of drama would suit the story (for example, magic
beans are a common element of fairy tales and myths)
• what the narrative arc might be (what the exposition is, rising action, climax and so
on).
11. Then, move into your group, share your idea and work together to devise a piece of drama
that will last 15 minutes. It will be useful to write out your final devised piece as a script, even
if you do not stick to it word for word.

ü Make sure your drama has a narrative sequence and isn't just a series of unconnected
scenes
ü Include a sense of tension or contrast (in mood or movement, for example) that will
engage the audience
ü Ensure you have considered a range of original approaches to telling the story
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify a basic narrative structure for a devised piece.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can consider a range of different narrative structures for a devised piece and help
select the most interesting one.
4.3 Effective group work
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore the most effective ways to work as an individual and as part of a group for
devised work
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I make sure I contribute positively to group work?
STARTING POINT
Your group will consist of students with different characters and abilities. Some may be
confident and keen to lead; others may be more reflective and happy to take more of a back
seat; still others may say little, but when they do speak, everyone listens.
1. What sort of person are you? Perhaps you are a mix of all of these - after all, we don't behave
exactly the same way all the time!

Devised work requires you to use different skills at different times.
2. Look at the table below. Give yourself a mark between 1 (low) and 5 (high) for the areas
you think you perform best in.
Stages of devised work Mark

Coming up with ideas (creativity)
Structuring the drama (vision and strategy)
Rehearsing and directing (organization and commitment)
Performing (confidence and assertiveness)
Reflecting and evaluating (thoughtfulness and attention to detail)
This should give you some idea of how you can contribute most effectively to your group's
work. Bear in mind, however, that when it comes to performance, you will need to have a role
or roles that gives you as much exposure as the rest of the group. This does not mean you have
to have the exact same number of lines, for example, but it does mean that it is clear you are a
key participant in what is happening on stage.
What is your greatest challenge when working as
a member of a group? Make notes on this, and
consider how you might improve or change.
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The ability to encourage and help ideas evolve is central to devised Work. In the ‘Developing
the skills’ section of Unit 4.1, there is an example of how a group helps build ideas, but let's
look in more details at what you need to do.
For effective group discussions in devised work:

Skill Example (what you might say)
Focus: make sure group discussions or 'Hang on a minute, everyone, let's get back
rehearsals don't veer too far away from your to our original idea...’
objective.
Involvement: make sure everyone in the What do you think, Carlo?
group contributes.
Positive reinforcement: when someone That's interesting, Ivana. tell
has an idea (even if it's not perfect), us/show us more.
encourage them.
Summarizing: restate or clarify 'So what vou're saying is.
ideas, when it is helpful to "Ok, let's just stop and see where
do this. we are
3. Think back to the last group activity or discussion you took part in.
Did you or other members of your group work in the ways mention above? If not, how would
you change the way you work next time?
4. Directing your group's work is a bit like chairing a group discussion: it is your job to keep
the group on task and to take the lead on organizing. Is this a role that you could do? What
would you find easy or challenging about this role?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

5. In your group, talk for five minutes about how you might approach
the following stimulus: 'Lost and alone'.

ü Think carefully about what you say to others and how you say it
ü Keep the objective of the work in focus throughout
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can contribute ideas to group discussions about devised work.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can contribute positively and help others develop ideas in group discussions about
devised work.
4.4 Communicating meaning
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore how to shape a role in devised work
Ø Understand how the role can link to the overall concept
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I communicate effectively to an audience during

devised work?
STARTING POINT
What does it mean to 'shape' a role? You will have learned some key acting skills during your
course, and will have developed some of these in Chapter 2. One skill that is especially
crucial when it comes to shaping a role is ability to take the bare outline of a person - the
skeleton - and turn it into flesh and blood.
1. On your own, respond physically to these words and the picture:
'After the storm, life began again.
• Begin by: being curled up or bent over, as if by the wind.
• Then: slowly uncurl, stretch...
• Finally... stand tall and spread out, like a tree in full bloom

Now, read this headline from a newspaper about a person who stayed behind in their family
home after a devastating flood:
LEFT HIGH AND DRY, BUT REFUSING TO LEAVE

2. Spend two to three minutes thinking about this person:
• Who might this person be? Why did they decide to stay?
• What sort of person are they? What is their personality like?
3. Now, do a new version of the unfolding tree' exercise. This time, you are a person who has
hidden during a terrible storm and emerges from their hiding place.
What further ways could you identify in order to begin to put flesh and Here are three
possible scenarios in which you might shape this person's character through performance.
Oral diary A moment in the life A dance or song

of…
A monologue in which A series of actions showing Either a ritualized set of
you explain your situation you in your home with the repeated movements that
and your motives for flood all around outside (or represent your feelings or a
staying. even inside your home). song (or hummed music)
that conveys your feelings.
4. Choose one of these scenarios and spend five minutes preparing what to say or do. Then
share your improvised version with your group or class. Remember that you are trying to
communicate something about this particular person and their life.
KEY TERMS
monologue: a single speech by a character telling their story to the audience
ritual: important religious, cultural or social actions that people use or perform, such as
handshakes or bowing in courtesy, or offering gifts to a god or gods
insight: the ability to see deeper connections between ideas, characters, events and so on.
Devising is about shaping your performance: this means paying attention to ways in which
your performance is distinct and shows insight. So, how can you do this?
Like the tree that changes and grows back to life, it can be useful to show progression and
contrast in your acting. Taking the 'A moment in the life of.' scenario, here is an account by
one student of the opening to the devised work:
As the lights go up, I enter, stepping gingerly over a fallen table or chair. I stand for moment,
absorbed, in the centre of the stage, looking around me, helpless. Then, my eyes catch sight
of something on the ground to my left. I crouch down, and pick the item up in my fingertips.
It is delicate, dripping wet, so I shake it gently. It is a photo. I turn it around and hold it up
peering closely at it. Then, I crush it into a ball and throw it angrily to one side and stand up.
I dust myself down, take a broom and start sweeping, slowly at first and then more
vigorously and quickly.
Write some notes about how the student shaped

this presentation of the flood victim. Think about:
• the student's focus on specific details
• the use of contrasts in movement and gestures.
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For your role to be successful, it has to fit into the overall concept of your group's devised
work. This is what we might call ‘integrity’. This means that it fits the purpose of the piece,
but at the same time remains distinctive in its own right.
Look again at the devised work on the flood. Here is one group's set of additional characters
(not including the person who refuses to leave).
A: A reporter, intrigued by B's B: Another family member who
refusal to leave their ruined lives a long way away but has
home. offered the survivor a home.
C: An official from the local D: A strange wanderer or

town who wants the person outsider who has started
to leave because it is drawing visiting B and has befriended
attention to how little has them.
been done.
Here are some possible overall concepts (big ideas) for the devised drama:
• the individual against faceless bureaucracy and government
• how small humankind is in the face of nature
• how hope can grow from the smallest seed.
If you could choose, which of these concepts or

ideas would you prefer to work with? Why? Are
some more positive than others? Could you
include all of them in the same piece of drama?
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5. Now, look at the list of characters. Develop a back story' for them by copying and filling
out the character card below. You do not have to use all these details in your devised work,
but they will help make your character come to life. Pay particular attention to the motives.
Name (of character, if they have one):

Role:
Age:
Family (if any):
Personality:
Motive(s) (what they want from the situation):
A secret (something no one else knows about them):
6. Now, in order to shape your role further work with a partner and Talk about yourself (the
character you have chosen), your life and what you are doing at the flood site. Your partner
(and you when it is your turn), does not have to speak, but just nod or say uh hen in other
words, be a listener.
7. Finally, move into a group and discuss the scenario and the concept you will follow: It
could be one of the three listed above or something different (such as a love story or a story
of revenge), or it could be a combination of several ideas.
Look at this photo:
8. Is it possible to see from this photo what the big concept is?
Identity:
• proxemics and levels
• gestures and movement
• costume and staging.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

9. Prepare and run your own devised piece in your group based on the original headline
('Left high and dry...) and idea. You can use some, all or none of the characters or ideas
suggested earlier in the unit.

ü Be clear about your own role and its contribution to the overall concept
ü Think about how you can shape and develop your role so that it 'comes to life
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can contribute to devised work by developing my own role.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can fit my role clearly to the overall concept and 'big idea", and at the same time make it
distinctive and individual.
4.5 Evaluating and responding
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore written responses to devised work
Ø Evaluate your own work in a useful way
SPOTLIGHT ON: What makes an effective self-evaluation?
STARTING POINT
What are the elements of a successful evaluation of your own devised?
work? You will need to:
• explain fluently and clearly what the overall concept of the work was and how you
developed the overall concept through aspects of character, space, design, and staging.
• support your explanation with detailed evidence of what you did and how the work
developed.
• explain what was effective and how you or your group achieved this.
Your reflective log should prove helpful here, but the notes you have made will not be sufficient
in themselves when explaining your own and your group's work.
Read this response to a short question about the structure of a devised piece.
Our piece was about how a group of poor villagers discover some valuable ancient coins in
the village well. Some of the villagers want to destroy the well to dig up any other treasure
that might be there, but others - including my character, the Chief of the village - think there
is too much risk and it will lead to a lack of irrigation for the village farmers. This causes
conflict and leads to a vote, with the Chief being overthrown. The villagers dig up the well,
but there is nothing there. The final scene is of a withered village, with the old Chief slowly
burying the coin in the ground again. It was very sad to watch, and everyone understood the
difficult choice the villagers had to make. The vote was an important part because the
audience play the part of the villagers and they do the vote. We had two endings, but both
were sad.
1. What has the student done effectively?

2. What do you think could be improved?
Think about what you know about dramatic structure and overall concept.

3. Now read part of a longer response by a student from the same
group, explaining the group's use of space in the devised work
clear identification of location
The performance space we chose to use was a part of the
dimensions of space
school yard which is shaded by a cypress tree. The dimensions
of the space were approximately 10 metres by 8 metres in a
broadly oval shape with the limits of the acting space technical term explained in the next sentence
defined by the final audience members' position on either side.

We wanted to "break the fourth wall' so that the audience felt how this was achieved
they were part of the drama too- we sat the audience in a
three-quarter circle, so that they became part of the village the overall effect they wanted
when they voted for whether to dig up the village well. It was
meant to be intimate and personal.
We set it outside because we wanted to use the natural light to make it relevant and realistic.
The cypress tree was really important because it was a clear entrance/exit point for each
character - the idea was that it should look as if each villager almost grew out of the tree so
that this stressed the connection between the people and the land.
The focal point of the drama was the center of the dusty yard in front of the audience. Here,
we placed a large wicker basket, which signified the well. It drew everyone's eyes and no one
touched it till the final scene when it was slowly taken to pieces, symbolically.
The use of the space, the natural surroundings and the way we created intimacy was effective,
but there were some practical issues. Acting outside with bright sunlight and shade from the
tree meant that sometimes you couldn't see characters' expressions. If we had thought more
about this, we could have used it for Xavier, who played a sneaky villager, but we didn't, so
everyone suffered from being caught in the shadows.
4. Now answer these questions:
• Why did the group decide to set the drama outside?
• What was the function of the cypress tree?
• What was in the center of the acting space until the end of the piece?
• What wasn't effective about the choice of location?
You may not have spent much time thinking about your acting space in your devised work.
However, write some brief notes at this point about any of your devised work explaining:
• where it should take place
• what size and shape of space would work for you
• where you think the audience should sit or stand - and in what position - or
whether they should move, as in a promenade performance
• why you would make these decisions and what the effect of your choices might be.
KEY TERMS
promenade performance: where the audience members walk about from place to place
to follow the drama
It is important that you can explain the directorial concept of your group's devised work.
However, as you and your group try out different ideas, your vision (the big idea you are
trying to get across to the audience) is likely to change and evolve. Here are one student's
notes on the devised work about the village/treasure discussed in this unit:
Week Structure, action and Big idea / concept How will it be

characters shown
1 Villagers find valuable items Moral/mythic story The villager will
in well - leads to one villager about personal meet three sets of
destroying well to get consequences of greed. people on way: each
treasure, and leaving village. More stylised than one sells him
On the way, he gets lost as he realistic portrayal. something for part
tries to reach big city; he has Could be any time, any of the treasure -
to sell treasure for water and place. water. food, a
transport. Ends with nothing. donkey to ride. In
the end, he is back at
the village but
everyone has gone.
2 We've adapted story - Jac had Now. we've decided By getting audience
idea to make it more about story is about choices to make the
the village being divided. forced on a village by vote/choice as if
Now, will be about how climate change / they were villagers,
villagers vote whether to drought - neither we bring home fact
destroy well for promise of choice is a real choice - that villagers face
more treasure. Chief is short- term gain impossible situation.
against it. but he is against unlikely long-
overthrown. Well is term survival? More
destroyed but nothing is realistic tone/style.
found.
5. What was the original 'big idea' the group had in Week 1?
6. How did the focus of the story change in Week 2 when the group met? What was the new
concept / big idea?
7. How did the style of drama that the group was devising change? It can be useful to try to
express your big idea in a simple few sentences or a paragraph so that you have a general feel
for what you are trying to achieve.
8. Go back to your own devised work, either work in progress or work that you have
completed. What is the overall concept for the work? Write at least one paragraph trying to
capture the essence of the piece.
Here are the responses of two students writing about their development of character in their
different devised pieces.
Student A:
To play the part of the flood survivor, I watched some videos of flood victims picking through
the wreckage of their homes. Some seemed to be going through the motions, not really being
able to focus on the reality; others, were more practical. I decided to make character
practical, so I decided in the first scene that a gesture was important – she should be
mending something, perhaps a torn curtain, or sticking pages together in a book.
Student B:
How does the head of a village act, I wondered? I wanted my Chief to be proud, someone
who only speaks when he has to. I thought about wise people I knew – they listen carefully.
So I developed this idea that my character should always leave a pause before he answers, to
show he is thinking. In the first scene I decided to add a line that would be almost like a
catchphrase: ‘I am going to look at the stars…’
APPLYING THE SKILLS

9. Make notes on both responses, explaining how effectively each student has explained how
they developed their characters.
CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS:

ü Have they commented on what sort of person they wanted their character to be?
ü Did they explain how they developed the ideas originally?
ü Have they evaluated their use of speech or movement?
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify and comment on a range of aspects of my group’s devised work and say
what went well and didn’t
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can comment on the effectiveness of a range of elements of our devised work, evaluating
the ways in which it met the concept we had planned and the effect it had on the audience.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Plan, prepare and perform a devised piece of work
Ø Respond to tasks evaluating your work
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I plan, perform and evaluate my devised work to
the best of my ability?
STARTING POINT
Devised work begins with a stimulus or set of stimuli - this provides the source that will
generate ideas that lead to engaging devised work. Whether you are responding to stimuli
provided by a teacher, or from another source, the skills are broadly the same. Where you have
a choice, it is important to think carefully about which stimulus is likely to generate the most
compelling and fruitful work.
Look at the following three stimuli. One is a topic, the second a painting and the third a poem.
Stimulus 1
An unexpected arrival
Stimulus 2
This is a painting by Gustave Caillebotte called Le Pont de l'Europe.
Stimulus 3
Demeter
Where I lived - winter and hard earth.
I sat in my cold stone room
choosing tough words, granite, flint,
to break the ice. My broken heart

I tried that, but it skimmed,
flat, over the frozen lake.
She came from a long, long way,

but I saw her at last, walking,
my daughter, my girl, across the fields,
in bare feet, bringing all spring's flowers

to her mother's house. I swear
the air softened and warmed as she moved,
the blue sky smiling, none too soon,

with the small shy mouth of a new moon.
Carol Ann Dutty
Demeter: In Greek mythology, Demeter was goddess of the harvest. When her daughter,
Persephone, was abducted and taken into the underworld, the seasons halted and everything started
to die, until Persephone was finally released.
1. To begin with, work on your own and spend 5-10 minutes on each of these stimuli in turn,
generating ideas and considering narratives that might arise from them.
You may find it useful to look again at Units 4.1 and 4.2 to remind yourself of the most
effective ways to do this.
2. Note down your ideas and make sure you are able to relate them back to the original
stimuli.
3. For your devised work, you will be expected to work in groups of between two and six
performers, and your piece should last approximately 15 minutes.
Move into a group as directed by your teacher. Between you, make a choice about which of
the three stimuli you are going to use for your devised work.
4. Now discuss and plan out your basic ideas based on your chosen stimuli.
Make detailed notes on your ideas and the

thought-processes whereby your group chose
your stimulus - this will be useful later.
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As already indicated, it is vital you keep detailed notes throughout the process. This can be
done in a variety of ways. For example, you could keep a diary that identifies what you did at
each stage of the process. Subject to your teacher's approval, you could also take snaps on
your mobile phone to use as memory aids. These can be printed out or uploaded to your log
and annotated with notes about what you did.
SESSION 1: Group discussion on stimuli. We decided that...

SESSION 2: Trying out ideas. We felt that the stimulus lent
itself to a more stylized way of acting so...
SESSION 3:
SESSION 4:
Another good approach is to focus in on the particular aspects that you may have to write
about. One way of keeping track of your work is to create a series of pages for each lesson or
session spent on devised work divided into four sections. For example:
Lesson 1: date...
Directorial concept Design aspects
Characters and structure Performance space
5. You may not be able to complete all these parts in a single session, but by focusing on
them from the start, you will keep them as live issues for later sessions. Copy and complete
the tables as many times as you need to.

6. At this point, create a group script for your devised work based on the work completed for
Questions 1 to 4. This will need to be as close as possible to what you intend to perform.
There are plenty of examples of how to set out scripts in this book (for example in Chapters 2
and 6). Make sure that everyone in your group has an identical script.
7. Then, perform your devised piece with your group.
In a written examination, you are also likely to be asked questions about your piece that will
cover both practical and theoretical issues. Look at this exam-style question (written by the
authors):
Select one design aspect (for example, costume, set, masks, lighting, sound) and explain how
it contributed to the impact and effect of your devised piece.
8. Begin by checking over your notes to remind yourself of a particular design aspect your
group used, how you used it and what its function was.
9. Now, plan an answer based on the following structure, copying and completing the table:
Paragraph Prompts
1 Introduce the stimulus We used the stimulus of …
We chose this because…

2 Introduce the design aspect you have An important design aspect for us was …
identified and your main or first reason for
selecting it. Our main intention was to …
3. Explain how it was used and the intended It was used when/for/to…
effect
The effect we hoped to create was…
This was important because…

4. How effective was it? In my opinion, it was effective/ not as
effective as it could have been because…
5. What, if anything, would you do Having gone through the process, I have
differently? learned that ….
So…
APPLYING THE SKILLS

Here are two further exam-style questions (written by the authors) that ask about your
devised piece based on one of the three stimuli given at the start of this unit.
10. Using a structure like the one in the grid in Task 9 on the previous page, write your
response to either one of these questions.
a) What directorial concept did you base your devised piece on, and how effectively did
you communicate that concept to an audience?
b) How successfully did you use the performance space in staging your devised piece?
Now look at this extract from a response to Question 10 a):

basic identification of stimulus and
Our chosen stimulus was the painting of the Pont de why it was chosen
'Europe. We chose it because it already had some people
in the painting and it looked like it was telling a story, so
good use of technical term to
we thought we could build on that. describe style
Our concept was to create a naturalistic drama in which

clearly expressed
two different worlds meet each other. So, you've got like
the rich couple walking on a Sunday afternoon, and then
there's the guy to one side who is staring into the river,
backs up the concept in a basic way
like the worlds on his shoulders. We decided that we
wanted to split the action into two halves, so that you
would see him wearily getting ready and going out (we
decided he was someone who shines shoes) and then the
other two would be in their posh house.
The concept would be shown through how they acted and
clear idea if how the concept will be
spoke. So, the couple would use long words and talk about applied
art and going to the theatre, but the poor guy would be
talking to his elderly mother who he lived with about the
rent, and stuff like that.
Comment
This is a good, basic explanation of the concept which identifies what the group wanted to
achieve, but it is lacking in detail.
11. How do you think this response could be improved? Look at the Excellent progress'
pointers at the end of this chapter to focus your ideas.
Now read this extract from a response to the same question:
We decided to use Carol Ann Duffy's poem, 'Demeter as explains reason given for choice
our stimulus. We felt it played to our strengths as an all-
girl group, and we could utilize our dance and movement
skills as part of the work. shows understanding of main idea in
The core of the poem is the idea that death and corruption stimulus
is brought to the earth when Demeter's daughter is taken.
According to the myth, Zeus commands Persephone to be
released when he sees what is happening to the world, so
we created a scene where Demeter pleads with Zeus for reference to link between chosen
drama and myth basic comment
his help. This gave us our dramatic arc and climax - would
he agree? Myths are like fairy tales with their quests and
challenges so this seemed to work well.
basic comment identifies how
However, because we were dealing with myth, we didn't style
want a realist style drama but one that was mythic in tone, linked to concept
so we initially adopted masks for all characters. This,
however, created some difficulties of expression, so
instead we used simple black clothing. A key idea in the gives example of how
dramatic form can
poem is the connection between gods and the Earth, so we
be applied to source
chose to use our bodies to represent the living, and dying text
world. When Persephone is dragged off to the
underworld, a forest, made from our bodies, withers and
collapses. So, a physical, shape-shifting theatre with sums up concept
ritualized speech was the best concept.
12. How is this more effective than the previous response? Is there anything that could have
been explained in more detail?
13. Once you have completed your devised work on your chosen stimulus, write a response to
the 'directorial concept' task above.

ü Mention your chosen stimuli at the start
ü Be specific about what you did and the effect it has
ü Make sure you can clearly link your stimulus to the concept you have agreed on
ü Provide detailed evidence of how your concept was brought to life
ü Use appropriate drama terminology to explain your ideas and the effects created
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify the basic concept behind devised work and give examples to support
my ideas.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can explain the directorial concept in detail, drawing on specific theatrical forms
and styles to convey how effective it was.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

SOUND PROGRESS /
o I can identify a few simple ideas based on a given stimulus.
o I can identify a basic narrative structure for a devised piece.
o I can contribute ideas to group discussions about devised work.
o I can contribute to devised work by developing my own role.
o I can identify and comment on a range of aspects in my group's devised work and say
what went well and what didn't.
o I can identify the basic concept behind devised work and give examples to support my
ideas.
o I can generate a variety of ideas and evaluate which is likely to be the most interesting
and effective.
o I can consider a range of different narrative structures for a devised piece and help
select the most interesting one.
o I can contribute positively and help others develop ideas in group discussions about
devised work.
o I can fit my role clearly to the overall concept and 'big idea', and at the same time
make it distinctive and individual.
o l can comment on the effectiveness of a range of elements of our devised work,
evaluating the ways in which it met the concept we had planned and the effect: had
on the audience.
o I can explain the directorial concept in detail, drawing on specific theatrical form and
styles to convey how effective it was.
Chapter 5
PERFORMANCE
STARTING POINTS
In this chapter you will develop particular performance skills related to monologues and
longer group scripts, and consider different styles and ways of interpreting them.

• identify the possibilities of different forms of repertoire
• explore, develop and perform a group script
• explore the idea of interpretation
• apply the range of skills learned and apply this to a script from both formats to a final
monologue.
• explore, develop and perform a monologue of your choice
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The activities you complete will primarily relate to performance work, but you will
also be annotating scripts and responding to other sources as part of the process.
You will:
• read three short extracts and infer styles and forms of repertoire from them
• explore different interpretations of a famous scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet
• make your own interpretation of a role from Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
• develop, structure and perform a monologue from either Invisible Friends by
Alan Ayckbourn or La Bête by David Hirson
• develop, structure and perform a longer group script from The Madness of George Ill
by Alan Bennett
• apply all the skills you have learned to a monologue from Lorraine Hansberry's
A Raisin in the Sun
• answer a range of shorter and longer questions on scripts, processes and performance
• keep a reflective log in which you record what you have done, and reflect on, or
5.1 What is repertoire?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore what repertoire is
SPOTLIGHT ON: What is repertoire and how can I extend my knowledge of

different types of repertoire?
STARTING POINT
Not all drama begins on the written page. Famously, playwright and film director Mike Leigh
works with his actors to construct a script around key plots and characters, using
improvisation before the final drama is 'set in stone' and a script created. However, many plays
do begin as written works, with writers constructing carefully thought-out action,
characterization, staging, and so on. The wide range of written plays, from short one-act
monologues to multi-character epics, can be called 'repertoire'

In order to be able to interpret and work with written drama, you need to have a good
knowledge of the range of written drama that exists. You also need to be able to identify
different forms and styles of drama.
1. Read these three very short extracts from different scripts. What can you deduce or infer
about them from the small amount of information given?
Extract A
WALTER: (at the window) Just look at 'em down there... Running and racing to work.
He turns and faces his wife and watches her a moment at the stove, and then, suddenly -
You look young this morning, baby.
RUTH: (indifferently) Yeah?
WALTER: Just for a second - stirring them eggs. It's gone now - jus:
for a second it was - you looked real young again. (Then
drily.) It's gone now - you look like yourself again.
RUTH: Man, if you don't shut up and leave me alone.
Lorraine Hansberry, from A Raisin in the Sun
Extract B
CYRANO: …I ask you only this - when the great cold
Gathers around my bones, that you may give
A double meaning to your widow's weeds' And the tears you let
fall for him may be For a little - my tears.
ROXANE: (Sobbing) Oh my love!

Edmond Rostand, from Cyrano de Bergeral
Extract C
SANJAY:
Not much of a place is it? But then beggars can’t be choosers… which is kind of funny, as I
was a beggar before they let me have this place. My own place. Well, not mine, strictly – I
rent it, of course, but it’s better than under the bridge by the river, with the rats, the low-life,
the police, the constant cold and… (pauses) Best not to think of it, eh? Cos that’s all behind
me.
Picks up kettle and fills it.
Cups of tea when I want it. My own bed. With a mattress. OK, it’s seen better days, but it’s a
start, a beginning of.. well, not exactly a new life, but a very good second-hand one.
Mike Gould

3. What other scripts have you come across in your work from this book, or in class? Can you
add the plays to your copy of the table, summing up their styles/genres, time, mood and
action?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

4. How widely read are you when it comes to a range of plays in different styles and forms?
Look at the list below. Have you heard of any of these forms?
• Victorian melodrama
• Comedy of the absurd
• Revenge drama
• Classical tragedy
Do some brief research about each genre and make simple notes about key conventions of
each. Make a list of well-known authors associated with them and any famous play titles.

ü Note down key differences and similarities between styles and forms
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify differences between styles of written play.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can infer detailed ideas about styles, action and tone from a range of plays.
5.2 Interpreting the repertoire
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore the idea of interpretation
Ø Apply what you have learned to a short script
SPOTLIGHT ON: What is interpretation and why does it matter?

STARTING POINT
Think about the moment you pick up a playscript for the first time. What are the questions
going through your head? Perhaps you are wondering what sort of person you are going to
play? Or maybe you're interested in the action - what happens, what type of drama will it be?
Whatever you ultimately decide, your decisions will be an interpretation, your 'take' on the
script.
KEY TERMS
interpretation: the particular approach taken to a text in order to bring it to life on the
stage

1. Look at the following images. They are both taken from the same well-known scene from
Romeo and Juliet. In what ways are they different? Who decided to stage/play them this
way?
2. Can you infer anything particular about how the director or actors wanted the audience to
'see' the play from the images here?
The particular interpretation, whether it is a traditional, period version, or something more

modern and closer to our own lives, has to be realized - that is, brought to life from the same
words on the page that millions of people have read. So, how is this done?

It is a good idea to begin with the script itself and work from there. All the interpretations of
Romeo and Juliet will have been the result of someone - or more likely, a team of people -
seeing something in the play that they want to stress or focus on. However, you need to ask
key questions of the script first.
Key questions What does it mean?
What is the style or genre of the play? Does the play belong to a recognizable type?
For example, is it a tragedy, and if so, does
it conform to what we expect from
tragedies? (For example, a great person
brought down by a fatal weakness.)
Perhaps the play breaks with tradition and
does things slightly differently - if so how?
The style or genre might also be related to a
particular movement or time - for example,
Victorian melodrama, or mid-20th century
absurdist works.
What do I know about the character or role What is my character's role or function in
I am playing or working with? the play? The author may have given me
information about them: what is it? Do they
wear particular clothes or behave in
particular ways? Are they the protagonist or
the antagonist, or do they have some other
part to play? What effect do they have on
the action - does it change as a result of
what they say and do?
What are the key issues when How much information has the playwright
moving from page to stage? provided, and how far should I/we divert
from this? What are the technical or
practical issues around staging or
performing? What are the possibilities -
how far can, or should, we go?
3. Look at the opening lines, including the dialogue and stage directions, of any play and
make brief notes on:
• what the writer tells us about the style, characters and setting
• what is left to our own interpretation.
In order to test these out, you are going to look at an extract from the play Cyrano de
Bergerac set in 1640. It concerns a flamboyant, witty knight who is both brave and
intelligent. He falls for a beautiful woman, Roxane, but because of what he believes is his
ugliness (he has a very large nose), does not reveal his love until the end of the play. In
the final act, set in late autumn, Cyrano is dying and hallucinating from a wound given him
by one of his enemies. He has gone to see Roxane in the park of a convent where she has
been living since the death of her young lover, Christian. Cyrano has half-collapsed into a
chair by a tree in the garden:
The chapel bell is ringing. Along the avenue of trees above the stairway, the nuns pass in
procession to their prayers. They are going to pray now; there is the bell.
CYRANO: They are going to pray now; there is the bell.

ROXANE: (Raises herself and calls to them)
Sister! - Sister! -
CYRANO: (Holding on to her hand)
No, - do not go away
I may not still be here when you return.
The nuns have gone into the chapel. The organ begins to play.
A little harmony is all I need -

Listen.
ROXANE: You shall not die! I love you!
CYRANO: No -
That is not in the story! You remember
When Beauty said 'I love you' to the Beast
That was a fairy prince, his ugliness
Changed and dissolved, like magic... But you see
I am still the same.
ROXANE: And | - | have done
This to you! All my fault - mine!
CYRANO: You? Why no,
On the contrary! I had never known
Womanhood and sweetness but for you
Edmond Rostand, from Cyrano de Bergerac
4. Based on what you have read, what do you think is the style or genre of the play? (You
read a short extract from Cyrano in Unit 5.1, so you can refer to that, too, if you wish.) What
clues are there in what happens and in the subject matter?
5. What role do you think Cyrano plays in the action? Does he fit in with a particular type of
character you have seen in other plays? What clues are we given about his character from
how he speaks and behaves?
6. Based just on what you have read here, what particular challenges would you face in
moving this from page to stage? You could think lighting and sound. about the style of the
play, but also things such as costume, design, lighting and sound.
Now, read this discussion between a trio of students considering how to bring the extract to
the stage. How effective do you think their ideas are?
Saj: So, this clearly has aspects of fairy tale. I mean, Cyrano even talks about
"Beauty and the Beast' so I think it makes sense to try to design it in a
magical way - like the garden is itself magical.
Tim: But Cyrano says it isn't like the story - because when she says she loves him,
he doesn't turn into a prince.
Emma: I agree. I think if we play it too much like a fairy tale, it will become
melodramatic. I think it needs to be sad and sweet, gentle…
7. What is good about this discussion?

8. Does it go far enough in helping with the design or acting?
9. Now, look at one student's notes on playing Cyrano. How has he taken the script (or the
information you have been told about the final act) and brought it to life?
he looks at her very directly, but with a weary

CYRANO: No –
tone
That is not in the story! You remember

he turns away for a moment, unable to look her
When Beauty said l love you' to the Beast
in the eye
That was a fairy prince, his ugliness
Changed and dissolved, like magic..
But you see he rubs two withered leaves together in his
I am still the same. hand till they crumble
slight ironic smile, as he turns his face

(and nose) towards her
APPLYING THE SKILLS
10. Now select either the character of Cyrano or Roxane and, using a copy of the extract,
make your own notes on how you would interpret the particular role. (You may feel you need
to find out a little bit more about the play/story first.)

ü Bear in mind your own interpretation of the scene - decide how ‘real’ you Wish it to
be in terms of matching the period) and what tone/mood you wish to convey
ü Consider what particular tones, gestures and proxemics you would use
SOUND PROGRESS
*I can draw my own conclusions about the style of a play and imagine it on stage.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
* I can infer ideas about a play's genre and style, consider a number of opinions and
use this to make my own interpretation.
5.3 Exploring monologues
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Consider factors to help you to choose a monologue
Ø Explore how to develop a character
Ø Begin structuring a monologue performance
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I begin to approach my monologue preparation?
STARTING POINT
As part of your work you will be required to choose, rehearse and perform a monologue of
between three and five minutes in length from any play. This may seem daunting, but you can
narrow down your choice by asking yourself:
• Would I prefer a comedy or a tragedy, or something in between?
• What style would I prefer? For example, physical, naturalistic, classical, contemporary?
• When I read the first few lines of a monologue aloud, do I like it? Does it capture my
interest?
There are a number of monologue books available, but these will only give you a brief outline
of the play and the character. It is important for you to read the whole play that your
monologue is from, in order to gain knowledge of your character's emotional journey and
objective for the speech. The historical or social context of the play will also give you a
perspective on the character and provide you with clues and ideas as to how to play the role.
KEY TERMS
monologue: a longer section of speech that is part of the action delivered by one actor,
either alone or usually with other characters on stage

1. Read the following contrasting monologues:
Monologue A
In this monologue, Lucy 'revives' her imaginary friend as she feels ignored by her family.
'Grisly Gary’ is her brother.
LUCY: You may have heard my mum talking about my invisible friend. Do you remember?
Well, that's my invisible friend, Zara. (introducing her) This is Zara. I want you to meet Zara.
Zara, say hello. That's it. Will you say hello to Zara, my invisible friend? I invented Zara - oh,
years ago - when I was seven or eight. Just for fun. I think I was ill at that time and wasn't
allowed to play with any of my real friends, so I made up Zara. She's my special friend that no
one can see except me. Of course, I can't really see her either. Not really. Although sometimes
I... It's almost as if I could see her, sometimes. If I concentrate very hard it's like I can just
glimpse her out of the corner of my eye.
(She is thoughtful for a second) Still. Anyway. I've kept Zara for years and years. Until they all
started saying I was much too old for that sort of thing and got worried and started talking
about sending for a doctor. So then I didn't take her round with me quite so much after that.
But she's still here. And when I feel really sad and depressed like I do today, then I sit and talk
to Zara. Zara always understands. Zara always listens She's special. Aren't you, Zara?
(She listens to Zara) What's that? Yes, I wish he'd turn his music down, too. I've asked him,
haven't I? (mimicking Gary) 'How can I hear it if I turn it down, I can't hear the bass then, can
I?' I used to have pictures in here but every time he put a disc on they fell off the walls.
(Pause. The music continues) I mean, don't get me wrong. We like loud music, don't
we Zara? We love loud music. Sometimes.
(Yelling) BUT NOT ALL THE TIME.
(Pause)
Why doesn't he ever listen to quiet music? Just once? Wouldn't that be nice? [...] But if he did
that, he wouldn't be Grisly Gary then, would he?
(Pause)
Oh, Zara, did I tell you I've been picked for the school swimming team? Isn't that exciting?
Yes. Thank you. I'm glad you're excited, too. Good.
(Pause)
(Shouting) IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED AT ALL, I WAS PICKED FOR THE SCHOOL

SWIMMING TEAM TODAY. WHAT ABOUT THAT, FOLKS?
(She listens. No reply)
Great. Thanks for your support, everyone. (tearful) They might at least... They could have at
least.. Oh, Zara... I know you're always here, but sometimes I get so. lonely..
(She sits on her bed, sad, angry and frustrated)
Alan Ayckbourn, from Invisible Friends
Monologue B
Valere, a vain actor has just been criticized by a fellow performer. When Valere asks for written
critiques, the other actor asks why; this monologue is Valere's response. NB This play is set in
1654, but was Witten in 1991. The playwright stresses that The pace is frantic
VALERE:
Because I'm anxious to improve!
Is that so strange, my wanting to remove
The flaws from my persona? Surely not!
I loathe a blemish! I despise a spot!
Perfection is the goal towards which I strive
(For me, that's what it means to be alive)
And, hence, I'm grateful for a shrewd
critique:
It keeps my talent honest, so to speak!
We of the theatre share that common view
The criticisms of the things we do
Inspire our interest, not our hurt or rage:
We know it's part of "being on the stage"
To have oneself assessed at every turn,
And thus we show a willingness to learn
From judgements which might wound
another man.
I much prefer to any drooling fan
A critic who will SLICE me into parts!
GOD LOVE THE CRITICS! BLESS THEIR
PICKY HEARTS!
Precisely, and in no uncertain terms,
They halve the apple, showing us our worms.
David Hirson, from La Bête
2. Write down your initial thoughts about each monologue. What insights are you given into
the characters? Think about:
• what we find out about their situation or context
• what emotions each character displays.
3. How does the structure and layout of the language help us to understand the character?
Think about:
• whether the language is formal or informal
• whether the layout on the page suggests a rhythm
• whether the punctuation indicates particular emotions (such as calm or anxiety).
4. Now, copy and complete the following table referring to the style of
each monologue. Tick the boxes that apply in each case.
Monologue A B
Contemporary
Classical
Verse
Prose
Fast pace
Slow pace
Comic
Tragic
To the audience
To other characters

Now that you have explored both texts, choose either monologue A or B as one you are going
to work with.
5. Reread your chosen monologue. Now, use a table like the one below to write down any
emotions shown by the speaker and how they change over the course of the speeches. For
example, for Monologue A, does Lucy start off her monologue in a bright and
cheerful manner, or sullen and angry?
Starting emotion Any changes in between Final emotion
6. How would you like the audience to feel when watching your performance? Do you want
them to empathize and identify with the character, or to feel hatred and scorn? Write a short
paragraph describing your intention for the monologue.
Identify reasons that you have chosen the

monologue and how you feel about the speaker.
What do you think is important to bring out and
highlight for your audience?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
You can now begin to develop your characterization. This will be based on factual
information you have found out (such as the character's age, family situation and so on) as
well as your own interpretation of them (what sort of person you think they are).
7. Look at the diagram below. Copy and complete this, adding in information about the
character and your own ideas. Notice the links that can be made between the different areas,
and add more links of your own.
8. Ask a friend to hot-seat you - they can ask you questions that you must answer
spontaneously in character. Write down any extra character information that you produce.
With a developed understanding of the character and the context of the monologue, you can
now shape and structure it. Think of the speech like a piece of music, with crescendos (parts
that get louder), diminuendos (parts that get quieter), pauses and varying pace. You can
orchestrate the piece carefully to achieve the most effective emotional response.
9. Now draw a graph that represents the monologue. Plot the peaks and troughs' of
emotional intensity so that you can visualize the shape of the piece.
Blocking will also help you to create the mood you want.
KEY TERMS
blocking: the deliberate choices made as to where actors will stand or move to on stage
during a scene; these decisions involve careful consideration of character
relationships and the creation of interesting stage pictures
10. Focus on a small section of your monologue. What blocking do you think should be used?
Think about:
• your character's physicality at this moment
• whether your character should be sitting, standing, or moving (or move between all
these)
• when moments of stillness might be more effective than movement.
11. Now look at this example, based on monologue B, of one student's annotation of part of
the script:
Emphasize sarcasm, focus on contrast between 'interest,
'hurt' and rage. Last two said with bitter, hissing tone
VALERE:
The criticisms of the things we do
Use large, flourishing movements and proud vocal tone to
Inspire our interest, not our hurt or rage:
highlight more sarcasm
We know it's part of "being on the stage"
To have oneself assessed at every turn,
Bring out the words assessed' and every turn by focusing on
And thus we show a willingness to learn
consonants, hissing again
From judgements which might wound another man.
I much prefer to any drooling fan
A critic who will SLICE me into parts!
GOD LOVE THE CRITICS! BLESS THEIR PICKY HEARTS!
Emphasize drooling fan' by elongating the o' sound of the word and
relaxing muscles to produce fluid, pathetic movement
Move swiftly towards other actor, use sharp, chopping hand gesture
to indicate a sudden slice. Slice spoken much louder than other
words, start to build up intensity for climax on the next line
Biggest climax in volume and emotion, with an angry,
sarcastic tone and large open physicality
12. What blocking have they put in place?

13. In what ways could they have been more precise?
APPLYING THE SKILLS

14. Now, annotate your own selected section of your monologue in the same way, identifying
and drawing out the emotions, intentions and character interpretations you have worked on.
15. Finally, perform either the whole monologue, or this selected part of it.

ü Use emotional changes to guide your performance
ü Think about how you can block the piece to develop the story of the monologue
ü Communicate meaning through facial expressions, physicality and vocal skills
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can confidently deliver a monologue that is clear and well structured.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can develop a detailed characterization and interpretation for my well-structured
monologue.
5.4 Exploring group scripts
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Learn approaches to start exploring and rehearsing an extract for performance
Ø Consider ways to shape scenes and interact on stage, developing meaning and
impact
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can my group rehearse our script effectively?

STARTING POINT
Rehearsing and performing a script as part of a group requires a range of key
skills and areas to focus on:
• personal, individual preparation of character (as in Unit 5.3)
• the relationship that your character has with others on stage (in plot and through
proxemics)
• the plot, purpose and shape of the scene itself (make sure everyone in your group has
read the whole play)
• emotional content, subtext, intention and meaning
• the social, historical and possibly political context of the play itself.
KEY TERMS
subtext: underlying meaning within dialogue or a scene; often the unspoken, real motives
or thoughts of a character
1. Have you worked on a group script before? What did you find difficult or challenging?
What worked well?

Although there is a lot to think about, there are some approaches to rehearsal that will allow
the key elements to fall into place naturally as you explore the piece. However, the following
is just one way to approach the process.
2. Begin by reading the following scene from The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett. Do
it first on your own and then aloud with the rest of your group. The cast read-through, in
particular, will help spark initial thoughts and ideas for characterization and interpretation.
In this scene, King George meets Willis for the first time and has just been delivering a long
'mad', rambling speech. Willis has been employed to try and cure the king of his illness
KING slowly circles WILLIS, looking at him keenly but with no change in his tone.
KING: We can plough a furrow, you know, give us a field, a decent plough
and we could plough you a furrow as straight as a ruler, straight as a
ruler done by a ruler, and another beside it and another beside that
until you had as pretty a ploughed field as you could find this side of
Cirencester. Put us out of our kingdom tomorrow and I would not want
for employment.
WILLIS: I have a farm.
KING: Give me the management of fifty acres and ploughing and sowing and
harvest, and I could do it and make me a handsome profit into the bargain.
WILLIS: I said I have a farm, Your Majesty.
The KING stops, looks at him.
GREVILLE: This gentleman, sir, has made the illness under which Your Majesty
labors his special study.
WILLIS: (TO GREVILLE) Hush, sir.
KING: A mad doctor, is it? I am not mad, Just nervous.
WILLIS: I will endeavor to alleviate some of the inconveniences from which
Your Majesty suffers.
KING: Inconveniences? Insults. Assaults. And salts beside rubbed into these
wounds, sir. See. (WILLIS loosens the bandages to look at the sores on
his legs.) I eat my meals with a spoon, sir. A pusher. George by the Grace
of God King of England, Ireland, Scotland, Elector of Hanover, Duke of
Brunswick. A pusher. By your dress, sir, and general demeanor I would
say you were a minister of God.
WILLIS: That is true, Your Majesty. I was once in the service of the Church, now I
practice medicine.
KING: Then I am sorry for it. You have quitted a profession I have always loved,
and embraced one I most heartily detest.
WILLIS: Our Savior went about healing the sick.
KING: Yes, but he had not £700 a year for it.
(GREVILLE and the PAGES /augh. WILLIS does not laugh.)
Yes, but he had not £700 a year for it, eh? Not bad for a madman.
WILLIS: I have a hospital in Lincolnshire, sir.
KING: I know Lincolnshire. Fine sheep. Admirable sheep. There are pigs, too.
Pigs can be very fine. Hay is the means of maintenance of the cow,
grass of the sheep, goats of the horse, and pigs will eat anything. I have a
fondness for pigs. But I know of no hospitals.
WILLIS: We have cows and sheep and pigs also.
KING: In the hospital? Are they mad too?
WILLIS: My patients work, sir. They till the soil. They cultivate and in so doing
they acquire a better conceit of themselves.
KING: I am King of England, sir. A man can have no better conceit of himself
than that.
WILLIS suddenly takes hold of the KING's shoulder, and the KING freezes
FITZROY, GREVILLE and the PAGES are plainly shocked and the KING rigid with anger.
WILLIS deliberately looks the KING in the eye.)
KING: Do you look at me, sir?
WILLIS: I do, sir.
KING: I have you in my eye.
WILLIS: No. I have you in my eye.
KING: You are bold, but by God I am bolder.
(The KING suddenly goes for WILLS but WILLIS dodges and the force of the rush makes
the KING fall down. He remains sitting on the ground, while WILLIS lectures him.)
WILLIS: You can control your utterance, sir, if you would. I believe you can be
well if only you will.
KING: Do not look at me. I am not one of your farmers.
WILLIS: Your Majesty must behave, or endeavor to do so.
KING: (Still struggling) Must, must? Whose must? You must or my must?
No must. Get away from me.
PAPANDIEK: Easy sir, easy.
KING: (As they try to get him up) No, no. Leave me, boys. Let me sit upon the
ground and tell...tell-tell-tell-tell..tell this lump-headed fool to shut his
gob box. You..
WILLIS: Clean your tongue, sir. Clean your tongue.
GRENVILLE: Hush. sir.
PAPANDIEK: Be still, sir.
KING: I will not be still. I will be a quest in the graveyard first.
WILLIS: Very well. If Your Majesty does not behave, you must be restrained.
(WILLIS opens the door and three of his servants, grim-faced and in leather aprons,
wheel in the restraining chair, a wooden contraption with clamps for the arms and legs
and a band for the head. The sight of the restraining chair momentarily silences the KING.)
KING: When felons were induced to talk they were first shown the instrument
of their torture. The King is shown the instrument of his to induce him
not to talk. Well, I won't, I won't. Not for you or anyone.
(The KING begins abusing them again, with a torrent of obscenity, as, quietly at first,
but growing louder as the scene comes to its climax, we hear Handel's Coronation
Anthem, Zadok the Priest. One servant thrusts aside the protesting PAGES while the
other two lift the KING up and amid the ensuing pandemonium manhandle him into
the restraining chair.)
See them off boys! See them off! (As he is hauled to the chair) Damn you. I’ll
have you all thrashed for this! Horse-whipped. Lie off, you rascals. Lie off.
FITZROY: This is unseemly, sir. Who are these ruffians?
GRENVILLE: You have no business, sir. His Majesty is ill.
BRAUN: Go easy, my old love.
PAPANDIEK: Steady, Your Majesty, steady. Leave off, leave off.
FITZROY: I must inform His Royal Highness. This is a scandal
GRENVILLE: Call off your dogs, sir. Who are these barkers?
WILLIS: If the King refuses food he will be restrained. If he claims to have no
appetite he will be restrained. If he swears and indulges in meaningless
discourse he will be restrained. If he throws off his bedclothes, tears
away his bandages, scratches at his sores, and if he does not strive every
day and always towards his own recovery, then he must be restrained.
(WILLIS's men stand back from the KING and we see that he has been strapped into
the chair, feet and arms clamped, his head held rigid by a band round his forehead.)
KING: (Howling) I am the King of England.
WILLIS: No, sir. You are the patient.
(The Coronation Anthem finally reaches its climax and bursts forth in the chorus of
Zadok the Priest, as the KING struggles, howling, in the chair, with WILLIS's men lined up
behind him.)
3. Now, research some key aspects that will help with your groups performance of the
extract. Each member of your group could take one of these areas: historical, political and
social context, the playwright; the plot; other performances of the play; images.
4. Then, discuss the following points with your group:
• What are your and your fellow cast members' initial thoughts about the extract?
• What is happening in this scene and why is it important?
• What is the context, both within the play and within history or society?
• What has changed or developed for your character in this extract and indeed in the
play as a whole up to this moment?
• How does the specific inclusion of sound (the music) help to shape the scene?
• What impact should this scene have on stage and why?
• What overall themes do you see as being explored here?

In order to develop a piece that makes sense and has a 'shape' to it, you need to break the
piece down before putting it all together again. Marking the moment' is one key way of
shaping the performance.
5. Begin by identifying key moments within the scene that you feel are important to
highlight: for example, moments when there are changes in emotion, pace or intensity.
It will help to choose one from the very beginning and the final moment, with three fairly
evenly spaced moments in between. Once you have made your choice, copy and complete
this table. (Two suggestions have been made for you but you may want to adapt or change
these.)
1 The King's speech
2
3
4
5 King strapped into the chair with Willis's men behind him
6. Now create a still image or tableau for each of these moments. Try to capture the emotions
and intentions of each character within these images. Use proxemics, thinking
carefully about constructing the tableaux for maximum impact.
Experiment with:
• levels
• facial expressions
• variety in physicality and actions.
Your aim is to capture the feel of the entire extract by presenting the tableaux in sequence,
creating a smooth, silent overview of the scene. By exploring the and sense of modulation
within the piece. Rooting the piece initially in these important moments will help you to
develop tension and emotional peaks.
Jot down any decisions that your group made
about the key characters, themes and intentions,
and remind yourselves of these features as you
rehearse. Check that you remain true to these or
notice and log if opinions change and develop.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
7. Now run through the scene with dialogue, but each time you reach one of your moments,
hold the tableau for four seconds before continuing with the scene. Once you have tried this
technique, makes notes about anything that worked particularly well and whether there was
anything that needed to change.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

You have worked on some selected moments from your scene, but now it is time to prepare
the entire extract.
8. As a group, decide on some general blocking of the scene. You have read about the way
that stage configuration and design can aid you in projecting your message, so agree on the
stage layout first. As you rehearse vou should not be afraid to confirm, tighten up or change
areas if something is not working.
9. Now, take the script a section at a time and annotate carefully as you rehearse. An example
is given below. Think about:
• blocking
• proxemics
• balance on the stage
• variety of action, movement, physicality and facial expressions
• the moments you previously marked as important.
10. Finally, perform your script as a group, using what you have learned to guide you.

ü Demonstrate your understanding of the context and intention of the scene in your
preparation and performance
ü Make sure your own character is fully developed so that you can interact in a
meaningful way with others on stage
ü Include 'light and shade' in your performance, by building up times of emotional
climax or by softening the gentler moments
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can rehearse and perform a well-constructed scene with my group, giving a clear sense of
plot and character development.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can confidently perform a scene that demonstrates my knowledge of subtext and
meaning, by identifying and developing key moments and themes within the piece.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Apply the skills you have learned to a monologue
SPOTLIGHT POINT
Read this monologue that comes from the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.
Walter, 35, shares a poor, run-down apartment with his wife Ruth, his son Travis aged 10 or
11, and his sister and mother. His mother has given him her savings to put into the bank, but
he has decided to invest it with a somewhat unreliable man he knows.
Travis: What you gonna do tonight, Daddy?
Walter: You wouldn't understand yet, son, but your daddy's gonna make a
transaction... a business transaction that's gonna change our lives..
that's how come one day when you 'bout seventeen years old I'Il come
home and I'll be pretty tired, you know what I mean, after a day of
conferences and secretaries getting things wrong the way they do.
'cause an executive's life is hell, man - (The more he talks, the further
away he gets.) And I'll pull the car up on the driveway... just a plain
black Chrysler, I think with white walls - no - black tires. More elegant.
Rich people don't have to be flashy... though I'll get something a little
sportier for Ruth - maybe a Cadillac convertible to do her shopping
in... And I'll come up the steps to the house and the gardener will
be clipping away at the hedges and I'll say 'Hello, Jefferson, how are
you this evening?' And I ‘Il go inside and Ruth will come downstairs
and meet me at the door and we'll kiss each other, she'll take my arm
and we'll go up to your room to see you sitting on the floor with the
catalogues of all the great schools in America around you... All the
great schools in the world! And - and I'll say, all right son - it's your
seventeenth birthday, what is it you've decided?.... Just tell me, what is
it. you want to be - and you'll be it... Whatever you want to be - Yessir!

1. Make some initial notes on:
• your impressions of Walter
• his situation and intentions (what he hopes will happen)
• the overall form and style of his speech (is it classical, modern, formal, informal?)
• who Walter is speaking to (his son, the audience, both or neither?)
• any particular words, phrases or sections that stand out.
Try to draw on the ideas you learned about in Unit 5.3.
The context of the speech is useful for your interpretation. Walter has already expressed his
desire to invest in a scheme run by a friend, but his wife and mother both see it as foolhardy.
The play also takes place between World War II and the mid-1950s, a time of opportunity for
many Americans who dreamed of making something of themselves.
However, these opportunities were not always open to black people.
2. Now develop a fuller picture of Walter. Use the spider diagram format from Unit 5.3 or
simply write a sentence or two about each of these elements below:
• Walter's emotional state
• his physicality (how you think he will move, use space)
• his voice
• how he might be dressed - his costume
• his background/life and how this might affect your performance.
3. Next, annotate a copy of the speech, adding your ideas to it. Think about tone of voice,
movements, gestures and how you will block the speech, and what intentions you have in
terms of communicating meaning to the audience. Are there opportunities for you to
contrast pace (e.g. slow to fast), intensity and lightness, or humor and sadness?
in control, but excited: moves towards son,

center stage left - pulls up chair and sits, looks at
You wouldn't understand yet, son, but your Travis directly
daddy's gonna make a transaction…..
conspiratorial: looks over his shoulders, as

if to check if anyone is listening
Do your own research into A Raisin in the Sun

and make some basic notes on the story as a
whole and its key themes. If you can, try to read a
copy of the play.
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APPLYING THE SKILLS
4. Now prepare your monologue and perform it for a group or your class as a whole.

ü Break down the speech into significant, 'marked' moments that signal changes in
emotion
ü Try to convey your own understanding of both Walter's character and the style of the
piece
ü Create emotional impact and moments of change, and introduce both light and shade
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify a basic characterization for a monologue and convey a clear idea of my
chosen character.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can develop a detailed and thoughtful representation of my character and create
the intended impact on my audience.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

SOUND PROGRESS /
o l can identify the differences between styles of written play.
o I can draw my own conclusions about the style of a play and imagine it on stage.
o I can confidently deliver a monologue that is clear and well structured.
o I can rehearse and perform a well-constructed scene with my group, giving a clear
sense of plot and character development.
o I can identify a basic characterization for a monologue and convey a clear idea of my
chosen character.
o I can infer detailed ideas about styles, action and tone from a range of plays.
o I can infer ideas about a play's genre and style, consider a number of options and use
this to make my own interpretation.
o I can develop a detailed characterization and interpretation for my well-structure
monologue.
o I can confidently perform a scene that demonstrates my knowledge of subtext and
meaning, by identifying and developing key moments and themes within the piece.
o I can develop a detailed and thoughtful representation of my character and create the
intended impact on my audience.
Chapter 6
EXTENDED
SCRIPTS
STARTING POINTS
In this chapter you are going to develop a range of skills related to responding to tasks
on a longer script.

• consider possible approaches and interpretations when working on a longer script
• express ideas in your responses in succinct yet informed ways
• read and evaluate example students'
• focus on specific elements within a responses to a longer script. longer script and learn
about the different skills required to address them
CHAPTER CONTENTS
The activities you complete will primarily relate to written responses to extended
scripts, but you will also participate in other practical activities as a way of engaging
with the scripts themselves.
You will:
• read and respond with practical activities to extracts from the play Humble Boy by
Charlotte Jones
• write two short written responses about suggested acting approaches for characters in
Humble Boy
• consider how particular props might be used in Humble Boy and what their function
might be
• trace a character's development in Humble Boy across a longer extract and sustain a
written response about the character, addressing a wide range of performance aspects
• read and explore an extract from the play Strife by John Galsworthy
• evaluate a range of responses to Strife in relation to costume design and the role of
two of the characters
6.1 Exploring a longer script
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Explore the opening to a longer script
Ø Consider possible interpretations and approaches
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I break down a longer script so that I can engage
with its ideas and structures?
STARTING POINT
When tackling a longer script, you will need to use many, if not all, of the techniques and
approaches you have worked on throughout this book. Above all, it is vital to give the script
itself a detailed and thoughtful reading, trying to engage with key ideas in it.
Read the following opening to the play Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones. This is an abridged
(that is, shortened) version.
1. As you read it, make some basic notes about what seem to be the central motifs or ideas
running through it.
KEY TERMS
motif: a symbol, image, or turn of phrase that crops up repeatedly in a text
The context of the play

First performed in 2001, Humble Boy deals with the ramifications of the death of James
Humble, whose funeral precedes the opening scene. His son, Felix, aged 35, has returned
home and has arrived at the family house. The play explores grief and absence, and
underlying conflict in family relationships. It also has strong echoes of William
Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. This extract concerns three of the cast: Felix, his mother Flora,
and her friend, Mercy.
Scene One
Set: a pretty country garden. Perhaps the suggestions of a house or a glass conservatory from
which the characters enter into the garden. A patio area, perhaps with a path through the
garden. At the back there is an area for gardening tools; a gardening chair or stool. There is a
garden hosepipe wound up there. Something of a lawn with borders. A rose bush. At the end
of the garden there is a large beehive.
The suggestion of an apple tree - perhaps just some overhanging branches with a few apples.
The stage is in darkness. There is music. Perhaps resonant of The Flight of the Bumblebee'.
The beehive lights up to suggest the bees leaving the hive. The lights fade up on the rest of
the garden. The music is still playing and the hive continues to throb with light.
Felix Humble walks in a stumbling, uncertain way into the garden. He is transfixed by the
hive. He is an overweight but not unattractive man of about 35. He wears old and slightly
greying cricket clothes, despite the fact that he is not a sportsman by any stretch of the
imagination. He climbs up the steps and takes off the lid of the hive and looks in. The music
ends.
Mercy Lott enters the garden. She is wearing black clothes with brown shoes. She is in her
late fifties, a petite and timid, mousy woman. She watches Felix with concern. She
approaches him but doesn't get too close. Felix glances at her; then returns his attention to
the hive.
Felix: (he stumbles on the letter "b') The b-b-b-bees have gone.
Mercy: Yes, dear. Will you come in now?
Felix: They took the b-bees away. I saw them.
Mercy: Your mother isn't cross. She just wants you to come in.
Felix: There were four of them. The bee-keepers. All in white.
Mercy: I'm sure if you just say a little sorry to her
Felix: They looked like astronauts.
Mercy: Did they?
Felix: Or cosmonauts. Depending.
Mercy: On what, dear?
Felix: If we were in Russia.
[...]
Felix puts the lid back on and climbs slowly and awkwardly down.
Felix: What do you call a group of b-bee-keepers, Mercy?
Mercy: Is this a joke? I'm not very good with jokes, dear.
Felix: No, I mean what's the word? Like a flock of sheep. A herd of
cows, a pack of dogs, a - a jubilation of larks.
Mercy: Is it really? A jubilation. How lovely.
Felix: What is it for b-bee-keepers?
Mercy: Do you know? I've no idea.
Felix: What is it for astronauts? A group of astronauts?
Mercy: Shall we discuss it inside, dear?
Felix: Something to do with them being white. And weightless.
And silent.
Mercy: We shouldn't leave your mother on her own with all the others.
Felix: I just have to find the right word.
[...]
Flora enters. She is a very attractive woman in her late fifties. She looks young
for her age. She wears a stylish navy blue dress and Jackie Onassis' sunglasses
Mercy: Flora! We were just coming in. Weren't we, Felix? We were just
sorting out what you call a group of bee-keepers and then we
were right with you. Do you need me to do more sandwiches?
She's not angry. You're not angry, are you Flora?
Flora: No.
Mercy: There. I told you she wasn't angry. We can all go in now. Your
mother isn't angry with you.
Felix: Yes she is.
Flora: (calmly) I am not angry, Felix. I am incandescent with rage.
Mercy: Oh dear.
Felix: (stammering badly) An apocalypse of b-b-b-b-bee-keepers. What
do you think of that for a collective noun, Mother? It's not b-b-
bad, is it?
Flora: Stop that, Felix. You haven't done that since you were at prep
school.
Mercy: He's just a little jittery.

Flora: He's doing it to annoy me.
Mercy: I'm sure he's not - you're not, are you, Felix?
Flora: He can speak perfectly well, if he wants to. He's doing it on
purpose.
Felix: (extreme frustration) I'm trying to b-b-b-b-b-
Mercy: (supplying the word for him) Behave? He's trying to behave,
Flora: (coolly) I'm afraid, Felix, you will not get the sympathy vote. Today
your father has a prior claim.
Felix: I saw them, Mother. The apocalypse of b-b-b- (He gives up). They
were here. While my father was being consigned to dust. You got
rid of them immediately. His be- his be- be-
Flora: I got rid of the bees on professional advice. They were swarming.
Since your father's death they have developed very alarming
tendencies.
Felix: P-perhaps they were angry.
Mercy: Felix.
Felix: I came home and I went through the house and I find all my
father's be-be-be- all his things gone. All his clothes.
Mercy: Flora very kindly gave them to me. For the Romanian
orphans.
Flora: His bee-keeping suit is still there. In the garage. It is a constant
reminder.
Mercy: I could have taken it but Jean who runs the shop was worried
there wouldn't be much call.
Felix: I come home - and there is just an absence.
Flora: Don't question what I do, Felix. You weren't here.
Felix: I'm trying to find the right words.
Flora: Oh yes, Felix. You carry on. That is what this day has been lacking.
Yes. There we all were, waiting in the church for you to find just
the right words. Waiting for my clever son, my golden boy, the
Cambridge don, to deliver his father's oration.
'Jackie Onassis: formerly the glamorous wife of John F Kennedy, President of the USA in the 60s.
2prep school: private, independent (fee-paying) school for young children
*Cambridge don: senior academic lecturer at Cambridge University

On the surface, this appears to be a fairly realistic play. The concerns are everyday - the funeral
of a family member, the return of the deceased's son, discussions about the father's belongings.
But there are elements that point towards more elevated, almost spiritual ideas:
• the idea of absence - of someone not being there but still there somehow
• the focus on nature and the garden, which often symbolizes wider or more profound
ideas
• ideas to do with names of things, meanings, trying to express oneself - the title of the
play is Humble Boy which sounds similar to bumble bee'
2. How are each of these things touched on in the extract? Write a paragraph on each one,
giving one example of how each of these motifs or concerns arises in the text. For example:
The idea of absence is introduced in a number of ways. Firstly, there is the obvious absence
of Felix's father who is discussed but does not appear...
A second core element that contributes to the play's effect is the characterization.
There are three distinct characters whom we meet in the flesh in the opening.
3. How does Charlotte Jones suggest their distinctness to the audience? Copy and complete
this table about each one:
Character Appearance/clothing Their entrance Manner / tone of

on stage speech
Felix Overweight, wearing in a stumbling,
old cricket clothes uncertain way
Mercy Has come to look

for
Felix (sent by
Flora?)
but doesn't come
too
close to him
Flora Glamorous, attractive,

designer style
From these descriptions it is almost inevitable that there is going to be conflict. For example,
in different ways, one could say that both Felix and his mother are dressed inappropriately
for a funeral.
4. What reasons have Felix and Flora got for being annoyed with each other?
5. What is Mercy's role in this situation?
6. How would your understanding of the dynamic between the three of them affect how this
scene would be played?
KEY TERMS
dynamic: the forces in a relationship that create change or reactions
Make some initial notes on your ideas for how the
scene would be played, identifying the ways in
which the characters speak and seem to behave.
Make sure you update these notes in the light of
the work below.
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In order to engage fully with the script, however, you need to pay sustained, detailed
attention to it in a range of ways. Look at the opening from the moment Felix enters up to
and including his line They looked like astronauts'
7. Working with a partner, discuss your views on the characters of both Felix and Mercy. Go
back to your completed table from Task 3 and look for any other clues about movement.
Consider the proxemics - where does Mercy stand during this dialogue? Does she move?
What about Felix?
8. Try out a number of different ways of playing the lines, all the time with the thought in
your heads - what are we trying to achieve?
What are we trying to say to the audience?
What core ideas do you want to get across? Felix's sadness, or is it anger - or a mixture of
both? Mercy's inability to connect with him, or her kindness, or both?
Go back to all you have learned about status, gesture and speech
and apply it to these few short lines.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

Now, complete this short task about those lines:
9. Give two pieces of advice to the actors playing Felix and Mercy in this short section on how
to perform.

ü Link your comments on how actors should perform to the script and the ideas you
have distilled from analyzing it
ü Apply an appropriate and useful range of dramatic techniques and terms to your
explanation
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can identify the ways in which the characters are different or distinctive and make
some basic suggestions about their performances.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
* I can write clearly and confidently about performances, linking my proposals to the
Text itself and making relevant inferences from the evidence.
6.2 Responding to specific
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Ø Consider how specific aspects of performance, design, or directional work might be
applied to a longer script.
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I tackle tasks that re quire me to focus on very
specific parts of a script?
STARTING POINT
Written scripts often provide detailed guidance on sets, what characters wear and what
props they use (when essential to the plot).
Nevertheless, there is a vast empty space for you as performer, director or designer, to make
your mark on someone else's script.
Take the opening two lines from Humble Boy:
Felix: (he stumbles on the letter 'b') The b-b-b-bees have gone.
Mercy: Yes, dear. Will you come in now?
We know that it is the day of Felix's father's funeral and that his mother is hosting a
reception for the people who attended the funeral. They are inside, whereas Felix and Mercy
are in the garden. Mercy has come to fetch him. We also know the writer has described her as
timid.
1. What might she have been doing before she came onto the stage?
Think about these suggestions:
serving food
making tea
collecting glasses
collecting glasses
Or perhaps something else? We can't know for sure, and you would need to read the whole
play to get a full sense of Mercy's character, but on the evidence here it is likely she has been
helping Felix's mother in some way.
2. With this in mind, what prop might Mercy be holding?

a tea-tray with cups or glasses on it
a garden rake
an empty tray
a photo of Felix's father
the urn with Felix's father's ashes in
Some of these are possible; others unlikely. An item with a lot of significance is likely to be
mentioned in the script, so if Mercy does become a key element in the plot.
When props are used, there need to be valid reasons for them. Here a student explains his
suggestion of how a prop might be used by Felix in these opening lines.
I think when Felix goes up to the hive, he sees a pair of gardening gloves on the stool that
the writer mentions. I think he will see these are his father's, pick them up, look at them for
a moment - and then put them down, before looking into the hive. It will emphasise the
connection of the bees, and the garden, with Felix's father and the idea of loss.
3. What prop does the student suggest might be used here?

4. What reason does the student provide for the use of the prop? Do you think it is a good
one? Why?
5. Now, have a look back at the whole of the scene given in Unit 6.1. Can you think of another
occasion in this scene when a prop might be used effectively? Reread the set directions again
to see if there is anything mentioned by the writer you could use (such as an apple from the
apple tree?).
Write a paragraph explaining:

• what the prop is and how it would be used effectively
• your reasons for its use.
Bear in mind what the prop's purpose is - think of it as having three

potential roles:
Functional Atmospheric Symbolic
It is simply used as part of The prop may or may not be It has a wider role, perhaps
the action: for example, a used, but it adds to the 'feel' to further establish
tray may be needed it a lot or mood of the scene or character or provide
of glasses are to be collected. action. It might give contrast between characters,
information about the story or to emphasize or draw
and situation (like the tray attention to a theme or key
of cups and glasses idea.
indicating a social event).
If you are stuck for ideas, you could consider one of the following:
an apple
'Order of Service' from the funeral
a glass of water
a gardening trowel
a book or newspaper
a piece of luggage
a fly swatter
a cup of coffee
A similar approach can be used when you are responding to questions about particular
characters. Let us look at Flora's character and how she might be played in these lines:
Felix: I'm trying to find the right words.
Flora: Oh yes, Felix. You carry on. That is what this day has been lacking. Yes. There
we all were, waiting in the church for you to find just the right words. Waiting
for my clever son, my golden boy, the Cambridge don, to deliver his father's
oration.
Start by establishing what we know about Flora, Felix's mother, at this point:
• She is incandescent with rage (extremely angry because Felix failed to speak at his
father's funeral and is now outside rather than talking with the guests)
• She is glamorous, and her appearance contrasts strongly with Felix's rather tatty
clothing.
6. Briefly read her lines aloud, then consider:
• her tone of voice - is she being genuinely complimentary when she says my clever
son?
• her emphasis on particular words - which ones would she stress most? Why?
• her posture - if Felix is possibly bumbling around, trying to speak, how might she
stand in contrast to him?
• her facial expressions and gestures - how does someone show anger?
7. Discuss your ideas with a partner. Then have another go at reading the exchange between
Felix and Flora aloud - and perhaps acting it out, too.
In what ways did acting out the specified section

of the script help your written response?
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Now, read one student's ideas on how Flora's speeches should be performed.
These lines are addressed to Felix rather than Mercy and establish a number of things about
Flora's character - her somewhat patronizing way of speaking about Felix, as if he is a child
(boy), but also the fact that she is upset by her husband's death even if she has got rid of his
clothes and bees. Her tone of voice, however, is probably bitter and sarcastic, and she would
emphasize clever son' and' golden boy. She doesn't really want Felix to carry on', as she feels
he should have spoken earlier at the service, not now. I think she will say the lines through
gritted teeth, to show her anger and frustration.
8. In what ways has the student shown understanding of Flora's character?

9. What aspects of Flora's performance has the student addressed here? Have reasons been
given why the actor playing Flora should perform in the way stated?
10. What aspects have not been addressed?
11. Choose one of these missing aspects and write a paragraph giving advice to an actor about
what to do. Make sure you include reasons for your decisions.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

12. Look at the lines spoken by Mercy from Flora! We were just coming in. to Your mother
isn't angry with you' (in Unit 6.1). What aspects of Mercy's character would you want to
highlight in performance?

ü Include a short, summative statement about Mercy's character, based on the script as
a whole, and what we know about her at this point
ü Comment on tone of voice, facial expression, gestures and movements and anything
else you consider relevant in bringing her character to life
ü Give reasons for your advice
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can write clearly about particular ways in which actors should perform a small section
from a script.
• I can write clearly about how a particular aspect such as use of props, costume, set or sound
could be used in a longer script.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can suggest a wide range of ways actors should perform set lines from a script and support
my views with detailed understanding of the character.
• I can write in detail, and with relevant dramatic references, about how a particular aspect
such as use of props, costume, set or sound could be used effectively in a longer script.
6.3 Writing extended responses
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Consider how to express detailed ideas about acting, design or directorial vision
with regard to a longer script
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I write a sustained response on a longer script?
STARTING POINT
It is often relatively easy to select individual moments from a drama and explain what an
actor should do, or what prop or lighting design might be appropriate at that point, but it can
be more challenging to trace the development of an idea or a character across a longer piece
of drama.
Imagine you are an actor playing Felix in Humble Boy and have been asked to explain:
• what impression you want the audience to gain of him
• how you want to communicate this meaning.
1. Jot down your immediate thoughts. Start: I want the audience to see that.

Although you have already looked at the script in some detail, this can be hard to answer.
Your starting point is to understand and be able to write about the sort of person you believe
Felix to be based on the evidence across the whole of the script.
2. What do you think the following evidence suggests about Felix? Reread the script and then
copy and complete the table:
Evidence What this might tell us?
He enters the garden in a 'stumbling, It might convey the idea of a 'lost' soul,
uncertain way someone who is unsure where to go. Why
might this be? Perhaps because of his
father's death.
He is 'transfixed' by the beehive. The bees were kept by his father, so their
removal might seem like another link gone
with his father, perhaps even a betrayal?
He's wearing old, greying cricket clothes,
even though it is the day of his father's
funeral.
In the conversation with Mercy, he seems
obsessed by the beekeepers who have
taken the bees away.
Even though Mercy tries to encourage him,
he ignores her requests to 'come inside'.
When his mother appears, he speaks to her
directly.
His stammering gets worse when his
mother is talking to him.
3. Once you have completed your table, write a short summary paragraph that conveys what
Felix is like as a character. You could start:
It is important to convey to the audience that Felix is clearly hit hard by his father's death.
His physical behavior and what he says, or tries to say, tell us that…

Having analyzed the script for evidence, you need to draw on your acting skills to
demonstrate how this characterization will be conveyed
You will need to think about:
• speech - tone of voice, delivery, pace, emphasis
• gesture and movement - posture, facial expression, particular movements
• proxemics - where he might stand or move to within the stage in relation to other
characters.
4. Jot down some initial thoughts under each of these headings for Felix. You may find it
useful to work with a group to try out your ideas in practice.
Equally important is the idea of change and contrast. When looking at a particular character
over the course of a longer piece of drama, you need to consider if there are moments when
the character changes or reacts differently.
Think about any of the devised or scripted work

you have been involved with. In what ways does
any character change over the course of the
drama? Make brief notes summing up your ideas.
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5. How might Felix change over the course of the script? You could see it as having three
phases as in the table below. Copy the table and add some initial notes suggesting how your
ideas from trying out acting techniques could be added here - and say why.
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Entrance and looking at Mercy's entrance and His mother’s entrance and
beehive before Mercy comes their conversation their conversation
in
Acting ideas Acting ideas Acting ideas

The stage directions say he
is 'transfixed', so as he
enters he must keep his eyes
on the hive, drawing the
audience's attention to it
too. He will take the lid off
the hive carefully, gingerly,
but not in a fearful way.
Rationale Rationale Rationale
The bees have great

meaning to him; they are a
link to his father, so the way
he takes the lid off should be
reverential and done with
care.
6. These three phases are not definitive. You might decide that within each one (or at least
some of them) there are further phases. What ways can you see of dividing up the second two
phases into further phases? Compartmentalizing the script in this way can be a useful
method for actors to visualize the performance, rather like breaking a journey down into a
series of smaller trips.
You may also have to look at the script as a whole and consider the overall mood or ideas the
playwright wishes to convey.
7. One reviewer of Humble Boy called the play funny and touching. Can you identify three
moments from the script that might be response from the audience? Might be considered
touching' - that is, likely to evoke a sympathetic
Once you have decided what these moments are, consider how you could exploit them for
maximum impact with the audience. Read this short example from one student:
I think the moment when Felix has checked the beehive and says, simply, The b-b-b-bees
have all gone' is very touching and sad. It is the first thing Felix says, and it is about
absence - about something that is missing. We find out later that the bees are very
important to Felix as they represent his father, perhaps, so he must speak these lines in a
very sad, downbeat way. I think once he has verified the bees are no longer there, he could
place the lid slowly back on the hive and then move away from it, staring out into the
darkness of the sky ask if looking for the bees to return. I think Mercy might move towards
him, unseen and reach out a hand as if to touch his shoulder, to comfort him, but then
withdraw it just as he turns to face her and say his next line.
8. What particular moment has this student selected? What suggestions has the student
come up with to make this moment touching?
9. Do you think these would be effective? Can you think of any other ideas? How could
lighting be used at this point?
10. Try out the idea above and any of your own for this moment (you may not be able to use
lighting) and evaluate whether or not they created the desired 'touching' effect.
APPLYING THE SKILLS

11. Identify the two other moments from the script which you think are touching and write
three or four paragraphs explaining how you would want them to be performed for
maximum impact.

ü Make sure you explain what is 'touching' about these moments, and why you have
chosen them
ü Comment in detail on specific suggestions that would give them impact: acting,
lighting and so on
ü Give clear reasons for your choices
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can write at length about a particular approach or development of character in a script.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can write about creative solutions to match the ideas I wish to convey to the audience.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Ø Read and respond to an extended script extract
Ø Evaluate other students' responses
SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I improve my responses to a longer script?
STARTING POINT
The extract you are going to read is taken from English writer John Galsworthy's play, Strife,
written in 1909. It deals with a strike for better wages and conditions by workers at a factory
making tin plate. However, neither the workers, led by a man called Roberts, nor the Chairman
and the directors of the company, show any sign of giving in. Enid has gone to visit Mrs
Roberts, who used to be a maid for Enid and her father, as she is very unwell.
Characters
ENID UNDERWOOD, daughter of the Chairman, Mr John Anthony
FRANCIS UNDERWOOD, her husband, manager of the tin plate company
DAVID ROBERTS, workers' committee member
ANNIE ROBERTS, his wife
JAN, a boy of 10, son of another worker
This extract is from Act 2, Scene 1. It takes place in Roberts' cottage; Enid has already been
there for some time when Roberts returns.
Close to the fireplace in an old armchair, wrapped in a rug, sits Mrs Roberts, a thin and
dark-haired woman about thirty-five, with patient eyes. Her hair is not done up, but tied
back with a piece of ribbon.
Enid: (Very gently.) I'll get him to talk to me outside, we won't excite you.
Mrs Roberts: (Faintly.) No, M'm.
(She gives a violent start. Roberts has come in, unseen.)
Roberts: (Removing his hat - with subtle mockery.) Beg pardon for coming in; you're
engaged with a lady, I see.
Enid: Can I speak to you, Mr Roberts?
Roberts: Whom have I the pleasure of addressing, Ma'am?
Enid: But surely you know me! I'm Mrs Underwood.
Roberts: (With a bow of malice.) The daughter of our Chairman.
Enid: (Earnestlv.) I've come on purpose to speak to you; will you come outside a
minute?
She looks at Mrs Roberts.
Roberts: (Hanging up his hat.) I have nothing to say, Ma'am.
Enid: But I must speak to you, please.
She moves towards the door.
Roberts: (With sudden venom.) I have not the time to listen!
Mrs Roberts:David!
Enid: Mr Roberts, please!
Roberts: (Taking off his overcoat.) I am sorry to disoblige a lady - Mr Anthony's
daughter.
Enid: (Wavering, then with sudden decision.) Mr Roberts, I know you've another
meeting of the men.
(Roberts bows.)
I came to appeal to you. Please, please, try to come to some compromise; give
way a little, if it's only for your own sakes!
Roberts: (Speaking to himself.) The daughter of Mr Anthony begs me to give way a
little, if it's only for our own sakes.
Enid: For everybody's sake; for your wife's sake.
Roberts: For my wife's sake, for everybody's sake - for the sake of Mr Anthony.
Enid: Why are you so bitter against my father? He has never done anything to you.
Roberts: Has he not?
Enid: He can't help his views, any more than you can help yours.
Roberts: I really didn't know that I had a right to views!
Enid: He's an old man, and you –
Seeing his eyes fixed on her, she stops.
Roberts: (Without raising his voice.) If I saw Mr Anthony going to die, and I
could save him by lifting my hand, I would not lift the little finger of it.
Enid: You - you -- (She stops again, biting her lips.)
Roberts: I would not, and that's flat!
Enid: (Coldly.) You don't mean what you say, and you know it!
Roberts: I mean every word of it.
Enid: But why?
Roberts: (With a flash.) Mr Anthony stands for tyranny! That's why!
Enid: Nonsense!
Mrs Roberts makes a movement as if to rise, but sinks back in her chair.
Enid: (With an impetuous movement.) Annie!
Roberts: Please not to touch my wife!
Enid: (Recoiling with a sort of horror.) I believe - you are mad.
Roberts: The house of a madman then is not the fit place for a lady.
Enid: I'm not afraid of you.
Roberts: (Bowing.) I would not expect the daughter of Mr Anthony to be afraid. Mr
Anthony is not a coward like the rest of them.
Enid: (Suddenly.) I suppose you think it brave, then, to go on with the struggle.
Roberts: Does Mr Anthony think it brave to fight against women and children?
Mr Anthony is a rich man, I believe; does he think it brave to fight against
those who haven't a penny? Does he think it brave to set children crying with
hunger, an' women shivering with cold?
Enid: (Putting up her hand, as though warding off a blow.) My father is acting on
his principles, and you know it!
Roberts: And so am I!
Enid: You hate us; and you can't bear to be beaten.
Roberts: Neither can Mr Anthony, for all that he may say.
Enid: At any rate you might have pity on your wife.
Mrs Roberts who has her hand pressed to her heart, takes it away, and tries to calm her
breathing.
Roberts: Madam, I have no more to say.
He takes up the loaf. There is a knock at the door, and Underwood comes in. He stands
looking at them, Enid turns to him, then seems undecided.
Underwood: Enid!
Roberts: (Ironically.) Ye were not needing to come for your wife, Mr Underwood. We
are not rowdies.
Underwood: I know that, Roberts. I hope Mrs Roberts is better. (Roberts turns away
without answering.) Come, Enid!
Enid: I make one more appeal to you, Mr Roberts, for the sake of your wife.
Roberts: (With polite malice.) If I might advise ye, Ma'am - make it for the sake
of your husband and your father.
Enid, suppressing a retort, goes out. Underwood opens the door for her and follows.
Roberts, going to the fire, holds out his hands to the dying glow.
Roberts: How goes it, my girl? Feeling better, are you?
(Mrs Roberts smiles faintly. He brings his overcoat and wraps it round her.)
(Looking at his watch.) Ten minutes to four! (As though inspired.) I've seen
their faces, there's no fight in them, except for that one old robber.
Mrs Roberts:Won't you stop and eat, David? You've 'ad nothing all day!
Roberts: (Putting his hand to his throat.) Can't swallow till those old sharks are out of
the town. (He walks up and down.) I shall have a bother with the men there's
no heart in them, the cowards. Blind as bats, they are - can't see a day before
their noses.
Mrs Roberts: It's the women, David.
Roberts: Ah! So they say! They can remember the women when their own bellies
speak! The women never stop them from the drink; but from a little suffering
to themselves in a sacred cause, the women stop them fast enough.
Mrs Roberts:But think o' the children, David.
Roberts: Ah! If they will go breeding themselves for slaves, without a thought 0' the
future o' them they breed -
Mrs Roberts:(Gasping.) That's enough, David; don't begin to talk of that - I won't 1 can't -
Roberts: (Staring at her.) Now, now, my girl!
Mrs Roberts:(Breathlessly.) No, no, David - I won't!
Roberts: There, there! Come, come! That's right! (Bitterly.) Not one penny will they put
by for a day like this. Not they! Hand to mouth - Gad! –I know them! They've
broke my heart. There was no holdin' them at the start, but now the pinch 'as
come.
Mrs Roberts: How can you expect it, David? They're not made of iron
Roberts: Expect it? Wouldn't I expect what I would do meself? Wouldn't I starve an' rot
rather than give in? What one man can do, another can.
Mrs Roberts:And the women?
Roberts: This is not women's work.
Mrs Roberts: (With a flash of malice.) No, the women may die for all you care.
That's their work.
Roberts: (Averting his eyes.) Who talks of dying? No one will die till we have beaten
these -
(He meets her eyes again, and again turns his away. Excitedly.)
This is what I've been waiting for all these months. To get the old robbers
down, and send them home again without a farthing’s worth o' change. I've
seen their faces, I tell you, in the valley of the shadow of defeat.
He goes to the peg and takes down his hat.
Mrs Roberts:(Following with her eyes - softly.) Take your overcoat, David; it must be
bitter cold.
Roberts: (Coming up to her - his eyes are furtive.) No, no! There, there, stay quiet and
warm. I won't be long, my girl!
Mrs Roberts:(With soft bitterness.) You'd better take it.
She lifts the coat. But Roberts puts it back, and wraps it round her. He tries to
meet her eyes, but cannot. Mrs Roberts stays huddled in the coat. Her eyes,
that follow him about, are half malicious, half yearning. He looks at his watch
again, and turns to go. In the doorway he meets Jan Thomas, a boy of ten in
clothes too big for him, carrying a penny whistle.
Roberts: Hallo, boy
He goes. Jan stops within a yard of Mrs Roberts, and stares at her without a word.

John Galsworthy was writing at a time in Britain when there was increasing conflict between
the working classes and their betters (as they were sometimes called) - employers, the
aristocracy and so on. At about the same time, other writers were beginning to explore similar
issues - for example, George Bernard Shaw in Pygmalion, in which a working-class girl is
trained to become posh.
Later in the 20th century, playwrights such as John Osborne would write plays in which
working-class characters were presented as fully rounded protagonists. As you think about
Strife, you might want to consider how fully rounded the presentation of Roberts and his wife
Annie is.
Answer these questions, based on your reading or performance of the extract:

1. How would you describe the style of the play as it is written? Is it intended to be a realistic
drama, fantasy, absurdist, or something else?
2. What are the key themes or ideas that Galsworthy seems to be interested in?
3. What general mood or atmosphere do you think he is trying to achieve?

Now read these more detailed tasks on the extract and the sample responses that follow.
Task 1: In what ways could the costume designer contribute to the realization of the
characters in this extract?
identifies style of play, although a little simplistic
Response A
The play is a realistic one, so I think the characters
would dress in the right clothes for the time. The basic contrast but lacking in explanation in
relation to play itself
most important thing would be to show the
difference between the workers and the rich, so
this means the costume designer needs to show
shabby poor clothing for Roberts and his wife
Annie and have nice clothes for Enid. Roberts says,
useful direct reference to play
..you're engaged with a lady when he comes in, so
it is obvious that she looks different to Annie.
Their clothes would be clothes that people wore in
the early 20th century, such as for Enid quite fancy
embroidery with ribbons. She would definitely thoughtful but rather general detail.
not related to Enid's characterization
wear a dress, probably ankle length and slim-
fitting. The audience will see that there is a
basic detail, lacking development
difference in their lives as Annie would only have
cheaper, working-class clothes, probably a plain,
single-colored skirt.
Comment
This is a clear response, which makes the basic point about the contrast between the working
classes and the better off.
However; it does not really draw out how costumes could specifically develop
characterization for these particular characters; the suggestions could apply to almost any
working- class person and richer woman, not Annie and Enid in particular.
4. How could this response be improved? Think about:

• how the costume design details could be more specific
• how the response could draw on what we find out about the characters.
Response B good opening point making the direct link between

I think it is important that for the realization of the script and the costume ideas
Annie. her costume needs to emphasize her ill

health and her poverty. Although she is not a
working woman as she is housebound because of
illness, she would be dressed in a practical way,
useful comment identifies how the stage directions
not for appearance or fashion. The stage help with the costume design
direction is that her hair is not done up, but tied
back with a piece of ribbon', which suggests that
she has prepared her hair in the easiest and most
practical way. Working women of the day would
have worn plain, long skirts, probably made from
cotton, not wool, as she is clearly cold throughout good additional detail but a bit undeveloped
the extract. On her feet, perhaps clogs, which
were hard-wearing. The clothes would be patched
in places, with the appearance of having been
repaired several times. At one point, Enid says to suggestion fits in with what we know of the plot and
conflict between Roberts and the owners
Roberts, 'At any rate, you might have pity on your
wife, which must refer to getting him to give up
the strike. But he won't, so it suggests he won't
even take handouts as this will show weakness in
the battle.
Comment
This is a well-argued response with some detailed, thoughtful ideas based on the text itself.
Some further detail on what Annie might or might not be wearing (hat or no hat?) and also
how the costume might be used as part of the characterization (how does Annie interact with
what she is wearing?) would help, but this is a solid and helpful response so far.
5. How could this response be improved? Think about:

• how Annie might use her costume to develop her characterization
• other costume details that have not been mentioned – for example, what else she
would be wearing apart from a skirt.
Task 2: Explore the ways in which the role of ROBERTS helps to move the drama along in
the extract.
Response A
Roberts is obviously a very important
character because he is leader of the a clear point identifying his role in the drama
workers and the one who is dead against
going back to work, even if it means his
own family starving. There are quite a few this information needs to be supported by direct
of the other workers who don't completely reference to the text
support him so he is the one who is causing
all the problems - you could say he is the
one who makes the play exciting. there is a good point here, but it is not expressed in a
way that shows dramatic knowledge
Everything could be ok if Roberts wasn't in
the scene as Enid and Annie seem to get
along, but Annie knows there will be
trouble when he comes back as she gives a
good to refer to the dramatic effect but doesn’t
violent start' when he appears. This creates answer the question directly
tension in the audience and they want to
see what will happen between Enid and
him.
Comment
This is a reasonable attempt to try to discuss Roberts' impact, but it does not focus enough
on specific moments within the scene, nor express ideas in suitably professional language.
6. How could this be improved? Think about:
• what particular changes happen in the scene as a result of Roberts' words and actions.
• what dramatic function he serves.
Response B
Roberts could be referred to as the antagonist of
identifies Roberts’ central role in the play
the play: without him, it could be argued there
would be no conflict and therefore no story – the
men would simply go back to work. His function
is to act as a contrast with Mr Anthony, who is
both his opposite and similar in character – he evidence from the text supports the point
says, Mr Anthony is not a coward like the rest of
them.... even though he would not lift a finger to
save him if he was dying! This suggests that End's
efforts to calm things are no match for this shows how his words and actions have a direct
stubborn man. His main role here is to show how impact on audience and developing plot
deep the hatred is of his employers, so much that
the audience begin to realize his own wife is at good interpretation of character and what it shows in
risk. When he forbids Enid to help Annie, the this extract
audience see that his principles are a sort of
madness. It might even be argued that they
refers to his blind pursuit of justice
directly contribute to Annie becoming more
unwell, for example when he fails to realize what
this is leading to: Who talks of dying? No one will
die till we have beaten these-
Comment
This is a strong exploration of Roberts and his general role in the play; a full answer would
need to trace in more detail how what he says and does in this scene moves the drama
forward.
7. How could this be improved? Think about:

• other ways you could explore Roberts' dramatic role (Is he more of an archetype than
a realistic character? Why? Why not?)
• how he enables particular themes to be explored and developed.
KEY TERMS
archetype: a character that seems to represent a type or category of person (for example,
angry working class) rather than a person in their own right
APPLYING THE SKILLS

8. Now it's your turn. Complete this task based on the script:
Task 3: Explore the ways in which the role of ENID helps to move
the drama along in the extract.

ü Focus on the extract itself, not on material outside it
ü Do not waste time retelling what happens
ü Use appropriate dramatic terms to describe End's function and role
SOUND PROGRESS
• I can respond to a longer script identifying and using evidence to support my points
in a clear, logical way.
EXCELLENT PROGRESS
• I can respond to a longer script in thoughtful ways that consider its impact on the
audience, using fluent expression and appropriate dramatic terminology.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
SOUND PROGRESS /
o I can identify the ways in which characters are different or distinctive and make some
basic suggestions about how actors show this in performance.
o I can write clearly about particular ways in which actors working together should
perform a small section from a script.
o I can write clearly about how a particular aspect such as use of props, costume, set or
sound could be used in a longer script.
o I can write at length about a particular approach or development of character in a
script.
o I can respond to a longer script using evidence to support my points in a clear, logical
way.
o I can write clearly and confidently about performances, linking my proposals to the
text itself and making relevant inferences from the evidence.
o I can suggest a wide range of ways actors should perform set lines from a script and
support my views with detailed understanding of the character.
o I can write in detail, and with relevant dramatic references, about how a particular
aspect such as use of props, costume, set or sound could be used effectively in a
longer script.
o I can write about creative solutions to match the ideas I wish to convey to the
audience.
o I can respond to a longer script in thoughtful ways that consider its impact on the
audience, using fluent expression and appropriate dramatic terminology.

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COLEGIO DE LA CIUDAD DE TAYABAS

Concepts, Principles and

Prof. JOHN HERSON T. UNLAYAO

You will learn how to:

SPOTLIGHT ON: What is the purpose of drama?

The British theatre director Peter Brook said:

1. What questions are raised in your mind as the man enters?

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

2. Why do people write, direct, produce or perform in plays?

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

APPLYING THE SKILLS

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

APPLYING THE SKILLS

What particular skills or interests do you have

You will learn how to:

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

Make brief notes about the hot-seating process.

APPLYING THE SKILLS

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

How you stand or sit (posture), for example:

How you move around the stage/acting space, for example:

How you look facially, for example:

5. Working with a partner, act out each of these simple situations

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

Read this opening to a famous novel:

6. What has happened to Gregor? How do you think he feels?

APPLYING THE SKILLS

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

SPOTLIGHT ON: How can I use my voice effectively in my own acting?

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

Write up some brief notes identifying how

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

APPLYING THE SKILLS

William Shakespeare, from The Tempest

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

The way he Did you hear I was

They were whispering away,

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

Jem: Oh, it's you.

Jem's words raise interesting questions that aren't answered here.

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

Write about one or two of the performances you

APPLYING THE SKILLS

Jake: I...I was wondering whose dish that was.

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS

1. Discuss briefly, with a partner, what you notice about:

EXPLORING THE SKILLS

2. Look at this diagram, which is part of proxemics theory.

Write some brief notes identifying what you have

DEVELOPING THE SKILLS

Such levels can be used in a variety of ways, for example:

Sigurd: You spoke of our secret.

Selima: He didn't have a choice.

Selima: What is the matter, Sigurd?

Write two paragraphs about how your group

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS